Observers Training
Train to become an ORCA Observer
"ORCAIreland Observers are the backbone of our marine conservation research!"

The ORCAIreland's Observers Programme offers people from all walks of life the opportunity to actively participate in marine megafauna research and conservation. 

These dedicated volunteers help ORCAIreland's work by donating their valuable time so that important habitats for marine megafauna can be monitored on the many surveys that we carry out during expeditions aboard ships that travel across Irish and European waters. Observers are trained to record and monitor marine megafauna seen (whales, dolphins, porpoise, seals, seabirds and sharks) on ferries and cruise ships leaving ports across Ireland. Benefits of joining our team as an O.R.C.Ireland Observer include gaining invaluable experience, learning new skills in ecology and presentations, seeing new species and places, all while enjoying the benefits of being a passenger. 

All you need is a passion for conserving marine wildlife and a reasonable level of fitness and to take the ORCAIreland Observer Course, which will teach you everything you need to know about how to become a citizen scientist / #OceanHero. 

These one day course will provide you with all the information and skills that you need to learn about how to identify and record marine megafauna using the Observers App.

You will learn about the species you are likely to encounter on your journey and how to interpret behaviour, as well as gain an in-depth understanding of ORCAIreland's distance sampling survey protocol and preparing you for travelling at sea. 
 
 How do I become an ORCAIreland Observer?

  • Complete an ORCAIreland Observers Training Course. ✔
  • Become a member of ORCAIreland / Renew your annual membership.✔
  • Passenger tickets are provided for you. ✔
  • Cabins for overnight sailings on-board are provided for you.  ✔
*Note: Observers are responsible for their own insurance, food and travel to and from ports. 
"Explore new world's and expand your horizons" 

 Book your place on our next Observers Training Course: 

Courses are €90 per person and are open to over 18's. Once you have completed the one day Observers Training Course and have become an ORCAIreland member (starting at €2 per month or €25 per annum), you will have the opportunity to apply for the offshore surveys. 

These one day classroom based courses take place all over Ireland at various dates through-out the year and will give you all the skills you need to record marine megafauna during offshore surveys. You will learn how to identify the species you are likely to encounter in European waters, how to interpret their behaviour and record sightings, threats to their survival in important habitats and how you can help inspire the next generation of #OceanHeroes. 

Up-coming Course Dates 2019/2020:

30th of JUNE 2019 -->  University College Cork, Cork City.

30th of JULY 2019 --> University College Cork, Cork City. 

30th of August 2019 --> University College Cork, Cork City.
Book Observers Training ✔
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