Sarah is MBC's Market Manager and is also studying to be a Marine Biologist! In her spare time, she is a volunteer at the Dolphin Discovery Centre (DDC) in Bunbury, Western Australia.
In celebration of National Volunteer Week which runs from the 17th - 23rd of May 2021, we asked Sarah some questions about her volunteering, and she has shared her answers with us below.
How did you get into volunteering?
After graduating from Journalism and PR in 2018, I really struggled to find a full-time job in the field (which has turned out to be a major blessing). I spent the start of 2019 just working, trying to save up some money and figure out what my next step was.
I had a job as a cleaner on Rottnest Island. Scrubbing toilets wasn't glamorous but the post-work swims and beautiful views definitely made up for it (oh and of course, the bakery). One day, while coming home on the ferry, I saw my first humpback whale breaching. I was in absolute awe and thought, Marine Biology is what I want to do!
Because I had no work experience in the field I wanted to make sure I loved it before enrolling to study again, so I jumped on google and started researching volunteer opportunities, and that is how I found the DDC.
What does a typical day at the DDC look like?
We do a variety of different tasks including working on the boardwalk monitoring dolphins and working in the interpretive centre in the aquarium.
The aquarium houses sharks, rays, octopus, fish, sea stars and more! I learn something new every week and it's so much fun seeing guests getting just as excited as I do about different animals.
I also help with tank maintenance in the aquaculture shed as well as preparing food and feeding the aquarium animals. One of my favourite tasks is definitely weighing and measuring the rescue turtles, they are so cute!!
What do you love about volunteering?
Volunteering has easily been one of the best decisions I have ever made. It secured my passion for working in marine tourism and conservation and has given me the opportunity to meet so many amazing people from all over Australia and the world (pre covid of course).
Thanks Sarah for sharing your volunteer experiences with us! If you would like to know more about studying Marine Biology or volunteering with the DDC, feel free to email us at info@mermaidbeachco.com
If you love marine animals as much as we do, check out our Marine Life Collection
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