Volunteer travel guide
Volunteering abroad used to be a long term commitment for a highly qualified few. Today, opportunities have opened up for people of all skill levels, in virtually every country in the world.
How to choose a marine conservation holiday
From the Maldives to Mexico, Canada to Costa Rica, the locations that host marine conservation holidays are as diverse as the work you'll do on them, so it's essential that you have an idea of the trip that you want and are clear on the kind of work that each trip involves before signing up![]()
On the land or in the water?
All projects will accept that you are giving up your free time and that you want to make a valid contribution to their initiative, but how you make that contribution depends mainly upon whether you want to work under the water, or outside of it. First, ask yourself if you’re a diver, and if you’re not then ask yourself if diving is something that you’ve always wanted to do.
If you’re already a diver, do you want to build on that that skill and use it to do something that will really benefit the environment? If you’ve answered yes to any of these questions then it’s likely marine conservation in the water – helping out with reef protection work, collecting data, fish ID sessions and surveys – is the right holiday for you. These trips largely involve early morning starts, up to three dives a day and lectures, presentations and talks in the evening.
Our Marine conservation Holidays
Peloponnese turtle conservation holiday, Greece
Sea turtle volunteering on stunning Greek beaches
From
€850
9 days
ex flights
Marine conservation in Belize
Help us protect coral reefs and marine ecosystems!
From
US $865
5 days
ex flights
Whale & dolphin research in Ligurian Sea, Italy
Whale and dolphin conservation trip
From
€740 to €950
6 days
ex flights
Marine conservation holiday in Thailand
Join an innovative marine conservation programme on Koh Tao
From
£875
7 days
ex flights
Belize marine conservation internship
Hands-on conservation experience on idyllic Caribbean island
From
US $3020
4 weeks
ex flights
Dolphin conservation holiday in Greece
Holiday on stunning Greek Island with daily dolphin tours
From
€850
7 days
ex flights
Whale conservation holiday in the Azores
Help assist in integral whale and dolphin conservation!
From
£695 to £4195
7 days
ex flights
Raja Ampat diving project, Indonesia
Dive and conserve the stunning coral reefs of Raja Ampat
From
£1095 to £3550
15 days
ex flights
Seychelles Island conservation holiday
Volunteer on an exclusive island paradise in the Seychelles!
From
US $2800
4 weeks
ex flights
Lionfish spearing marine conservation in Belize
Help us protect reef ecosystems by hunting invasive species!
From
US $865
5 days
ex flights
Dolphin conservation in Greece
Dolphin research and conservation in western Greece
From
€720 to €750
6 days
ex flights
Caribbean coral reef conservation in Carriacou
Diving and reef conservation in beautiful Caribbean waters
From
US $1945
14 days
ex flights
Costa Rica turtle conservation experience
Help protect turtles by volunteering in Costa Rica!
From
£640 to £3895
8 days
ex flights
Marine conservation holiday in Portugal
Marine Conservation Dive and Clean the Atlantic Ocean
From
US $1299 to US $3259
7 days
ex flights
Mozambique marine conservation project
Help in integral marine conservation in stunning Mozambique
From
£2099 to £7799
14 days
ex flights
Whale shark research in Mexico
Snorkeling with Whale Sharks & Giant Manta Rays
From
£2260
7 days
ex flights
Volunteer with turtles in Costa Rica
Protect nesting turtles on Costa Rica's beautiful beaches
From
£989
7 days
ex flights
The great white shark conservation project in South Africa
Encounter iconic Great White Sharks in South Africa!
