Education & Skill development
More Ways To Learn
We offer various interactive educational experiences for schools, universities and educators looking for engaging, curriculum-aligned educational programmes. Our experiences include tours of our rehabilitation centres, interactive presentations and talks, holiday programmes, educational clubs and much more.
SCHOOLS
We offer quality assured environmental education programmes for schools, groups or any organisations interested to learn more about seabird conservation and our marine environment. All our programmes can be hosted at SANCCOB or off site at your school/organisation. Our educational programmes are 2 hours long, designed to ensure a fun interactive learning experience that include connect activities, knowledge sharing and activity-based learning. We host a variety of themes and topics with all our school programmes are linked to CAPS curriculum as set out by the education department.
Booking essential
Minimum 10 learners are required to book an Educational Programme
R40 per learner
EDUCATIONAL TALKS AND LECTURES
Looking for a more formal talk to learn more about seabird conservation. We’ll bring our informative and entertaining talks to your school, library, church, retirement village or business premises, or visit our centres for an on-site group tour and presentation.
Donation fee of R600 for talks and presentations, additional travel fees are charged per km travelled.
VIRTUAL TOURS AND LESSONS
SANCCOB’s Education Department in Cape Town offers 30-minute online sessions to individuals across the globe, and includes a penguin adoption for the group. Encounter an African Penguin and meet our SANCCOB educators who will take you on a fun and interactive educational journey. Each session takes you on a virtual tour through our seabird hospital and rehabilitation centre where you get to learn more about the African Penguin, a variety of seabirds and marine conservation.
TOURS
Our daily tours allows our visitor to get a closer look at the conservation efforts of the critically endangered African Penguin. The experience will allow our visitors to view various seabird species and take them on and educational journey through our seabird hospital and rehabilitation centres.
SANCCOB’s Cape Town and Gqeberha centres offer informative tours that are fun and educational for all ages and interests. Whether you wish to learn, watch a penguin waddle along, hear a seabird squawk, entertain visiting loved ones or are interested in a career in conservation, there is something for everyone to experience at our facilities.
- Tour numbers are limited to 10 persons per time slot (larger group can be accommodated on request).
- Walk – Ins are welcome however booking is essential to ensure availability on tours.
Both our Centres provide a lovely coffee and curio shop to make your visit much more enjoyable. Visit our online shop here
Request Forms, Bookings and Enquiries.
For more information or forms, please email the following:
Clubs For Young People in Gqeberha – Eastern Cape
SANCCOB Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) in the Eastern Cape offers conservation-focused educational meet ups for young people, which includes a chance to assist with kid-friendly and supervised tasks around the centre.
The Little Blues Club (6–11 year olds)
The Little Blues Club (6–11 year olds) gathers on the second Saturday of every month from 09h00 to 12h00. Attendees receive a fun-filled lesson and participate in a related activity which could include beach clean-ups, assistance with small tasks in the Rehabilitation Department, nature walks artwork and loads more.
The cost is R85 per child and includes a light lunch. Connect with lisa@sanccob.co.za or educationpe@sanccob.co.za for more information.
The Penguin Protectors Club (12-17 year olds)
The Penguin Protectors Club (12-17 year olds) members meets on the fourth Saturday of each month from 09h00 to 12h00 to enjoy a fun lesson to stimulate environmental interests, assist with tasks at the facility, as well as participate in activities such as beach clean-ups and nature walks.
The cost is R85 per session and a light lunch will be included.
Connect with lisa@sanccob.co.za or educationpe@sanccob.co.za for more information and to join the Penguin Protectors Club.
SANCCOB Tours
Our daily tours allows our visitor to get a closer look at the conservation efforts of the critically endangered African Penguin. The experience will allow our visitors to view various seabird species and take them on and educational journey through our seabird hospital and rehabilitation centres.
SANCCOB’s Cape Town and Gqeberha centres offer informative tours that are fun and educational for all ages and interests. Whether you wish to learn, watch a penguin waddle along, hear a seabird squawk, entertain visiting loved ones or are interested in a career in conservation, there is something for everyone to experience at our facilities.
