Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre

Rachel Gardener 12 September-6 November 2012, UK

I applied to volunteer at the Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre to gain experience in British marine conservation charities after graduating with a degree in Marine Biology and with a September start date it seemed rather perfect. I wanted to help with the education and research and gain an insight into dolphin conservation, but after two months in New Quay I gained so much more.

As I look back at the different events that passed during those two months it makes me very happy – the people were fantastic and I was able to watch dolphins and seals everyday, either from land or boat based surveys or by glancing out the window in the visitor centre. Even sitting out in the pouring rain watching the dolphins leap and train the newborn calves to swim properly was a joy. And there was always someone waiting with a hot drink when you got back to the centre.

I made friends, took part in scientific surveys, learned about dolphins and seals, was able to watch some pretty incredible acrobatic displays from adult dolphins and some hilarious splashing from their calves. I was able to take part in two all day boat trips on which I helped with acoustic recordings of the dolphins which was an absolute delight. I even learned to knit!

Each day was spent taking part in land and/or boat based surveys, recording sightings, assisting in the visitor centre or even taking part in beach cleans. Thanks to the other volunteers, whatever task we were doing for the day was done with laughter and entertainment, from start to finish. I can truly say that volunteering at CBMWC was an eye opening experience in the kind of conservation work that is available in the UK. The experience gained in those two months will stay with me for a long time with some hilarious and fond memories. I cannot wait to go back and visit.

Brigitte Achatz 28 March-19 May 2012, Austria

I came to know the staff of the Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre working for and visiting Whalefest in Brighton in October 2011. They told me so many things about lovely Wales and the amazing wildlife in Cardigan Bay that I really got curious to see it, and therefore sent my application. Another reason for applying was of course my keen interest in nature and all animals, especially marine mammals and I was looking for a possibility to gain more practice in research techniques and to learn more about these gracious animals. Luckily I was accepted and remain very thankful for that, because I honestly came to know a very special place, with friendly people and an amazing wildlife and natural beauty. Apart from that I was able to accomplish my goal, because I really learned a lot and at the same time was able to help an enthusiastic team in their conservation and education work. What I liked most about working for CBMWC was to be welcomed by a lovely team, working with all the amazing other volunteers (we often spent our free time together kayaking, playing boulders on the beach, attending the weekly pub quizzes and so on), and that every day we had a different working plan, so it was always varied.  Our tasks included two-hour land-survey shifts, surveys on the boat, data entry, beach cleans, opening the visitor centre and the updating of our web and Facebook pages. Apart from that I was also scheduled to help prepare and run our education room, which I really enjoyed a lot. I really would like to thank the CBMWC team for teaching me a lot; the amazing local volunteers, who help every week and dedicate their time to a good cause and all my fellow volunteers for a wonderful time.

Harriet Alvis 28 March-24 April 2012, UK

Looking back on my time at CBMWC I honestly can’t stop smiling. I had the best time ever volunteering at the centre and in the following passage I will try to explain why.

I first came across CBMWC’s website when looking for volunteering opportunities to aid my employability upon completion of my marine biology degree. I applied to volunteer at the centre for a month at the start of the season during the Easter holidays and I thought that this was a long time. However after a few days (and still now) I realised I never wanted to leave!

Day to day duties included opening the centre for visitors, data entry, land and boat based surveys and beach cleans but whatever we were doing we always had fun. This was really proved by the smiles still present on all the volunteers’ faces at 8am, excited for the day to come!  

One of my favourite parts of volunteering with CBMWC was talking to the visitors at the centre or the tourists who stopped to talk to you during shore based dolphin watches. It’s a great feeling to be able to talk to people about a subject you are passionate about and even more rewarding to see how fascinated they are to hear about it. That being said, the boat trips were extremely fun and some of the encounters I had will stay with me forever.

Evenings and days off were spent doing activities such as sea swimming and kayaking and with barbeques on the beach. All of the locals were so lovely and I met some great people. However my time volunteering wouldn’t have been the same without the lovely staff at the centre who made me feel so welcome and part of the team and of course the amazing volunteers who made my time there so special. I will always remember my time at CBMWC. I hope to be back to volunteer next year!

