Operation Wallacea - Croatia

I went on this trip as part of a school group and l am so grateful for the opportunity. Overall I gained so much experience and had a blast. The experience is invaluable and the specialists are really engaging due to the vast amount of knowledge being shared. I built friendships and made new ones, even international ones, due to the shared experience. The only thing I would say is that if you’re a picky eater, take food with you because options are sometimes limited. Also make sure you are 100% prepared with kit and take extra than the kit list: bed sheet, casual clothes, travel pillow. The trip really pushed me out of my comfort zone but I was so glad it did because I got to do things I wouldn’t necessarily ever do: going into a cave, snorkelling in the Adriatic, working with animals I was previously afraid of. It was also great to get time where we could immerse ourselves in the culture of the beautiful country: visiting waterfalls and churches in Krka, getting free time in Silba to visit town to eat or shop.

This expedition brought about so many new opportunities for me, from opening my eyes to what work within the conservation sector could be like to meeting new people who provided information on their work and even offered work experience opportunities!! As well as this, the skills I learned were invaluable, for example how to use different techniques and technologies to record and analyse a wide range of biological data. The travelling element was fascinating to experience the biology of a new country. Also, the social experience was unforgettable, meeting so many friendly people with similar interests and continuing these links back home. In fact, a group of us have been discussing continuing our scuba qualification abroad together!

Croatia is an amazing country and this expedition made me confirm my love for conservation biology. Would highly recommend it to anyone who likes adventure and biology. It was an expedition of a lifetime.