"You must have zee best job in the vorld! 'ow did you get a job like zis?" exclaims the backpacker volunteer in a lilting accent to Avan. "I tink I want your job!"

What is this job coveted by the young attractive female backpacker? Well it is knowing the dolphins at Monkey Mia by name, personality and fin markings. It is working with the dolphins, with a lot of the day spent outside, on a dreamily beautiful beach chatting to travellers. It is working in the visitor centre shop, but also dealing with the occasional disgruntled traveller or nomad at the entry gate, as he collects entry fees to the Monkey Mia reserve. The job can require Avan to stand knee deep in the sometimes cold water and share with the tourists his newly acquired knowledge and respect for the dolphins of Monkey Mia in a 20 minute educational talk that leads the tourists through the day's dolphin visitation. 

Avan is enjoying his daily dolphin fix and "his girls" have taken a real liking to him. The Monkey Mia dolphins have been visiting the shore for over 40 years. The current program of feeding only a small amount of fish to five females is strictly adhered to by the Department of Environment and Conservation (Avan's employer) as is a "no touching" policy. This careful management, of what is an extremely popular tourism experience, has greatly improved the life expectancy of the dolphins,and the survival of new baby dolphins.

We were pleased to have our good friends Martin and Heike from the UK come and visit in July so we could share with them this beautiful part of the world we now live. Some of the photos in this blog were taken by them.     

There is a sought after and active volunteer program in place to work with the dolphins, that involves among other duties, weighing the fish that is to be fed to the dolphins, choosing the audience volunteers each morning and dealing with "Rogue" the special needs Pelican. 

The backpacker possibly had, had her name down for months to be able to get the chance to work briefly with the dolphins.That is why in her mind Avan has "zee best job in the vorld!"  - getting paid to spend time with dolphins!