Ciao everyone!
My name is Maya and I’m the new intern from Israel. I come from Haifa, a port city in the north part of Israel on the Mediterranean Sea.

My interest in the underwater world started, of course, spending most of my childhood on the beach, exploring crabs and shells. Today, as a passionate traveller, I am always drawn to the coastal areas and am fascinated by the interconnection of humans and the sea.
Lately, I became aware of the huge impact marine life has on the environment and how important is to keep studying it.
All of that made my decision to lead my career in the Marine direction very easy.

Today, I am enrolled in my final year of marine biology bachelor’s degree in Eilat city, which is located on the very north part of the Red Sea. Accounting for the Red Sea’s characteristics, my focus this year will be on coral conservation and marine ecology. However, I’m not yet sure in which specific niche I want to specialize. Therefore, I looked to join an internship that would provide me with the opportunity to gain knowledge and field experience with marine mammals and their ecology.
It took around two weeks from when I first came across the internship post until I arrived in Imperia.

It has been a week since I arrived, and we already got to see a couple of newborn dolphins with their mothers and a few sperm whales. The sea surveys, data
collection and lectures are all done professionally while keeping vibes super fun.

On our days off we are snorkeling, exploring the beautiful towns around and the amazing Italian Gelaterias.

Looking forward to the upcoming weeks!

Maya