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Where to go on a marine conservation holiday

Our interactive map and highlights page details some of the best places in the world for marine conservation holidays. Read on to work out where to go on a marine conservation holiday, deciding which exotic location and inspiring project suits you best, from Belize, to Costa Rica or the Seychelles.

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Where to go on a marine conservation holiday

From the vibrant culture of Thailand to the rustic Atlantic coast of Portugal’s Azores, the locations that host marine conservation holidays are as diverse as the work you can do on them. Although once you’ve arrived you’ll be travelling by boat, either on short journeys between different dive spots, or spending the duration of the day out at sea, it’s worth thinking about the travel that actually getting there entails. When you’re thinking about where to go on a marine conservation holiday, consider how seasoned you are as a traveller – some projects are tucked away on faraway islands and require additional onward flights or long stretches of road travel to reach and may not suit everyone. Think about the logistics involved and don’t be immediately wowed by the location.

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Our Marine conservation Holidays

1. The Azores
2. Belize
3. Cambodia
4. Costa Rica
5. Greece
6. Indonesia
7. Italy
8. Mexico
9. Portugal
10. Seychelles
11. South Africa
12. Thailand

The Azores

1. The Azores

Best time: Apr-Aug. A pocket of rugged Portugal in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean, the Azores is a hotspot for whale and dolphin conservation. Join a dive-free expedition on a research boat IDing whales, including might blue and sperm whales, recording vocalisations and logging important ecological data alongside a team of biologists.

The Azores

Belize

2. Belize

Best time: Year round. There are masses of options in beautiful Belize – home to the second biggest barrier reef in the world – from five days learning to dive and helping marine conservationists with ad-hoc tasks, to volunteering trips for a maximum of 12 weeks, with a focus on spearing invasive lionfish. Kids over 10 years old are welcomed on many trips, too.

Cambodia

3. Cambodia

Best time: Feb-Aug. If you love diving (or want to learn) and hope to use your skill to do something worthwhile, head to Cambodia. Here, you can build manmade coral reef pods under the water surrounding a remote tropical island, track and monitor endangered seahorses, and when you’re not diving, teach English to local kids and help install vital infrastructure in surrounding villages.

Cambodia

Costa Rica

4. Costa Rica

Best time: Jul-Dec. Working on a turtle conservation project in Costa Rica gives you the chance to explore its unspoiled coastline while helping to protect this precious environment for its shelled inhabitants. You’ll patrol the beach, monitor nests, protect new hatchlings and record observations for future protection campaigns. A great option for families, too.

Greece

5. Greece

Best time: Jun-Sep. Greece offers various marine conservation options. Support the turtles that come ashore to lay eggs on the beaches of the Peloponnese by protecting nests and improving public awareness, or head to sea to live the life of a full-time researcher, collecting valuable data on the four dolphin species found in Greek waters.

Greece

Indonesia

6. Indonesia

Raja Ampat is a gorgeous marine paradise of white, sandy beaches and turquoise sea located in the East Indonesia/West Papua region of the Coral Triangle. The marine diversity here is astonishing, with 80 percent of the world’s coral species found here. You’ll be working not only to protect the coral reefs here, but to improve the lives of the communities that rely on them.

Italy

7. Italy

Join a small group of volunteers on a six day research cruise in the Ligurian Sea to identify, track and record information on the whales and dolphins that live here. You’ll delve deep into the marine ecology of the Med, helping preserve it for generations to come, helping log data on behaviour and population numbers, as well as soaking up the sun and spotting superb cetaceans.

Italy

Mexico

8. Mexico

Best time: July. Head to the Caribbean Coast of Mexico to discover a giant of the ocean, the whale shark. Swimming with them is unforgettable, but you can also help with ongoing research here alongside two whale shark researchers. Once in the water with them, you will assist in digital photo IDing and recording their behaviour and also the other species which use the whale sharks as mobile habitats.

Portugal

9. Portugal

Work with local experts to protect the marine ecosystems of Portugal’s Atlantic coastline. This is all about diving, with all abilities welcome. If you’re a beginner, learn here with a local diving school, before plunging in to see Portugal’s beautiful marine life up close. Tasks vary, but you can expect to identify fish and seaweeds, and clean up rubbish. More experienced divers can explore caves and wrecks, too.

