Project Life
Volunteer on Dolphin & Whale research projects in the Ligurian Sea, Italy

Sample Day:

The schedule of a research cruise depends very much on weather conditions. Surveys are conducted whenever the sea state and wind forecasts are favourable for data collection. In an average survey day, the crew gets up early in the morning, between 7.00 and 8.00 AM. After breakfast the navigation starts and research is conducted until the vessel reaches another harbour or a sheltered bay for the night. Depending on the cruise programme and the weather conditions, the boat may remain offshore for one day or longer.

Participants are full members of the crew, so they will be assigned a number of duties. These include sighting shifts (looking for cetaceans), computer shifts (data entry and hydrophone listening), navigation shifts (checking the boat course and velocity), and cooking and boat-keeping shifts (participants as well as staff members will be in charge of preparing meals and cleaning-up, and keeping the boat tidy and ready to sail).

Sample Week:

On the first day of the trip you will rendezvous at the harbour of Portosole, Sanremo, where the research vessel is moored. The boat will not leave the harbour during the first day. Participants will be thus invited to settle in the cabin to familiarize themselves with the boat. Before dinner a briefing of all the crew is scheduled in order to meet all the participants and to present the cruise programme. The following days are devoted to the fieldwork.

Fieldwork is carried out whenever the weather is good. Participants should be aware that the schedule may vary depending on weather conditions, research priorities and logistical constraints. For instance, a rainy or windy day may force the staff to postpone a scheduled survey at sea, so therefore participants would get involved with theoretical work, data analysis or go on a trip to a nearby location (depending on the circumstances).