• IONIAN DOLPHIN PROJECT - Life in the Field

    Common dolphin

Living the researchers’ life in the field in Greece, you will gain first hand experience of dolphin research and conservation

The Ionian Dolphin Project experience is much more than just a dolphin watching tour; you will be involved in all field-work activities.

All of us, research staff and participants alike, will be living in our field station in the quiet village of  Vonitsa, on the southern shore of the Gulf of Ambracia. Our staff will introduce you all aspects of the research and will give specific training on how the equipment is used. Direct everyday involvement in field activities and subsequent data analysis will provide you with opportunities, not only to practice, but to learn about dolphin research methods.

We will give lectures and presentations about our work as cetacean scientists and on marine conservation issues, as well as involve you in informal and friendly round table discussions. We have much to learn from each other.

researchers with dolphin
people on inflatable with striped dolphins

IDP researchers are extensively experienced in giving presentations to non-specialist audiences, and can master a series of lectures taking advantage of PowerPoint presentations, short videos, and other entertaining visual tools. Interactivity will be key, and you will always be invited to participate by answering questions, reporting your own experiences and sharing your opinions with others.

Quality data collection will be ensured through careful training of participants and by explaining the importance of recording unbiased data. If you feel uneasy with a given task, or find it too demanding, you will be assigned to another task or given more specific training, depending on the circumstances.

Cultural awareness is an important aspect in Greece, and all project participants will be informed of the local lifestyle and behaviour, and on the rationale behind local customs. This will allow everybody to appreciate the Greek lifestyle while enjoying teamwork and friendly relationships with local inhabitants of the village.

The researchers will encourage you to mention food preferences, cultural or religious needs, and any other factors that might create conflict or uneasiness in a multi-national team, with the purpose of finding ways to accommodate personal preferences while avoiding dissatisfaction or conflict.

Researchers will give the team a more detailed onsite project briefing on arrival.

Participants assignments

While most of the survey effort will be carried out in the Amvrakikos Gulf, participants will  also be  involved in the monitoring of a secondary study area located in the Inner Ionian Sea archipelago. Such monitoring, however, will depend on weather conditions and project priorities.

IDP base

Participants will conduct daily surveys onboard the research boat, working side-by-side with the researchers and contributing to field data collection.

You will actively engage in visual surveys, looking for dolphins, sea turtles, birds and other fauna during navigation. As soon as dolphins are sighted, participants will help record angle and distance from the boat.

During the sightings, you will help record the dolphins’ spatial distribution and group size (a demanding task, as dolphin groups are often large and fluid), record group composition (i.e. number of newborns, calves, juveniles and adults) and behavior at five-minute intervals throughout the duration of the sighting; collect fish scales with a dip net following surface feeding events performed by the dolphins, store the scale samples into numbered vials and file them, and look out for sea turtles, birds and other animals.

Additional participant tasks to be shared with the researchers include boat cleaning and upkeep and proper maintenance of all equipment,house cleaning, cooking, dish washing. Those on a cooking shift will agree on the dinner menu for that day. The project staff will provide the requested ingredients (if available locally). Participants who are not familiar with cooking are encouraged to bring some simple recipes they feel comfortable with.

Skills essential to participation include an open mind, flexibility to changing situations and a desire to help and learn. Experience in use of computers would be a bonus, but is not necessary.