- No more than 10 people per family group
- Booking is essential and walk-ins for tours are only permitted if tour slots are unbooked
- Our on-site shops are open from 8am to 4pm and you can also visit our online shop here
SANCCOB CAPE TOWN TOURS
- The Cape Town centre in Table View offers daily tours on the hour, every hour, starting from 09h00 and the last tour commencing at 15h00 (max. 10 persons).
- Home Pen feeds take place at 11h00 and 15h00 daily if it interests you to watch as part of your tour experience.
- Bookings in Table View, Cape Town, are preferred to avoid disappointment. Walk-ins are nonetheless welcome but please be patient if you need to wait for a new tour group.
- Please book via email with our Education Department at education@sanccob.co.za or call +27 21 557 6155.
Tour costs in Cape Town
- Adults RSA citizens: R60 (ID/passport verification required)
- Adults SADC citizens: R65 (ID/passport verification required)
- Adults International: R75 (ID/passport verification required)
- Senior Citizens: R40
- Kids 12 years and under: R50
- Kids under 3 years old are free!
Additional tour options at SANCCOB Cape Town
- A guided tour behind the scenes throughout the facility and varies from 45 minutes to one hour.
- Our kids tour will not venture into every specialised area and varies from 30-45 minutes, offering activities such as colouring-in, touching a taxidermy, dressing up in a penguin suit and learning the penguin waddle, as well as looking at slides and preserved organs (optional).
- We offer a personalised and in-depth tour with an exclusive meet and greet opportunity with specialised staff behind the scenes of our rehabilitation facility.
Personalised tour details
- The personalised tour must be booked at least one month in advance.
- Duration of the experience is approximately 2.5* hours and priced at R550 per person.
- No more than four persons per group and age restriction is 16 years old.
- This tour is only available on week days and may not be booked over a weekend.
- Bookings are only finalised when paid in full and a complete, signed booking form is received. Email us for a booking education@sanccob.co.za.
*Booking is essential for personalised tours.
SANCCOB GQEBERHA TOURS
- Based at the Cape Recife Nature Reserve, our Gqeberha centre’s tours are every 30 minutes, starting at 09h00 and last tour commencing at 15h30.
- Home Pen feeds take place from 09h30 and in the afternoon from 14h30 daily.
- Booking is not compulsory.
Please book via email to frontdesk@sanccob.co.za or call +27 41 583 1830.
Tour costs in Gqeberha
- Adults RSA citizens: R50 (ID/passport verification required)
- Adults SADC citizens: R60 (ID/passport verification required)
- Adults International: R75 (ID/passport verification required)
- All senior citizens and kids under 12 years: R30
- Children/Senior Citizens (International) R40
- We also offer behind-the-scenes tours at R350 per person. This includes a presentation, tea/coffee light snack in the Cafe, in-depth tour of the facility, and a meet and greet with a rehabber. Tour length is 2.5hr
INTERNSHIPS
Training Opportunities Offered Through SANCCOB Internships
Our seabird internships are structured, mentored training programmes with a strong focus on skills development – suitable for returning volunteers, university students, graduates, post graduates, employees and volunteers in the fields of animal science, husbandry, care and welfare related fields. Previous experience working with birds is desirable though not essential.
Volunteers who have completed our international volunteer programme are eligible for a 50% discount on all our internship programmes.
Upon acceptance into the programme, all interns are required to pay a refundable R2,000 fee to secure their place. This is refunded in South African Rands after successful completion of the programme.
Volunteer
International Volunteer Programme
Get hands-on experience working with endangered African Penguins and other seabirds at the world renowned SANCCOB seabird centres in Cape Town or Gqeberha in South Africa.
- You must be 18 years and over
- No experience necessary
- Minimum 6 weeks in Cape Town or Gqeberha
- Placements all year round, with the busiest time in Cape Town from October to March.
As an international volunteer you will become an extension of our team of Bird rehabilitators, helping with most handling and feeding tasks.
Unfortunately, SANCCOB does not provide accommodation – but we can recommend accommodation used by many international volunteers in the past.