From
£895 to £3995
15 days
ex flights
South Africa marine conservation diving holiday
Learn to dive and contribute to research in Sodwana Bay
From
£1345
14 days
ex flights
Marine Conservation in Portugal
Help on daily dives to remove debris from the ocean
From
£1169
7 days
ex flights
Marine conversation volunteering in Croatia
- Marine Conservation - Volunteering - Responsible Travel
From
€1099 to €2749
4 weeks
ex flights
Reef conservation volunteering in Belize
Live on a private Caribbean island
From
£995
7 days
ex flights
Caribbean Lionfish hunting in Carriacou, Grenada
Help nature in her fight against invasive lionfish
From
US $995 to US $1965
7 days
ex flights
Dive to remove plastic waste from the sea in Barcelona
Conservation and diving adventure to tackle plastic pollution
From
£1199
7 days
ex flights
Thailand marine conservation and diving holiday
Diving and marine conservation on a beautiful Thai island
From
£1395
14 days
ex flights
Whale Shark conservation holiday in Tanzania
Whale Shark Conservation in the stunning island of Mafia
From
£785 to £4599
14 days
ex flights
Shark conservation in South Africa
Conserve sharks, whales and penguins in South Africa
From
£899
7 days
ex flights
Research, research and research again
The accommodation, level of involvement with the local community and amount of time you’ll spend working throughout the day or night varies greatly with each different trip, so the most important thing you can do when choosing a marine conservation holiday is research as much as you can. Speak to your tour operator in detail and find out what the aims of the project are and what activities you will be doing on a daily basis, but also what they’ve already achieved, so you can get an idea of what past volunteers have helped to make happen. It’s also a good idea to ask where the data is going – is it being fed into local marine fisheries departments, or being used in collaboration with local or international universities? You want to ensure that your time, money and energy is being made the most of and that the initiative is making progress in a conservation area that you feel passionate about.Finding a marine conservation trip that matches both your own interests and your skill level is as important as your enthusiasm and commitment while you’re there – match the holiday to your own expectations and not only will you learn and achieve loads, but you’ll also have lots of fun with a group of like minded people while doing it.
Our top Marine conservation Holiday
Peloponnese turtle conservation holiday, Greece
Sea turtle volunteering on stunning Greek beaches
From
€850
9 days
ex flights
Small group travel:
2022: 31 Jul
2022: 31 Jul
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Marine conservation or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help.
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Expert advice from our suppliers
Anne Smellie, from our supplier, Oyster Worldwide, shares her advice on how to choose a marine conservation holiday: "If you are looking to do a project, you need to go with a company or organisation that thoroughly briefs you on all aspects of the trip, so that your expectations are managed and correct from the outset. If that doesn’t happen you could think you’re booking something completely different to what it actually isn’t and you’ll arrive disillusioned and unhappy, plus the project won’t be happy with you because you will have turned up with all of the wrong expectations. It’s the tour company’s responsibility to make sure you’re prepared, so it’s essential to ask as many questions as you like and find out why the conservation is happening and what sort of things you’ll be doing to support the work."
More about Marine conservation
Let us take you underwater with our marine conservation travel guide, discovering whether dipping your toe into marine conservation is the right kind of holiday for you and learning a little more about what this kind of trip entails.
Our interactive map and highlights page details some of the best places in the world for marine conservation holidays.
Aside from taking the chance to explore your underwater world, marine conservation activities will also take you above the ocean wave with time to get out and about, as you live alongside the locals, just as important as what lies beneath.
What will you see in the ocean is one of the questions that travellers ask before choosing a marine conservation holiday.
It’s not usually the done thing, killing fish around a highly protected reef system, but lionfish spearing in Belize is one exciting exception.
Volunteer with marine conservation in the Seychelles to combine a holiday in paradise with an award winning effort to restore the ecosystems and native biodiversity of North Island.
Marine conservation holidays in Timor-Leste revolve around the island of Ataúro, whose waters are packed with a diverse collection of fish and other marine life, all flitting around some of the best corals the planet has to offer.
We’ve garnered some tips from our friends in marine conservation including training advice, work-holiday balance tips, location advice and how to do marine conservation safely.
If you want to travel right on a marine conservation holiday then be responsible.
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