By Lauren Melchionda, Intern with the NDP Aug 2015
I love trees. I love stratified bark, whorled branches, and long
taproots. Most of the biology that I
took part of in my undergraduate career happened in the Vermont forests. My woodsy scientific upbringing instilled in
me a passion for conservation and the environment. As I approached the end of my third year in
college, I sought out internships to gain more experience working in the
natural world. The Namibian Dolphin
Project Internship leapt out at me as an opportunity to study new creatures in
a totally different environment. I
applied, was accepted, and a few months later I found myself on a plane to
Namibia!
Namibia could not have been more unfamiliar to me. There was sand instead
of soil and rather than studying plants, I was studying marine mammals. There was definitely a learning curve. Dolphins are harder to find and much harder
to photograph than conifers and angiosperms.
Despite the adjustment, working with these animals was a life changing
experience. Our boat, The Nannuuq, was
very small so I really felt like I was a part of the cetaceans’ habitat. I got to see humpback whales, bottlenose and
Heaviside’s dolphins, seals and penguins, all while working! I grew
particularly fond of the Heaviside’s dolphins which swim and play right along
the side of the boat!
Working with The NDP equipped me with many useful skills. I learned all
about cetaceans, data collection and entry, and working on a boat. This was also a great opportunity to learn
about the Namibian culture, a place I previously knew nothing about. I got to
work with people from all over the world and the diversity in all of our homes,
educations, and interests made the summer extremely enriching. Working with cetaceans and with all of the
different biologists made me realize that even though we study different
subjects and come from faraway places, our love for science and passion for
conservation is universal.
LAUREN DATA RECORDING FOR BARRY, WITH ENRICO SKIPPERING
PHOTO OF A HUMPBACK WHALE BY LAUREN MELCHIONDA
1 comment:
It must be an amazing job to be able to work with the dolphines in an exotic country. :)
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