FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

There are no official requirements for the internship (aside from being 18 or over), however the recruitment team is looking to hire positive and enthusiastic individuals that can thrive in a unique working environment. Candidates must have exceptional communication skills in order to excel at the Shark Lab in the dormitory style living. We accept volunteers with no prior field experience and in the early stages of their scientific career, all the way up to individuals that have completed their studies.

The intern recruitment team will invite a small group of shortlisted applicants to interview around 2-3 weeks after the application deadline (allowing us time to thoroughly review each application). Decisions are usually made within a week following the interview, with approx 4-6 positions available. Recruiting volunteers is a rigorous process, and the internship is highly competitive.

Internship periods will be announced on social media with an open application window of approximately 2 weeks for a specific time period. If applications are marked as CLOSED, please sign up with your email address to be notified when applications are open. You can find the sign up button on the Internships Information page.

Our start and end dates are fixed to enable a smooth running of the Lab. Once dates have been selected, accepted interns will need to be available from start to finish dates.

Unfortunately, due to the investment of time and effort into training new arrivals, we require all interns to stay for approximately two months. We believe it takes this amount of time for an intern to become settled into their role and to learn necessary skills and techniques.

In most cases, it is rare that you will be able to extend your internship as our intern positions are confirmed months in advance. We will be flexible when we can, but it is best not to plan your trip under the assumption you can prolong your stay in Bimini. Note that your performance as an intern will be assessed before automatic acceptance for another period.

Yes, we are excited to offer new scholarship opportunities. Please see the Internship Information page for details. You must fill out the Scholarships section of your application form to be considered.

After arriving in Bimini, all volunteers will be provided with training to allow them to effectively and safely undertake field work. This will include the following classes:

First Aid basics (not a certifiable course)

Map class and orientation of Bimini’s landmarks and the surrounding waters

Boat safety and knot tying

Fishing & fish ID

Radio & GPS use

Data recording

Shark ‘work-ups’ demonstration

You will also sit in on lectures about the Station’s current and past research, among other topics.

At this time we DO NOT guarantee any hands on shark research due to permitting changes in The Bahamas. While we now are occasionally conducting research in the Florida Keys, we cannot guarantee there will be a research trip scheduled for every internship period, and we are unable to make recommendations on when to apply for an internship period in which shark tagging will occur.

The Shark Lab is located in a former Police barracks, and Doc designed the lab to imitate a research vessel. There are five cabins, (each with two sets of bunk beds), two bathrooms, and a communal kitchen and dining area. The lab is very much dormitory style living, with up to 20 people sharing the quarters at any one time.

When possible rooms are allocated by gender, however this is not always possible so we appreciate your flexibility and understanding. There are usually four people/room.

This is not an option for our internships, as part of the experience of interning with the Shark Lab is being fully integrated into the world of a remote research station.

There is limited access to fresh food (fruits, veggies) on the island, with supplies shipped approximately once per month. As the date draws closer to our next shipment, fresh produce is limited and the lab relies on its frozen food supplies to make the majority of meals. We have a small garden and try to supply our own fresh vegetables as much as possible.

Three meals/day are provided, and most meals are fairly carb heavy to ensure the crew have plenty of energy for long field days. The lab will try to accommodate food allergies, but ask that all participants are open minded and flexible when it comes to their food preferences in Bimini. All food is sourced from Florida, with the exception of locally caught fish.

On days off, there are some rules in regards to what ingredients and quantities you can use for cooking your meals.

There is a convenience store a short 10 minute walk down the road where you can purchase snacks, candy, dried and canned goods, soft drinks etc. Snacks provided by the Lab will be rationed for days in the field.

On work days everyone rotates cooking family style meals for the household.

Yes. However, as there are limited supplies in Bimini we cannot cater for all food preferences/allergies. If you have additional dietary restrictions (lactose free, gluten fee etc.) you will be expected to supplement your own diet. We cannot cater to vegan diets.

Note that a large part of shark research requires the fishing, culling, and storage of fish as bait. While you do not have to take part in the culling of fish, you need to be ethically comfortable with the process as a whole and playing a role as required.

Internship fees assist with the costs of living at the Station and include your accommodations (shared dorm-style bedroom, wifi, laundry) three meals per day, all field work and training activities. We do not profit from internship fees, and the cost of living in The Bahamas is quite expensive. Note that the fee does not include your personal travel, personal insurance or personal equipment costs.

On acceptance of the internship, you will be sent clear instructions by the Station Admin. All invoices are sent via Quickbooks. If you are paying through a bank of the United States, you can easily pay the fees via bank transfer. International payments are transferred through a “wire transfer” that must be made through your local bank. Please note, there is a an additional $15 charged by the bank to make such a payment.

