Conservation Internship with BIOSEAN

My name is Nadja Hohenadl (@nadja_oceana), I am a marine science student from Scotland (SAMS), originally from Germany. I did my conservation internship with BIOSEAN between September and October 2020, in Las Galletas, Tenerife, Spain.

Before the Internship

I heard about BIOSEAN (@biosean_) through a German friend and simply sent them an email as a speculative internship application. With the contact information available online it was easy to get in touch, so shortly after I had a phone call with Misael (@misael.morales.vargas), the director, who introduced me to BIOSEAN’s approach and we then planned a professional placement period with BIOSEAN.

I booked my flights from Scotland and started packing my diving gear and travel documents with great excitement. My accommodation was a youth hostel about 15 to 20 minutes’ walk from the port of Las Galletas. I chose it myself, and with Misael’s support — as he knows the hostel owner — I was offered a good price for a month.

Due to Covid, there were not as many tourists in Tenerife as there would normally be, so Calderón, the BIOSEAN vessel, did not leave the port every day for its whale and dolphin watching tours. I was informed of the situation before setting off on the adventure in Tenerife, and I wanted to take this opportunity anyway, in uncertain times — and it was a great decision!

In the Hotspot. Tenerife: One of the Best Places in the World for Dolphin and Whale Watching

During the first week I was introduced to all the on-board procedures for the tours we would be carrying out, related to the preparation and cleaning of the Zodiac (semi-rigid inflatable boat). Mika (Misael abbreviated) gave me and Céline, another intern, a talk about the marine protected area (MPA) in which we would be working. We were introduced to the multiple species of cetaceans (whales and dolphins), turtles and seabirds we would encounter during boat excursions, as well as basic scientific knowledge about bioacoustics (the sounds of whales and dolphins) and further details we gradually became familiar with. The most important thing to remember was how to record information about each animal encounter on a specially designed spreadsheet during a tour. It got easier with every boat trip, of course.

I enjoyed listening to Mika’s briefings for guests before each tour, in Spanish or English. He is highly motivated not only to describe what we were going to see (wildlife), but also to explain why the animals live along this volcanic coastline — which is the scientific approach behind BIOSEAN. Due to the perfect environment for deep-diving whales, we encountered the short-finned pilot whale on every single trip out to sea. Southern Tenerife is therefore considered a hotspot for Globicephala macrorhynchus (short-finned pilot whale).

I learned countless facts about the local wildlife and the geology of Tenerife. The social interaction behaviour of pilot whales, the protection status of the island’s marine and terrestrial areas, migratory routes of seabirds such as the shearwater, endemic animals of the island… to name just a few. Since starting my undergraduate degree in Marine Sciences with marine geology sessions, I have become an amateur geologist. Living on a volcano was exciting in itself, and even more exciting was my trip with Mika to the (almost) summit of Teide, the highest point in Spain. Make sure to get that national park entry permit months before

your arrival in Tenerife. Alongside my conservation internship with BIOSEAN, I was also able to dive with Mika in the “warm waters” around Las Galletas — warm for me, since I am used to the cold temperatures of Scottish waters. He was able to organise tanks and weights for us and we went on very inspiring boat diving trips together, seeing turtles and manta rays up close.

A Sustainable Whale Watching Company

The business side of BIOSEAN was another aspect that interested me, so I asked a lot of questions. In my opinion, it is a fantastic concept to fund science through tourism. Whale watching and marine sciences go hand in hand on board the Calderón. The internship is perfect for anyone interested in the scientific approach to understanding marine mammals and ocean conservation, as well as for people who have fallen in love with the sea’s most charismatic animals and feel a passion for the ocean as a whole. There was no extraordinary cost involved in doing the internship with BIOSEAN, and for that I am very grateful.

Getting to Know the Island and Its People in My Free Time

When there was no tour planned for the day, I spent my time at the hostel working on my university course, which was running online at the same time. With fellow travellers from the hostel, I went on hikes and day trips exploring the island. We had magnificent dinners at the hostel followed by relaxed evenings at the nearby ‘Playa de la Ballena’, stargazing and listening to the waves of the Atlantic Ocean breaking against the rocky cliffs. I strongly recommend snorkelling there, but watch out for sea urchins and powerful waves.

A Wonderful Experience

The BIOSEAN family welcomed me with open arms and made sure I had everything I needed for my stay. I wholeheartedly recommend the conservation internship with BIOSEAN to all marine mammal conservationists and ocean enthusiasts who wish to follow their passion for the sea.

Thank you so much for your time and dedication to nature, especially to these magical animals. On my last day we had incredible and deeply emotional tours throughout the day, with spotted dolphins, a large and very curious male pilot whale looking directly at us (silly humans) and a final snorkel.

I will be back to the Canary Islands, that’s for sure!

Good luck with expanding BIOSEAN and all the best to Alba and Eva (Mika’s daughters).

It was a great pleasure to be with you all.

Thank you so much for letting me be part of the BIOSEAN family.