Table Mountain National Park
Table Mountain National Park
Position: Marine Conservation
Number of available positions: 1
Duration of internship: 12-24 weeks
Are you interested in marine biology and conservation? Do you love working outdoors? If so, you should consider a marine conservation internship with Table Mountain National Park in Cape Town.
Beacuse of it's diversity of fauna and flora, Cape Town is a great place to participate in a marine conservation internship. Situated at the south-western tip of Africa, the Table Mountain National Park (TMNP) encompasses the incredibly scenic Table Mountain Chain stretching from Signal Hill in the north to Cape Point in the south. The narrow finger of land with its beautiful valleys, bays and beaches is surrounded by the waters of the Atlantic Ocean in the west and the warmer waters of False Bay, and has within its boundaries two world-renowned landmarks - majestic Table Mountain and the legendary Cape of Good Hope. The Park, includes 1,000 square km of the seas and coastline around the peninsula, is internationally recognized for its extraordinarily diverse ecosystem. Because the Cape Peninsula is the site where the cold Benguela and warm Atlantic currents mix, the sea around the peninsula is incredibly rich in marine diversity.
In 2004, the Table Mountain National Park created the Marine Protected Area (MPA) to help ensure that commercial and recreational use of the ocean is sustainable. While fishing is allowed in the majority of the MPA - subject to Marine and Coastal Management (MCM) permits, regulations and seasons - it also includes six restricted or "no-take" zones where no fishing or extractive activities are allowed. These no-take zones are important breeding and nursery areas for marine life. By leaving these zones unmolested, there will ultimately be an increase in marine stock and a chance for threatened species to regenerate.
Does studying and working to preserve the diversity of marine life in Table Mountain National Park appeal to you? Well then you should apply for an internship with the Marine Conservation Team, which manages and monitors the use of Table Mountain National Park’s marine areas. The 16-strong team is faced with the monumental challenge of combating poaching in the MPA and educating local fishing communities about sustainable fishing and use. Poaching is the single biggest threat to our marine environment, and has resulted in strict regulations and even bans on certain recreational activities. This marine conservation internship will allow you to participate in all aspects of the day-to-day activities conducted by the Marine Team. Some of these activities include patrolling protected waters, monitoring fishing quotas and wildlife populations, checking permits, tracking poachers, and assisting with marine or land-based research. You will spend most of your time outdoors on the sea, in one of the world’s most breathtaking cities! If you are interested in marine conservation, this could be the perfect internship experience for you.
-A cape fur seal colony on Duiker Island, along the Atlantic seaboard.
VACorps Testimonials
Read what past participants have to say about our program.
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Kelsey VanderhoofGenre of Internship:Occupational Therapy Dates of Participation: July 2012 - September 2012 |
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"I took the summer off following graduate school intending to travel the world, but found myself not knowing where to start. Rather than spending my summer spending money, I decided ... read more |
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Kate BrennanGenre of Internship:Film / Sociology Dates of Participation: June 2012 - August 2012 |
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"Before coming to Cape Town, everyone asked me, Why Cape Town? Truth be told, I didn’t really have an answer. Dissatisfied with the growing monotony of my life back in the states, ... read more |
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Ryan ChiarelloGenre of Internship:Public Health Dates of Participation: May 2012 - July 2012 |
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"My internships with TB/HIV Care Association and Ikhaya Le Themba After-School Program were educational and transformative. Volunteer Adventure Corps definitely "hit the head on the nail" with ... read more |
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Tegan HendersonGenre of Internship:Education Dates of Participation: March 2012 - May 2012 |
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"When I arrived back in London a week ago, everyone’s first question, of course, was “so how was it?!”? I am not kidding when I say my response is always ... read more |
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Samantha MurrayGenre of Internship:Journalism/Social Justice Dates of Participation: September 2011 - May 2012 |
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"On my first day in the Mother City, I asked someone why so many people come to Cape Town but never leave?
