Barbora Hanzíková Begins Sea Turtle Conservation Internship in Malaysia
Barbora Hanzíková, a student at the Faculty of Environmental Sciences (FZP) of the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZU), has begun her internship on the small island of Kapas (Pulau Kapas) off the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, where she will help protect sea turtles.
Getting there was quite an adventure. As Barbora put it herself: “After all the mishaps, a cascade of delayed flights (the last one 7 hours!), missed buses and boat taxis, I finally made it here and have already visited the first center on Kapas Island.” Despite the rocky start, she says the trip was “worth it.”
The internship is supported by the Financial Support for Non-Erasmus+ Mobility call, launched by the FZP CZU International Relations Office. The call allows students to receive a grant of up to CZK 30,000 for an internship abroad outside the Erasmus+ programme, opening the door to destinations beyond Europe too – exactly as in Barbora’s case in Southeast Asia.
Kapas Island is a small coral island surrounded by crystal-clear sea and dense tropical jungle, just off the coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It is home to a sea turtle conservation center, which Barbora will return to regularly during her internship to help with turtle protection.
The center has agreed to let us share photos from its surroundings, so alongside shots from the center itself, you can also see the crystal-clear sea and a glimpse of the jungle right behind the coastline.
This is only the first update on Barbora’s internship, we will keep you posted on her further experiences and work with sea turtles, so stay tuned for what comes next!