Most interns are granted 90 days (sometimes 60). At the end of this period, you can apply for an extension on island. This is assessed on a case by case basis by Bimini Immigration. Nine times out of ten you will be automatically granted an additional 90 days. At the end of this extension you will be asked to leave the island, and re-enter to stay on longer as a intern. The Shark Lab will provide you time during the day to request an extension. In some rare cases, interns may be requested to leave Bimini earlier and re-enter, to renew the tourist visa. This is the decision of the Bahamian government and is out of the Shark Lab’s hands. While the Shark Lab team will support and offer advice to you during this time, it is up to you to cover the costs of additional flights in and out of the country in order to accommodate this request.

You MUST be able to transit to & within the USA. Passports from countries outside of the US, Canada and The Bahamas must look into the entry requirements for the USA & The Bahamas, and obtain an ESTA or Travel Visa when required. All interns will be responsible for checking their own eligibility, and organizing the correct documents for travel into the US. All interns are given a letter to state they are staying at the Shark Lab. You will be granted a tourist visa on arrival in The Bahamas.

The ESTA is only required for transit through the US and is not technically required to stay in the Bahamas. Note the following:

The Bahamas is considered part of the ‘contiguous territory and islands’ of the United States for US visa waiver purposes. Therefore the Bahamas cannot be used as your “Exit Country” if you have already spent 90 days in the US prior.

Other than this, the Bahamas does not count towards your 90-day maximum allowance in the US, as it has its own tourist visa system.

If entering the US on the ESTA system you may, however, be asked to show proof of a return flight out of the US (out with the contiguous territory and islands, aka your international flight home) depending on where you are flying from and what airline you are flying with. We recommend researching this thoroughly.

The BBFSF will organize intern flights from Fort Lauderdale (Florida, US) to Bimini International Airport (South Bimini, Bahamas) through Tropic Ocean Airways. Interns will be responsible for organizing all travel arrangements (flights and additional transport) to Fort Lauderdale International Airport. To avoid tight connections, we highly recommend arriving in Miami/Fort Lauderdale the night before your flight to Bimini. Flight times will be explained after acceptance.

Bimini is a small island, and as such the charter flights are the Shark Lab’s main source of bringing over supplies. As you take your seat upon our charter flight, you are also helping to support the lab by accompanying scientific equipment and fresh food. The team really appreciates this!

All volunteers must have travel insurance that covers repatriation and emergency evacuation from Bimini in case of accident. There is a basic medical clinic in Alice Town, Bimini; for any serious conditions you will be flown to the US by air ambulance. Hurricane season also runs from June to November (with peak season being August – October) every year. If you are interning during this time, please be aware that in the case of a hurricane interns will be asked to leave the island and remain in the US until it is safe to return. Please make sure that you have sufficient access to funds if this situation was to arise. Most insurance companies will require a Government Evacuation Notice to claim any travel expenses due to natural disasters. The Shark Lab will likely be evacuating interns before such a notice is released, as the Bahamas tend to post notices late.

A detailed list will be sent upon acceptance to the program.

SCUBA diving is not required for our research and most of our field work is conducted via freediving or snorkelling. There is a dive shop on North Bimini that offer dive trips and rental gear. Please keep in mind that storage space is limited - we prefer you do not bring SCUBA gear.

We recommend a budget of $30-40 CASH per week for dinner, drinks and day off activities. All meals are provided, except on the day off when you are allowed to cook for yourself at the station with allocated ingredients. You are not expected to spend money on food, but it is a nice treat on the day off if you choose to venture out.

There is an ATM on the North Island, however it is not very reliable. Therefore, we recommend bringing US or Bahamian cash with you. US dollars are accepted in Bimini.

Bimini postal service is highly unreliable. Letters can take anywhere from 1 – 7 months to appear in Bimini, based on our experience. If you are happy to send at your own risk, you can post to:

Bimini Shark Lab
15 Elizabeth Drive
South Bimini
Bahamas

If you need emergency medication or similar, we can have this sent to our FL office at your request.

We try to plan a day off once a week – typically on a Sunday. Occasionally we will work through to achieve our tasks.

Yes, however friends and family cannot stay at the Station. There are a variety of accommodation options close to the station ($100/night upwards). We can share our contacts with you when in the planning stages. Ideally, the visit would not overlap with any Courses or important pre-scheduled projects. We expect interns to work during these visits, however, we are flexible and will try give you time off if our schedule allows. Please note that flights, meals, activities, accommodations etc are not the responsibility of the Shark Lab.

Most of our interns have recently graduated or are in the middle of their undergrad studies (typically between 20-28 years old), but applications are open to anyone 18 years and older.

The South Island of Bimini is relatively small, there is one bar that offers breakfast, lunch and dinner and one convenience store. There are some nice snorkel spots that you can visit, which are accessible from land on South Bimini. The North island offers more to do with restaurants, stores, and a small grocery store. This is readily accessible as it is a 30 minute walk from the Shark Lab, and short ferry ride away ($4 round trip)