Indo Ocean Project Reviews

In April this year I completed a 2 month Research Divemaster Internship at the Nomads Dive Shop with the team at Indo Ocean Project. I was inspired, I became a comfortable & competent diver, and I had a great time doing it! The team is supportive, professional, knowledgeable and very experienced. Not to mention the passion that oozes from their souls for marine conservation.

My DM Instructor Serena holds a great deal of diving knowledge & experience. She had been one of my most valuable teachers and mentors in my life to date.

If anyone is considering doing their DM, especially any marine biology folk out there; I can't recommend this program more highly.. They are making important change at an on-ground level using data collected by the interns: BRUV deployment, indicator species surveys, turtle ID, mangrove restoration and coral reef restoration.

Indo Ocean supports the Nusa Penida MPA with real-science data, creates sustainable initiatives with the local community to make positive change.

Completing a research DM was extremely benifical for my marine biology career. Since completing this internship, I have been offered my dream job working as a manta ray researcher.

The team at Indo Ocean Project inspires everyone who comes in contact with them to protect our oceans & follow their dreams. Thanks crew!! From your Aussie manta-loving student Hannah

I was part of the first group of volunteers coming into IndoOcean Project. It was very well organised from the beginning, Lauren was available to answer all my questions regarding the operation of the project. She made sure to create a fun and learning atmosphere among the team and was always enthusiastic to share her passion about The Ocean. I met great people during the 4 months I stayed at IOP and will never forget this experience.
The pristine water and marine life around Nusa Penida makes the Dive Master Training even more perfect, there are also a lot to see on land during days off.
It has been a year since I left and I keep noticing how much the project has grown. The people working there are passionate, enthusiastic and dedicated to the marine world and I'm really happy to have been part of it.

Came to Indo Ocean Project from Mexico looking to grow in my diving career but mainly because I wanted to actually learn about the ocean and its conservation. The months I spent there were no doubt one of the best times of my life! In there I found family, and made paradise my home while learning heaps from the ocean and from the amazing instructors, staff, friends, indonesian culture.. can't put in words all that this program gave me! Through it all the training i felt so much support and encouragement from all the team, so much love! feel privileged to have learned from some badass divers with so much knowledge!!! Right after I left Indonesia I started to work as a Dive Master in Tulum and felt really confident about my training and knowledge. Im now an Instructor thanks to this program.
Can not recommend this IOP enough, give yourself the opportunity to experience diving through this beautiful fight and love for the ocean <3
Thank you Indo Ocean and Nomads family for this beautiful gift, I have you all in my heart, can't wait to go back!!!
...I miss my nudies <3

Do you like diving in beautiful places, meeting people from around the world, finding a perfect balance between work and play, comfortable beds with air-conditioned rooms, fun local staff, fried rice, currents, mantas, epic science, nerds, dogs, and goodbyes so hard you come back two months after you left? This is the place for you!
In all seriousness, my experience with IndoOcean Project was amazing thanks to the staff (local and non-local) who have years and years of diving experience and knowledge (conservation, tech, tourism, photography, etc) behind them and the absolutely stunning beauty that is Nusa Penida. Underwater and on the surface, it's hard to be bored here. To top it off I've gained skills that not only translate to a career in diving but all other aspects of my life.

I did not know what to expect when I signed up for this program, all I knew was: Dive Master AND conservation? That sounds like me. Indeed, I think it is one of the very few programs around that combine both. And it was exactly what I was looking for. So as a dive master in training you'll get to assist on different PADI courses, which helps you to understand how to deal with various situations and costumers in the diving industry. But that is just one part. Equally, you'll get an insight in the incredibly important and fascinating field of marine science! The scientific dives are more technical and can be more challenging, I always felt like I'm on a scientific mission to contribute a bit to help ocean conservation. The staff is just amazing! They are incredibly supportive, fun and extremely knowledgeable (they are like walking encyclopedias). And if you do find a questions that they cannot answer, they will find the information for you. All of them are extremely dedicated and just lovely people to hang out with! If you're up for an adventure in incredibly beautiful reefs (always good for a surprise: like Molas. or dolphins. or a tresher shark. or Mantas. or Nudis... ) and you want to learn how to dive safely in currents: This is the place to go! I miss this place and these people!

I was among the first interns in the project in Penida and stayed with IOC for half a year because i loved the people the diving and the island so much. I learned how to become a good diver even when the conditions are challenging. The training in both diving and the conservation aspect were outstanding. It’s been a good balance between learning, working and just having fun. While we were working towards our Divemaster and collecting data or getting involved in beach cleanups during the day, in the evening everyone got together for board games or just having a beer and talking about life. Lauren and Serena the manager and coordinator of the project are both very experienced in what they do and, they are inspirational and very helpful during and after completing the program. I can 100% recommend this internship and i can’t wait to go back to visit all of the people and seeing how much everything developed after my departure last year.

Hey there !!!
How can I describe my experience there?!?! It’s impossible in just few words but if I have to chose I guess I’ll say : amazing, exciting, precious, energizing, motivational, inspiring and salty! It was a mixture of different experiences that taught me a lot, it taught me to be strong and it taught me to enjoy the life ai its fullest! I would love to go there again, ‘cause I felt in love with Indonesia and its people! I would suggest to buy a ticket and fly there, as soon as possible! Nusa Penida is still an almost untouched paradise, it’s rare nowadays to find such amazing landscapes. If you love the nature and adventure is definitely a place you have to visit !! I loved every single second there.
Terima kasih my Nomad family