Love The Oceans

Volunteering with LTO was definitely one of the best things I have ever done, and I am excited to go out again. Connecting with the local community was amazing; working with the school left me inspired and the children were sweet and so wonderful to work with. The area is beautiful and the marine life is unlike anywhere else I have ever been, seeing whales so close is something I will never forget, and the coral reefs I had the pleasure of diving on were gorgeous. It is no wonder that one of the dive sites, Manta, was once named one of the top ten dive sites in the world. Being able to collect data and work for a cause that means so much to me is a fantastic opportunity and I couldn't think of a better setting to do it in. On top of all that, I have never made so many friends so fast; people I am still in contact with today. Everyone I met, both working out in Moz and volunteers that had come out like me, were fantastic, fun people who got along great.

The experiences I had with LTO was without a doubt some of the best I've had, I cannot talk about it enough.

Volunteering with Love The Oceans was one of the best decisions of my life. As an ocean lover, I had the most incredible experience spotting Humpback whales from the shore and dive boats everyday, a day did not go by where I didn't see a whale! I was even lucky enough to see them during an ascent on a dive! The reefs were fantastic for diving weeks and collecting fisheries data was equally interesting.

Love the Oceans (LTO) is a fantastic program run by passionate people, I really cannot recommend it highly enough. Everyday you're working with the local people, whether it be the fishermen collecting fisheries data or teaching at and repairing the local school. Honestly nothing quite explains the look of wonder on the local kids faces' when you show them how massive humpback whales are, a creature they have only ever seen from afar. The data I helped collect went towards initiating real change, and I left Mozambique with a great feeling of satisfaction, so great in fact that I've decided to return next year.

I've heard horror stories from friends that have paid an arm and a leg (well in excess of £3000) to have the "privilege" of offering up their time and money as a marine conservation volunteer only to leave feeling that they haven't achieve anything significant and felt undervalued. As a volunteer for LTO not only did I feel valued but being a non-profit organisation means that I also got value for my money, especially considering the experiences I had while in country.

To sum up; great program run by amazing people for a cause worthy or your time for and exceedingly reasonable price.