Program Reviews

Here's what you can expect in doing your internship with IOP in Raja Ampat:
- Extremely high-end diving education that goes well beyond basic requirements. It can be tough at times but it pushes you to become a better and safer diver, and drives very rapid and significant improvement in your diving skills. Expect additional workshops and skills dives well above the basic curriculum, lots of marine life education, a minimum of 5 leads (only 1 is required), learning to lead scientific dives, additional course assists, etc.
- Exceptional educators who are deeply knowledgeable, engaging, and serious about their craft. They set an excellent example of what a dive professional should be, taking safety and conservation seriously, and continuously learning and passing along their knowledge
- A lot of diving - I did 75 dives during my 8-week stay, with 1 (sometimes 2) dry days per week. Expect a mix of shore and boat dives across ~15-20 sites, some of which are world-class. Also expect most diving days to have at least some productive element to it, e.g. science dives (surveys, BRUVs, benthic surveys, coral restoration/surveys), skills dives, course assists, marine education dives
- Expect to be fairly busy. Between diving, science, course work, homework, and facility duties, there's a lot to do
- The facilities are basic but comfortable. Expect basic needs like food, drinking water, and shelter to be met at all times, however occasional interruptions to running water or electricity come with the territory in such a remote location
- The remoteness of the facilities adds a layer of complexity when it comes to things like supplies, healthcare, mobile access. This can be easily mitigated by showing up well-equipped (e.g. with medications, with a working SIM card, with ear drops), and by being proactive about your health (e.g. take electrolytes, care for injuries early to avoid infection, rinse your ears after every dive)
- A fantastic social scene where you are surrounded by passionate and like-minded people (interns and staff) from all walks of life. Sharing this experience with them is one of the highlights of the internship. Interns are on a rotating schedule so expect people to leave and new people to arrive during your stay
- The one drawback was that facilities and resources are shared across IOP and the host resort, and resort guests always took priority in what is meant to be a shared space. This applies to dive rental gear, boat space, dive site planning, food, use of facilities, repairs, etc. It's all understandable, but can sometimes make you feel like a second class citizen in your own home.

My experience in Raja Ampat with IOP was absolutely amazing. From the beginning to the end. I haven’t seen any big issue once being there.
If I can start with the amazing location which makes the whole stay incredible, remote in the jungle. This exactly what I was looking for. I enjoyed the fact that not everything is working always good ( ex toilet, electricity and so on) this is why I picked this location. My room was good I had no problem sleeping in the bungalow.
Of course the location is also amazing for all the beautiful dive sites I have visited, with my favorite : Cape Kri.
The content of the divemaster program is in my opinion really good and complete, I’m very satisfied with the content, I learnt a lot and I’m going home with so much more knowledge about diving and about marine ecology. This is a great program really! Besides the sciences, the fun was also there with a group of great people around.
Maybe one thing that made me sad is the feeling that we were separated from the the rest of the resort at some point because high season started, we were eating in the classroom and I enjoyed more being at the restaurant also to interact with the rest of the resort makes it more cosy I feel.
Especially in Raja because it is so remote is important fo connect with others and I think IOP is a great way to give SR a good and friendly atmosphere with the interns coming here as passionate divemaster trainees.
The program was also really well taught, the workshop and the dives, I have only good comments and good memories about that.
I feel like maybe paying every time to go to town ( 400 return) is a bit expensive and I felt like one car going per week could be offered to interns that needs special things like medication or food but thats minor.
I found the prices as well quite high for beers and other things but I guess this is Raja Ampat prices.
I really want to thank again IOP staff that really helped us throughout the program and made our stay so special !
Can’t wait to come back again!

I had a great experience in Raja. The diving was amazing and I was able to improve a lot. The living is really basic but that is due to its remote nature and offered a back to the roots experience which I value a lot. Additionally I learned a lot about our oceans in all the workshops provided by IOP and it was a great experience to see how fish data is collected and help doing so. The staff was friendly and helped out with any problems that arose. Overall I had a great time and grew a lot during this time.
The travel there was quite exhausting since it is so remote but it is absolutely worth it.