Portugal

Seychelles

10. Seychelles

Best time: Year round. An natural utopia, the Seychelles are a serene set of islands, but the conservation work that needs doing there is tough, with long days and early starts. Holidays include turtle conservation with beach patrols at night, and coral and fish surveys along the coast. Sometimes, other conservation work is combined, such as bird counts or alien vegetation control. Full-on fun.

South Africa

11. South Africa

Best time: Year round. The shores of South Africa's iSamangaliso Wetland Park offer a host of work around the conservation and distribution of megafauna. We're talking turtles, sharks and whales here! Expect to be monitoring numbers, collecting data and uploading photos to global databases. If you're a beginner diver, you can do PADI Open Water training in the first week, too.

South Africa

Thailand

12. Thailand

Best time: Year round except Oct to mid Dec. Varied research and restoration activities make every day on a marine conservation holiday in Thailand different. Monitor reef health, help construct artificial reefs, erosion control and releasing turtle hatchlings are all included plus the chance to work with community groups to raise awareness, help with educational workshops and perform underwater clean ups.

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.

01273 823700 (UK)

rosy@responsibletravel.com

01273 823700 (UK)

rosy@responsibletravel.com

Typical daily timetables

Marine conservation in Belize (from 1 week)

6am: Tea, fruit 7.30am: First dive - lobster survey, commercial fish survey, lionfish spearing 9am: Big cooked breakfast; training - coral ID or fish ID session 11.30am: Second dive - coral watch, ID session fish, lobster/conch survey 1pm: Lunch Free time 3.30pm: Third dive - coral watch survey 7pm: Dinner - fresh fish, rice, okra Evening: Relax, socialise; presentation on the marine environment or the organisation

Turtle conservation in Costa Rica (from 1 week)

7pm-5am: Rotating four-hour beach patrols 9am: Tico-style breakfast with fruit, rice and beans, toast, cereal and pancakes 10am-1pm: Hatchery duties, logging of turtle data acquired overnight, releasing baby turtles if necessary and in season (Sep-Dec) 1pm: Lunch 2pm-6pm: Downtime to explore or have a nap 7pm: Dinner Evening: Relax, socialise; two patrols of four hours long each

Marine conservation project in the Seychelles (from 4 weeks)

5am: Helping out - cooking, cleaning, general prep 7am: Breakfast 8.30am: Prep boats and dive kit 9am: Dive boats leave in waves every two hours 1pm: Lunch Afternoon: Those not diving are entering data, studying skills, preparing English lessons for local kids, beach cleans 3-5pm: As last boats come in, clean kits, prepare equipment for next day Evening: Dinner, debrief, discussions, make plans for next day

More about Marine conservation

Marine conservation travel guide

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.

Choosing a marine conservation holiday

With research projects, land-based projects and some that involve diving, marine conservation holidays differ quite considerably.

Marine conservation activities

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.

Marine conservation wildlife

What will you see in the ocean is one of the questions that travellers ask before choosing a marine conservation holiday.

Lionfish spearing marine conservation

It’s not usually the done thing, killing fish around a highly protected reef system, but lionfish spearing in Belize is one exciting exception.

Marine conservation in Timor-Leste

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.

Marine conservation advice

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.

Responsible marine conservation

If you want to travel right on a marine conservation holiday then be responsible.

More relevant guides

Written by Polly Humphris

ABTA member P7085 so you are fully protected

Photo credits: [Page banner: USFWS - Pacific Region] [Belize: jayhem] [Cambodia: Frontierofficial] [Costa Rica: Steven Gerner] [Greece: Frontierofficial] [Indonesia: Lakshmi Sawitri] [Italy: Lemone] [Mexico: Skinned Mink] [Portugal: Chrismatos] [Seychelles: Jean-Marie Hullot] [South Africa: Travelbag Ltd] [Thailand: Phuket@photographer.net]

Where to go on a marine conservation holiday