Celebrating for Dolphins and helping them!

I highly recommend that anyone interested in marine mammals volunteers with Vivamar. Not only is it a beautiful place to stay and learn about a new culture but you also get to learn about a group of bottlenose dolphins who really need your help. I was particularly saddened to witness the lack of regulation within nautical tourism- I witnessed 10 boats surrounding the dolphins while they were trying to feed and becoming so nerved by the boats that they left this important feeding ground without hunting. However thanks to Vivamar, information about the dolphins is becoming more and more available in the society- my Vivamar team celebrated Dolphin Day of Funtana where lots of locals and tourists came together to learn more about dolphins and we also handed out flyers from the boat about how to behave in front of dolphins. Back at the research base we spent lots of time identifying individual dolphins by their fins and by the end of our stay were starting to see which dolphins were more commonly sighted and who hung out with whom which was very interesting and rewarding. The work of Darja Ribaric and Vivamar is so admirable and aspiring, especially to me as someone who hopes to study marine mammals, and I can guarantee you that you would have an amazing experience with her!

in Rovinj

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Helping Dolphins is a Blast!

I had such a great volunteering experience with Vivamar Society. It was my first volunteering and I absolutely loved every minute of it. Darja is like a little guardian angel for Dolphins. Its so nice to see someone who has given up everything in order to serve something bigger than herself. We had so many great adventures to nearby towns and villages and also on the water adventures. Going out on the research boat is a thoroughly enjoyable experience, seeing dolphins in the wild is one of the best things you’ll ever see not to mention doing it on many occasions. You really get to know each dolphin by the end of your time as you spend many hours trying to spot the fin. I learn’t so much and there was never a dull moment. The food was also some of the best I’ve eaten. It was a great chance to meet people from all walks and who all share the same goals. Thank you Darja and Vivamar for all that you do and I hope that Vivamar can continue to be an Ambassador for Dolphins in the NE Adriatic.

p.s If you would like to see what it consists of check out the video I made of our time with Vivamar
www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyCuxVm4TFo

DCIM101GOPRO

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This is Dolphinately worth doing!

I had the most amazing week volunteering with Vivamar and could not recommend this program highly enough. Darja, one of the founders of Vivamar, is one of the most charismatic and passionate people I have ever had the privelige to meet and have learnt so much from her throughout the course of the week about dolphins and marine conservation. Going out on the research boat for dolphin observation was definitely the highlight of my day, no two days were the same and every dolphin sighting got the whole team excited as we started to recognize different trends and towards the end of the week even some of the dolphins! Our research team were incredible, we shared so many laughs and it was wonderful to work closely with a group of like minded people. Thank you Vivamar for the life long memories and friends, I hope I can come back next year!

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Connecting fun and work

For me personally it was a wonderful experience to see such amazing animals and get close to them, it was interesting to observe them and getting useful explanations about their behavior from Darja. With analyzing the collected data we made the first step in the right direction to protect this endangered animals and I hope Vivamar will have more and more success in the coming year! Besides that we had enough time for swimming and enjoying the countryside. And it was great that the group size is very small.

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Best experiences of my life

Submitted by Shannyn –  Sydney | July 27, 2015  

Volunteering with Vivamar was one of the best experiences of my life. The program is both educational and fun. We spent our days between researching and getting out on the boat to find dolphins while still having plenty of time to ourselves to relax, swim and explore the beautiful area. With only a small number of participants in each group it is really easy to get to know each other and learn to work together well.

Vivamar bottlenose dolphin conservation is doing wonderful work and I am glad I got the chance to help!

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Making a difference

Submitted by Linn Samuelson – Stockholm | July 23, 2015  

Being a part of this volunteering program was a wonderful experience for me. Dolphins are fascinating animals who are both intelligent and beautiful. I had a great time getting to know new people, observing the dolphins and at the same time being able to help them and make a difference. I will keep these memories close to my heart. I definitely recommend this project to anyone who wants to contribute to a better life for the Bottlenose Dolphins and other animals in the Mediterranean!

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Incredible Experience

Submitted by Jessica – Turin   | July 03, 2015

Volunteering with Darja and Vivamar was both exciting AND educational – until now I never knew how endangered this marine ecosystem was or just how much more we could be doing to preserve the way of life of these beautiful mammals. Out in the Vivamar Research Boat most days we were able to get up close to dolphins to research their movements and habits, and on the rare occasions when we didn’t find dolphins we were able to enjoy this beautiful coastline, swimming and snorkelling and having fun. We also learned a great deal about the animals themselves and the methods used to carry out the research, and saw firsthand the effects of commercial fishing and tourism. Truly an incredible experience and I can’t wait to come back!

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Laughing like a dolphin….

Submitted by Nora – Duncan   | July 03, 2015

The whole experience was absolutely wonderful. From the first meeting we were all laughing, smiling and having a wonderful time.

The time on the boat was fab. I had never seen a dolphin before and now I have seen dozens!!
The community impact is obvious and very important. It’s groups like this who will be changing the world– for us and for the dolphins.

We never went hungry… I think I even gained a few kilos on the trip. 😉

Warm, friendly, exciting, educational, relaxing and AMAZING. I couldn’t say more about this project.

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I love Dolphins and marine life!

Submitted by Cristiana – Trieste   | June 01, 2015

I was born and I live in Trieste, north-east of Italy, very close to Istria, which is just few km southwards from my town. I am an experienced diver and I love the sea, its creatures and marine life. The conservation program was something I always wanted to do and Vivamar gave me this great opportunity! I was amazed by the dolphins and was very Happy to help in this important activity. Rovini is a beautiful old town in Istria, the food is excellent, I spent holidays there before. I am very happy and highly recommend the participation!

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I love Dolphins and marine life!

Submitted by Cristiana – Trieste   | June 01, 2015

I was born and I live in Trieste, north-east of Italy, very close to Istria, which is just few km southwards from my town. I am an experienced diver and I love the sea, its creatures and marine life. The conservation program was something I always wanted to do and Vivamar gave me this great opportunity! I was amazed by the dolphins and was very Happy to help in this important activity. Rovini is a beautiful old town in Istria, the food is excellent, I spent holidays there before. I am very happy and highly recommend the participation!

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One of the most special experience in my ‘whale’ life!

Submitted by Davide – Cesenatico  University of Bologna | May 07, 2015

Really amazing program! I learned for the first time in my life about Dolphins and met them in their natural environment. Vivamar and dolphins convinced me so much that I volunteered for them already three times. It made me happy and fulfilled to help in dolphin conservation. Croatia is an Italian neighbour country and is extremely safe and clean. The program coordinators are helpful and professional. I’d advise it to everyone who want to learn more about these animals and would need the credit point for their studies.

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Wonderful time there

Submitted by Christian Andreas Grunwald – Stuttgart   | May 06, 2015

I am a mental coach in Germany and I am strongly interested in all purposes to save nature and to protect the world we live in as well as all the wild animals, that we share our planet with. So a friend recommended to me Vivamar conservation program for Dolphins where I then took part. It was a great experience in Europe, just few hours flying from Germany to Istria to the research base. I had a wonderful time with dolphins for 11 days in 2014 and would repeat it when finding more time. The team was fun being with and I learned a lot about dolphins and how important they are for the sea.