A Summer With Wildlife Sense
My summer 2023 was one to remember for sure. After spending a couple months diving in Thailand, I wanted to spend some more time in the ocean, but helping with conservation of my favourite marine species, sea turtles, or more specifically loggerhead sea turtles. Another big factor for me when I started researching conservation trips was to explore somewhere I hadn’t been before.
I came across Wildlife Sense, based in Kefalonia, Greece, & I was instantly drawn in. Firstly I had never been to Greece before & all I have ever heard about was how beautiful it is, especially Kefalonia. Secondly, their mission is not only to protect endangered sea turtles, but their natural habitats too. I think a lot of other programmes out there sometimes forget about this, focusing upon a singular species & not considering the bigger picture so it was refreshing to hear about the coastal conservation work Wildlife Sense were doing as well.
With about a month free in my summer, I decided that to get a better idea of the work Wildlife Sense do & make the most of my time that I should spend 2 weeks on their coastal conservation program in Skala before moving to their sea turtle program in Lixouri for the final 2 weeks.
The Lead Up
Booking a trip with Wildlife Sense had to be one of the easiest things you can do. On their website, you’ll find tons of information on what you will be getting up to, as well as information on traveling to & from Kefalonia. Plus, if you have a question you can’t find an answer for, the team are always incredibly helpful.
Arrival
I decided to arrive to Kefalonia a few days before the program start date, staying in a hotel in Argostoli & spending my days exploring the beautiful island. I even jumped on a boat trip with Queen Bee. On the morning of my start date Anya, the programme coordinator, picked me up from my Hotel & helped me onto a coach to get to Skala. For some, field leaders may collect you from the airport and take you directly to the program, in other cases they might help you onto one of the islands coaches. They try to provide the best transfer option for your arrival time, making it as quick, easy and stress-free as possible.
The Program
I can’t emphasise how much I loved my time with Wildlife Sense. From 6am morning beach surveys to snorkelling & seafloor mapping, two days were never the same. I had the opportunity to meet so many amazing people from across the world with such different stories to share.
Our time wasn’t just spent working though, each week we got 2 days off, you’d find us renting boats, exploring hidden coves, renting atvs and just making the most of being on a spectacular island.
There is way too much I could say about my time in Kefalonia, so keep an eye out on future posts where I talk more about my time with Wildlife Sense.
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