My internship at Indo Ocean Project was an experience that can be compared with anything else in my life. The scenery, the remoteness, the marine life all contributed to an awing experience that I will carry with me forever. Life in remote Raja Ampat, thought demanding, brought the team closer together. Despite our diverse backgrounds (construction workers, attorneys, nuclear physicists, DJs, hotel managers, etc.), we were united by our love for nature and our passion to preserve it. The staff, with their vast knowledge and experience, showed me even more insights into the values of marine life, the threats and consequences to its degression, and the most impactful ways to conserve and restore it. Their dedication to this cause was a true inspiration to me.

I came to Bira without really knowing what I was doing but I left with so much knowledge, so many good experiences, fun and amazing encounter !
The all IOP project is so cool, I don’t have any background in marine science but now I feel like a know so much more and so much more interested also.
Huge big up to the team in Bira (Ben, Jess, Qinthan and Kholil🫶🏻🫶🏻) they made the experience even better, so don’t wait a second and just go do your next adventure with IOP !!
PS : i miss the sharkies of Bira

Indo Ocean Project in Raja Ampat is nothing short of paradise! The diving is incredible with so much biodiversity, and our home in the jungle was simple but gave direct access to a stunning coral reef and a beautiful jetty where we spent much of our free time. The interns and staff feel like a family and I couldn’t be more grateful for this experience. It’s the perfect mix of professional education and constructive feedback, while keeping things very fun and enjoyable! Couldn’t recommend more :)

I learned a lot at Indo Ocean, Raja Ampat. It was a great experience. If you choose Raja Ampat as your location you need to be aware, that this is a really remote area. No fancy coffee shops etc. nearby.
The Indo Ocean program is a really good combination of Divemaster and Conservation/Research Skills. I was lucky to have two marine biologists as the program managers. So their knowledge and experience was very useful to me.
Even if you have a biology background you'll learn a lot!
And if you don't have one, do not be afraid to take part in this program! ; )

To keep it short: if you love the ocean, join this program!
From start to end, I've enjoyed the IOP project and can't believe how much I've learned in such a short period of time.
This is of course, thanks to the amazing program itself - but above all because of Qinthan, Jess & Ben who've made the stay truly unique :)

Diving:
Bira is by far the greatest place I've had the opportunity to dive in so far. It's full of marine life and thriving coral reefs. What makes it so special that you never know what appears in the blue 💙 - schools of devil rays, trevallys, barracudas, tuna or grey reef sharks, marbled rays and more!

Housing & social life:
We've had a wonderful time in Bira with lots of like-minded people :) there's a community kitchen and a bunch of amazing restaurants in walking distance.

So, to begin with, from day 1 when i reach IOP at reeflex divers, Mette & Anne were there for me. They are both such amazing people and also very talented and professional. They were always there for me whenever i used to face any type of difficulty, whether in terms of housing, diving etc. And now i am a divemaster. I came to Penida with 6 dives OW diver and right now i am with + 100 dives. Diving in Penida was definitely challenging with all the surges and currents but our training was of the level to ensure that we can dive anywhere in the world! Thank you so much IOP.

I struggle to put into words just how special this program was. To be succinct: it was the experience of a lifetime, made exceptional because of Ben, Jess, and Qinthan.

From the first night when Jess and Ben greeted me, I knew I was being welcomed into a very special experience filled with "my people." I bonded with everyone right away, not least because of the relaxed and close-knit atmosphere these two fostered every day. On day two, I met Qinthan, whom I knew immediately would become a role model to me within marine conservation, and she did not disappoint. I am so grateful I decided to partake in this program!

The diving in Bira is on some of the most well preserved reefs left in the world today, which is no small feat. From the smallest of macro life sheltered within the colourful reefs to the sharks, rays, and turtles we saw on every single dive, Bira is unique. I could spend 100 lifetimes diving these reefs and never get tired of them.

IOP itself is a commendable initiative which seeks to balance marine conservation and education with local involvement. They don't try to bulldoze over local ways of living, but rather they integrate these into their science in order to build a sustainable program which has the capacity to thrive.