The research-only trips are rare and depend upon the time of year and specific projects running at the time. Usually only volunteers who are staying for 4 weeks or more are invited on research-only trips, if there is one at the time.
Research and monitoring is carried out on each boat trip and on each shark sighting. In turns with other volunteers you can assist with data recording, sketching the dorsal fins and taking ID shots. The main focus whilst out on the boats however is environmental education.
Volunteers who are really interested in research can assist the biologists on the vessel and also after hours. Remember that for every hour a biologist spends at sea they spend another 15 back in the office punching, verifying and analysing data- so if you do want to help with research you could also be doing data capture, measuring shark eggs that have washed ashore, weighing and classifying plastic pollution etc. You shouldn’t expect to be tagging sharks day in and day out – this is done by the experts only, and you shouldn’t anticipate seeing this in action.