Franz Reichel

About Franz

Hey, my name is Franz, I am 28 years old, and I am from Cologne in Germany. I am currently studying biology at the University of Cologne. I have been fascinated by the ocean my whole life, and working in the field of marine biology has always been a dream of mine.

Due to the geological situation in Germany and the limited access to the sea, it was difficult for me to spend time in the ocean regularly. That’s why it remained just a dream for a long time. Until eight years ago, after my high school graduation, I traveled and did some work in Australia, where I had my first contact with the ocean. Snorkeling in the Great Barrier Reef and shark cage diving in Port Lincoln sparked a fascination for the sea and its creatures and I made a plan to spend more time in the ocean in the future.

But as it happened, I lost sight of this goal back in Germany and started to study sports science. In short, it wasn’t the right thing for me. Nevertheless, I completed my studies and decided to take a second degree in biology. And as it turned out, for my feeling, this is exactly the right thing for me. Nevertheless, there is still a problem: In Cologne, there is no sea to study. That’s why I mainly focused on genetics during my studies. But still, I was curious to find out more about the working field of a marine biologist.

And precisely this reason brings me now to South Africa. To Gansbaai, a place where the biodiversity is unmanageable and the sea infinite. I am here to finally find out if I want to live the dream of becoming a marine biologist in the future or if it will remain a dream. I wonder what I will choose?