“..Because Cape Town will steal your soul ... read more |
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Kelly StoneGenre of Internship:Law Dates of Participation: June 2011 - August 2011 |
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"I boarded a plane in mid-May having just finished my second year of law school. I left a great job and a set career path because I wasn’t ... read more |
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Jennifer ReynoldsGenre of Internship:Occupational Therapy Dates of Participation: August 2011 - November 2011 |
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"There’s no easy way to sum up my experiences here. Everything I’ve done, everyone I’ve met and all the places I’ve been have been amazing. I wouldn’t trade it for ... read more |
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Claire BrightonGenre of Internship:Law Dates of Participation: November 2009 - February 2010 |
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"On the 19th of November 2009, fresh out of law exams, I boarded a plane bound for Cape Town, South Africa, in the pursuit of sunshine, adventure and ... read more |
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Whitney TaylorGenre of Internship:Media and Gender Dates of Participation: May 2011 - August 2011 |
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"When I first thought about interning in South Africa, so many what-ifs ran through my mind. I knew everything would be different than what I was used to back home. ... read more |
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Jeremy HintonGenre of Internship:Physical Therapy Dates of Participation: August 2011 - October 2011 |
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''I tried my best to prepare for my two months in Cape Town. I Google-Mapped South Africa and spotted out a few of the big cities, I wikipedia’ed Cape Town ... read more |
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Franca del SignoreGenre of Internship:Human Rights Dates of Participation: October 2009 - March 2010 |
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"In the process of changing my career path, and having decided an internship was the best way to achieve this goal, I set out on a search for a ... read more |
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Luke ClearyGenre of Internship:Advertising Dates of Participation: June 2008 - August 2008 |
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"Chances are, if you’ve made your way to the testimonials page of this website you’re already on the cusp of the adventure of a lifetime. Go ... read more |
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Alisha GibsonGenre of Internship:Medical Dates of Participation: March 2011 - May 2011 |
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“My internship placement was, as I would say, banging!! It was the best ever! I got to experience my dream job of delivering babies right before my eyes. ... read more |
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Juliane HundtGenre of Internship:Refugee Work Dates of Participation: April 2009 - June 2009 |
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“VACorps was not the first internship program I participated in; however, the experience was one-of-a-kind. The organization was one of the few international placement agencies offering positions with a refugee ... read more |
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Justin BeanGenre of Internship:Sustainable Energy Dates of Participation: June 2010 - August 2010 |
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“Why do you want to go all the way to South Africa to do an internship?” Someone asked me before I departed for Cape Town. The ... read more |
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Josh DilkGenre of Internship:Human Rights Law Dates of Participation: September 2009 - February 2010 |
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"Cape Town, South Africa was a natural destination for me when the recent economic recession postponed when I would begin working at my Firm. Having recently graduated from law ... read more |
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Gerald ThamGenre of Internship:Human Rights Dates of Participation: May 2010 - July 2010 |
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"I'd like to thank the whole VACorps team for making this adventure-of-a-lifetime not only possible, but even more spectacular and meaningful than my wildest expectations! It's an even ... read more |
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Elsa PetersonGenre of Internship:Social Work Dates of Participation: January 2009 - January 2009 |
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“When I decided I wanted to travel and live abroad in Cape Town, South Africa, I had no idea that my life ... read more |
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Michelle Pinter-PetrilloGenre of Internship:Urban Agriculture Dates of Participation: January 2011 - April 2011 |
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“During my sophomore year while looking at options for studying abroad I quickly realized that I did not want to study at a university. Instead of spending my time in ... read more |
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Tim LaRoccoGenre of Internship:Human Rights Dates of Participation: January 2009 - April 2009 |
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“When the opportunity to participate in a professional internship in Africa presented itself to me, I had a feeling it ... read more |
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Zach LoftonGenre of Internship:NGO Development Dates of Participation: March 2010 - July 2010 |
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"My ten weeks in Cape Town, South Africa were invaluable! It was easily one of the greatest experiences of my life. Volunteer Adventure Corps provided me with an opportunity ... read more |
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Giulia NotariGenre of Internship:Gender Advocacy Dates of Participation: July 2011 - September 2011 |
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"VAC's passion for Cape Town and South Africa is contagious. I am leaving Observatory very sad and nostalgic because thanks to VAC I have had an amazing experience and made ... read more |
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Anna DowlingGenre of Internship:Medical Dates of Participation: September 2011 - December 2011 |
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"Spending four months of my life in South Africa has been a life-changing experience that has transformed and enriched me as a person. Working at Heideveld Day Clinic offered me ... read more |
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Kelly SmithGenre of Internship:Social Work Dates of Participation: September 2011 - December 2011 |
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"In my language there is a saying “Ndiwelimilambo enamagama” ( I have crossed famous rivers). It means that one has traveled a great distance, that one has had wide experience ... read more |
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Matt RussellGenre of Internship:IT/Software Development Dates of Participation: September 2011 - December 2011 |
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"From the first day I arrived in Cape Town, feeling like a naïve tourist at the airport to the final hours I spent trying to squeeze in one last hike, ... read more |
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