Vacancy: Sea Turtle Rescue Centre Intern, Baa Atoll

About ORP

The Olive Ridley Project (ORP) is on a mission to protect sea turtles and their habitats through rescue and rehabilitation, scientific research, and education and outreach. At the core of our work is a passionate and dedicated team of scientists, conservationists, citizen scientists and volunteers. We pride ourselves in being able to collaborate with a wide range of diverse groups in order to reach our goal and fill data gaps in sea turtle conservation. The charity is at the forefront of sea turtle conservation, influencing local policy makers, fishing communities and collaborating with research institutes. We currently have bases in Maldives, Oman, Kenya, Pakistan and Seychelles.

The Olive Ridley Project opened the Marine Turtle Rescue Centre in Baa Atoll in February 2017 in partnership with Coco Collection, located at Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu Resort.

About The Internship

This role is based at our Marine Turtle Rescue Centre on Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhu, Baa Atoll. The centre opened in February 2017 as the first fully equipped marine turtle rescue centre in the Maldives in response to many sea turtles being found entangled in ghost gear. The centre functions as a ‘Sea Turtle University’ model – a busy teaching hospital equipped with full blood laboratory, endoscopy, digital radiography, ultrasound, class 4 laser and full surgical suite.

We are looking for an enthusiastic intern to join our veterinary team at the Rescue Centre. This is a rewarding opportunity for the right person to learn and become well-versed in sea turtle care and husbandry, sea turtle research and the wider field of sea turtle and ocean conservation through the work of ORP.

You will be part of a close knit, friendly team who all work hard to achieve our goal of rehabilitating and releasing as many sea turtles as possible. The work can be busy and demanding but we promise you it is very rewarding and engaging, and you will leave with an incredible appreciation for sea turtles and their conservation in this part of the world.

There will be flexible 8-hour workdays, reporting to the Resident Veterinarian and Veterinary Nurse.

The goals of the internship are:

• Develop capacity to care for injured sea turtles in the Maldives
• Increase knowledge of sea turtle care and husbandry and the wider field of ocean conservation in the Maldives
• Inspire more people to study marine and veterinary sciences in the Maldives
• Assist the veterinary team in caring for the sea turtle patients and running the Rescue Centre
• Assist the veterinary team with education & outreach

Main Activities

• Assist the veterinary team during triage and treatment of turtle patients, including X-ray, ultrasound and wound care procedures
• Assist with daily husbandry and rehabilitation activities, including feeding the turtle patients
• Assist with rescues and releases
• Assist with running the Rescue Centre, including tank cleaning, guiding visitors and the coordination of volunteers
• Assist with routine monitoring of the sea turtle nesting beaches and hatching events when required
• Assist with nest excavations and relocations when required
• Help with data collection and data entry from nesting and hatching events and recovered ghost gear
• Give educational presentations to guests, volunteers and staff
• Assist with kid’s club activities
• Provide social media content and assist with live feedings and other streaming events

requirements

• Fluency in Dhivehi and English
• 18+ years of age
• Strong swimming / snorkeling skills, including in rougher conditions
• Able to perform physical tasks easily (lifting turtles up to 35kg with another person, cleaning tanks etc.
• Interest and passion for sea turtle conservation and an active desire to learn more and get involved in a variety of ways
• Good communication skills
• Willing to learn and work as a part of a team

Assets

• Excellent communication skills
• Passion for marine environment and conservation
• Looking to be in marine conservation as a career
• Free-diving skills
• Experience working in a remote/resort island
• Experience in a customer/guest facing role
• Interest and/or experience with social media

How to apply

If you are interested in joining the ORP team as a Rescue Centre Intern, and possess the skills and experience needed for this rewarding opportunity, please forward your current CV, along with a covering letter stating your motivation for applying for the role to our Resident Veterinary Surgeon Dr. Mariana at vet@oliveridleyproject.org. Please include Job Reference RCBI003 + [Name] in your email subject line.