Reef Conservation in the Heart of the Caribbean

Caribbean Reef Buddy

Why choose Caribbean Reef Buddy?

Our Story in Carriacou is to work closely with the community and people like yourself to make a sustainable difference to marine conservation awareness and education. Caribbean Reef Buddy (CRB) do this through the delivery of environmental and conservation projects which are linked to global ecological and social themes. Our projects include assessing marine species and coral health, repopulation of our reef systems, and supporting greater awareness within our local schools.

You too can write a chapter in our on-going story of how our Reef Buddies took some time and made a huge difference on this tropical island paradise. Your story can not only include your first-hand experience of delivering our projects, but also of your hikes in the tropical forests, your walks along deserted beaches and the bond you’ll make with new friends from all over the world. Join us in the Caribbean as we help you to start a new chapter in your story.

Reviews

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Zora
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Amazing experience with Caribbean Reef Buddy

I participated in the Marine Conservation Program by Caribbean Reef Buddy and I had an exceptionally great time on Carriacou! I spent 7 weeks on the small island and I was able to experience 3 different projects: Coral Reef Gardening, Coral Reef Monitoring and Predators Week. All of these different projects are extremely interesting and I definitely learned a lot. We did reef checks, removed tons of algae, collected garbage, planted soft corals, checked whether a bleaching event happened or not, and killed lionfish. All of that while having amazing dives and being able to enjoy seeing turtles, sharks and several other fishes. The underwater world on Carriacou is definitely outstanding! After my 7 weeks, I could actually see improvements and positive outcomes. It was for example possible to observe that the soft corals which we replanted started to look really healthy again.
The team behind Caribbean Reef Buddy is amazing as well. Gary, Nora and Raquel are extremely friendly and are always there to answer a question. We definitely had a lot of fun on the boat rides and I enjoyed my time there a lot!

Pros
  • Being able to improve the health of corals
  • At least 2 dives a day, sometimes even a night dive
Default avatar
Gregory
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

The experience of a lifetime!

For many years, scuba diving was on my bucket list, but for one reason or another, I kept putting it off....until this year!!

I've heard many stories about how exhilarating is scuba diving and also the aspect of how things can go wrong, if you don't pay close attention to your instructor. I would add to that the importance of also picking the correct dive shop!

Carribean Reef Buddy dive shop is by far the best way to learn how to scuba dive! I HIGHLY recommend them!!! Best, Greg Andricopulos

What was your funniest moment?
My funniest moment was when I came very close to what I thought was a caterpillar in the water and it turned out to be a fireworm. They are highly dangerous and can give you quite a jolt of neurotoxins if you touch them. Fortunately, I did not touch it, but I did nudge it with my camera.
Pros
  • Professional and well-experienced instructors, namely Steve Ellery and Gary Ward
  • Great camaraderie amongst the staff and the shop owners
  • Wonderful nearby lodging with great food service
Cons
  • My stay was too short. I should have stayed longer
  • I did not partake in the night dive and I wish I had
  • Learning how to breathe correctly would have saved me from acquiring headaches
Default avatar
Anique
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Caribbean Reef Buddy: marine conservatiom and restoration

This was my fourth project volunteering abroad and the communication and service of CRB was the best of all! If you add hurricane Beryl to that fact, it is even more impressive. They managed to keep in touch with me even right after Beryl hit. The staff is very friendly, knowledgeable and professional. Their flexibility made for a conservation program with activities like Coral Watch and lionfish hunting, combined with additional activities like cleanup dives (getting galvanise roofs out of the water!) and restoring coral nurseries. All of this made my holiday even more special and rewarding. We had nice dinners together, I was offered some fantastic fun dives on the side, and I even got an island tour on my no dive day. The guesthouse were I stayed was also very nice with great meals and again, super friendly service. Carriacou is an amazing island that you have to discover!

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Don't hestitate - go there!
Pros
  • Great people
  • Very nice Caribbean island
  • Great diving
Cons
  • None :-)
  • Wish I could have stayed longer
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Janis
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Volunteering with CRB in Carriacou

I was doing 4 weeks of volunteering with CRB. First I got the possibility to improve my diving skills in a training week in order to get my advanced openwater certification. This was followed by 3 program weeks, in which we worked on coral nurseries, performed reef checks to get data about the health of local reefs and were hunting lionfish. The staff aswell as the other volunteers were really nice and at the weekend non project related activities were taking place. I had a great time and can highly recommend the program to everyone who's up for diving and cares about the ocean.

Default avatar
Grace
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

great experience!!

From the moment I got here, both the other volunteers and the staff at CRB have been incredibly welcoming and kind. It’s not often you find people who are extremely knowledgeable and dedicated, but also a lot of fun to be around. I love scuba diving, so having the opportunity to simultaneously help the environment and dive has been so much fun. All the projects that CRB is running have very tangible results, so the work feels impactful. I’ve had an incredible experience, and I will be coming back the first chance I get.

Programs

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Staff Interviews

These are in-depth Q&A sessions with program leaders.

Jon Wright

Job Title
Dive instructor/supervisor, skipper, equipment technician
Jon is a CCR and technical diving instructor trainer who brings 30 years of diving and boating experience to the team. He has been involved with scientific diving for the past 12 years, primarily focused on the technical, logistical and safety elements of many varied projects.
Jon in a wetsuit and dive pack

What is your favorite travel memory?

I have so many! One that stands out for me is a sailing trip out to dive Bassas da India, which lies about halfway between Mozambique (where I lived for 12 years) and Madagascar. Bassas is an uninhabited atoll, formed by a volcano, which rises from the sea bed at 3000 meters to just breaking the surface. It is difficult to find a more remote or more pristine part of the Indian Ocean, the diving was out of this world and the fantastic sense of isolation was surreal.

How have you changed/grown since working for your current company?

I love to experience new locations and cultures and it is great to get into the Caribbean vibe! Carriacou has that lovely old world charm of a bygone age which is hard to find now days. Getting back in to sailing after a bit of a hiatus is my short term goal, the region is awash with boats and boaters!

What is the best story you've heard from a return student?

The large number of return students we get speaks volumes for their enjoyment of their time spent here. As I write this we have 1 return student working here as a dive instructor and a couple who have come back for a holiday. It seems like every month we have at least 1 person coming to dive who was previously a student here.

If you could go on any program that your company offers, which one would you choose and why?

That would depend on previous diving experience. A qualified diver would want to get straight into marine field work, learn scientific diving techniques and data collection/entry techniques, possibly rounding this off with some higher level diving qualifications. Non divers would want to start with their Open Water dive course before getting into the scientific fieldwork. As our structure allows for both these groups, students just decide where they ''get on'' to the course and how long they want to stay.

What makes your company unique? When were you especially proud of your team?

We are a group of passionate divers, conservationists and scientists with incredibly diverse backgrounds and skill sets. For me it is really gratifying to see local staff get enthusiastic about conserving the underwater world and being part of their progression as professional divers, skippers and the conservationists of tomorrow.

What do you believe to be the biggest factor in being a successful company?

Good open and honest communication is vital not just for a company but for daily life. Many problems stem from poor communication, conflict can arise over misunderstandings and no team endeavor can succeed if all members are not clear about objectives and roles.
Scientific research is also of far more importance when the results are in the public domain, enabling people to make informed decisions and policies.