Marie Therese Schmitt 4 May-5 September 2011, Germany

I applied for a volunteer position with the Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre (CBMWC) because I wanted to gain new experiences, improve my English and help to conserve Cardigan Bay’s wildlife through education and research. During my time as a volunteer I was involved in different aspects of CBMWC’s work. I operated the visitor centre and this included dealing with enquiries from the public, taking boat bookings and selling items from the gift shop. I collected data on the local marine wildlife during land-based and boat-based surveys. In my two hour land watch shift I often answered questions or talked with members of the public. Another aspect of my work was to input the collected data into a database and GIS system, as well as checking both. I was responsible for updating the sightings information online and on the boards (one in the centre, another one in Quay West caravan park), litter picking on the beach and in town and on some days I was responsible for writing the daily rota.
During my time at the CBMWC I learned so much about the wildlife and how important it is to protect special areas, which are rich in their variety of marine animals and plants, like Cardigan Bay. I met amazing people and had unforgettable experiences. I learnt so much about this special area and enjoyed my time there so much that it has become a very special place to me.
Regarding my English skills this stay abroad helped me a lot. Everyday I had to communicate with the other volunteers, which came mostly from different parts of the UK, answer phone calls (which was especially hard and nerve wracking in the beginning) and having a chat with visitors. My listening comprehension improved and I am more fluent than I was before.
I am so happy that I was able to work with CBMWC and it was a life changing experience for me. I would like to thank Laura, Steve, Sarah and all my co-volunteers who made my stay unforgettable, special and familiar.

Nichaela Boxall 29 June-5 September 2011, UK

I applied to the Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre because I wanted to gain more experience doing marine mammal surveys. I had already done a couple of courses with other charities and wanted to gain practical experience. I found out about the Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre through the green volunteers book and when I researched it I thought I had the right experience to give to the role with my survey experience as well as my retail skills. In addition the volunteering would be challenging enough to develop my skills and be a valuable experience. Also another reason for applying was I heard a lot about the bottlenose dolphins in Cardigans Bay SAC and had always wanted to see them up close and this seemed liked the perfect opportunity as well as being able to return to Wales.

Nadine Winkler 19 July-10 October 2010, Germany

Working in the Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre was a once in a lifetime experience for me. Studying biology and English to become a teacher for secondary schools in Germany made me choose CBMWC to improve my English skills and gain more experience in a field that I have always been interested in – marine biology. The work at CBMWC turned out to be the perfect mixture of both for me. On the one hand I dealt with a lot of people from all over the United Kingdom while working in the centre. I was able to improve my English skills by fulfilling everyday tasks like having a chat witch customers or taking boat bookings. First I didn’t really know if I could benefit the research and understand everything properly but it turned out that everyone volunteering with CBMWC has been very patient with me and my second language skills.On the other hand I have had some breathtaking experiences while doing research on the Cardigan Bay bottlenose dolphins. The work on the boat as well as the land based surveys from the harbour wall offered some intensive moments with these wonderful creatures. Furthermore I am now able to share these first hand experiences with my future school children. Working for the centre also made me aware of the fact that knowledge is the most important key to support conservation.

All in all working together in a team with so many lovely people and spending a few wonderful moments with these intelligent cetaceans enriched my life.

Carolien Zanstra 10 May-10 October 2010, Netherlands

Having gained both my bachelors and masters degrees I applied to be a volunteer with CBMWC in the hope of gaining more field experience and I was also keen to learn more about the marine side of zoology, having focused mainly on terrestrial biology before. Although originally I was meant to stay for a six week period I ended up staying for most of the season, almost six months.  This meant that as well as doing land and boat surveys, manning the visitor centre, inputting data and updating the website I was also able to be involved with the photo ID catalogue and run the CBMWC facebook and Twitter pages. I also thoroughly enjoyed becoming part of the community in New Quay and making loads of new friends, both with all of the volunteers at the centre and with the local population. Overall it was a fantastic learning experience, giving me invaluable insight as to how a conservation project with firm links with the general public functions, with the added bonus of being located in beautiful surroundings with fascinating marine wildlife and a charismatic flagship species. Now I’m heading out into the real world, hoping to continue my quest to gain a job in the field of conservation, research and education.

Alex Williams 3 May-10 October 2010, UK

Time flies when you are enjoying yourself so the saying goes and my time here certainly has gone by quickly. It feels like a few weeks rather than six months! I had previously been nowhere where dolphins could be spotted so close to shore and for me that has been a big highlight; every time I saw one, I was filled with awe for these magnificent animals.

I come from Cornwall and have been interested in the sea for many years. This first started with a PADI open water diving qualification and wanting to learn more about this new world I was experiencing. I did a BTEC National Diploma at college and whilst there was fortunate enough to be given work experience at The National Seal Sanctuary and Orca Sea-faris, where I had hands on experience with the rescue, rehabilitation, and release of Atlantic grey seals and working within an small organisation that ran wildlife watching trips for the general public. After college it was a natural progression to a marine biology degree at Swansea University.

After graduating with the enthusiasm to get started on the marine biology career ladder, I looked for jobs mainly in Wales but also nationally. I was surprised to discover I didn’t have the experience necessary for a career straightaway. To build up the required experience I decided to do as much volunteering work as I could. Before arriving at Cardigan Bay Wildlife Centre (CBMWC) I had volunteered at the National Lobster Hatchery, Wildlife Trust and National Trust. CBMWC has been my longest voluntary position and the most enjoyable, I have realised that awareness and education of conservation is an area I would like to be involved in rather than pure research. I have enjoyed informing people about the cetacean species that can be seen within Cardigan Bay and answering questions.