Your programme fee for a six week period will include a volunteer T-shirt and a seabird release trip (weather and bird permitting). Further information about the Cape Town and Gqeberha international volunteer programmes are available in the respective documents below.
Local Volunteer Programme
Local volunteers play an important role at SANCCOB’s centres in the Western Cape and Eastern Cape and are needed 365 days a year to perform tasks such as:
- Assisting with seabird rehabilitation, cleaning and feeding birds
- Driving/collecting seabirds
- General centre maintenance and cleaning
- Answering phones
- Education/behind the scenes tours
- Marketing/fundraising
Volunteers must be 18 years or older and reside permanently in the Cape Peninsula (Western Cape) or in the local Eastern Cape surrounds. Half day and full day shifts are available week days and over weekends. Our volunteers assist with important daily operational tasks to support SANCCOB’s rehabilitation team.
Further information about the Cape Town and Gqeberha local volunteer programmes are available in the respective documents below.
TRAINING
Veterinary Experience
The Veterinary Experience Programme has been developed to expose participants to a career in veterinary medicine. While SANCCOB is not a typical veterinary practice, participants will nonetheless benefit from the opportunity to observe the clinical veterinary work in this world-renowned seabird rehabilitation centre. The programme is only offered at the Table View centre in Cape Town, South Africa, to both local and international persons. Participants are invited to spend between one and twelve weeks at SANCCOB, the longer the better. More information, including the cost of the experience, can be found in the veterinary experience information pack.
Participants will be required to work during normal business hours, namely, Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm. The programme involves daily supervision and instruction from a qualified veterinarian. Due to the nature of our facility, the veterinarian may on occasion engage in activities which do not constitute clinical veterinary care. During those periods participants will have access to veterinary textbooks, research papers and veterinary standard operating procedures for self-study.
Only one participant will be accepted into the programme at any given time to ensure the most beneficial experience for the participant.
For more information please download the information pack and application form below or contact us directly at volunteers@sanccob.co.za.
Veterinary Experience Downloads
Animal Professional Experience
If you are an employee of an AZA, EAZA or similarly accredited institution we’d love to have you join us to learn and help on-site, especially during our busiest months.
All aquarists, penguin and seabird keepers, veterinarians, animal trainers, curatorial and education staff from zoos, aquariums and bird parks from around the world are invited to apply. Participants will work closely with the SANCCOB team to care for sick, injured and abandoned African Penguins and seabirds.
The programme is hosted throughout the year, excluding July, August and September months. Weather permitting, you’ll also be able to join the life changing experience of being able to release one of these beautiful birds back into the wild at one of the penguin colonies. The duration of the programme is two weeks. Accommodation, flights and food is excluded; however, we have a list of great places to stay that we can recommend in the area, within walking distance of the centre. Should you have any questions or you’d like to receive more information, please email us at volunteers@sanccob.co.za. We’re looking forward to hearing from you.
Animal Professional Experience Downloads
FAQ's about our volunteer program
This depends on the type of internship or volunteer program. Tasks include cleaning enclosures, maintaining facilities, feeding and caring for seabirds, and supporting the team with general operations. Specific duties may vary depending on your role and the current needs of the centre.
Working hours are typically from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, with breaks during the day. Some days or months may require flexibility, especially during busy periods. The willingness to go the extra mile is always appreciated.
Volunteers and interns must be at least 18 years old.
While we aim to align your preferences with operational needs, tasks are generally assigned based on the priority of the day and your skill set. All interns and volunteers are expected to rotate through all areas in the centre to ensure everyone gets a fair chance to work in the husbandry areas as well as the bird areas.
Meals and transportation are not included. You will need to arrange your own meals and transportation to and from the centre. (Transportation for Chick Rearing Unit interns are included TO the shifts and FROM the shifts if the interns lives within a 5km radius of SANCCOB).
Accommodation is not included. We are happy to provide a list of accommodation nearby that have been used by other volunteers and interns.
Contact Us
Cape Town, Western Cape
Gqeberha, Eastern Cape
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