Program Reviews

Jess, Ben and Qinthan made us feel so at home in Bira. Everyone was so welcomed, the IOP, Blue Planet team and interns have good relationships and I settled in very quickly.

I enjoyed IOP’s process whereby the older interns help to assist the newer ones. This perspective helped me to learn and build communication skills. I also liked how responsibilities for interns increased gradually as experience levels grew. I was given lots of helpful feedback and advice.

I came to Bira as an aspiring marine ecologist/researcher, but now I have fallen in love with diving too. I’ve made bigger leaps in my confidence here in 2 months, than I have over several years in my life. I’m so grateful for the support I’ve been given which has helped me to grow as a person. Bira has taught me so much. I am inspired to continue this journey, and to improve my skills further!! ❤️

I had the best time during the 2 months I spent in Raja Ampat. This is a great location if you want to start your Diving career and get lots of experience in challenging situations. Raja Ampat has it all. The highlight of this program is the combination with the research and conservation program. You get to see and understand the importance of conversation thanks to the amazing instructors that are at the same time marine biologists. Lots of learning in a very interactive way with a very organized program. Special thanks to my instructors Sel & Mario. I would absolutely redo this over and over again. Thank you!!

From the first greeting till the l last goodbye it was an amazing experience. The staff entertaining, professional, very friendly and helpful. They take you on this fantastic adventure and learn you everything you need to know to do the job.
The housings were new and clean. Cabins with 2 bunkers with your own space on the side. Facilities looks good, clean and big enough.
Through this experience I found out that I want to work in this field and as a part of IOP if that ever would be possible...
Just loved every step on the way, loved the people, loved the program, loved the work... ♡

The time I spent at the Indo Ocean Project at Nusa Penida was incredible.
The staff were amazing, so friendly and willing to teach and guide at all times; especially Mette, Anne, Arya and Rinaldi. They will push you to become a better diver and ensure you do more than the bare minimum so you are a competent but also a confident diver.

Nusa Penida is a beautiful place to dive and also a great place to stay and explore. You also get to meet some amazing other interns whilst at the internship so you are learning with like minded people.

Moreover, you get to be involved in some great conservation projects such as mangrove planting.

I highly recommend this internship if you are looking to advance your career in diving or if you are interested in conservation.

The program was very well organized and structured. The working load was always manageable. It was enough not to get bored on a island where you cant do anything else except diving, but not as much to sink into work.
The place itself is very remote in between the jungle and the ocean. Housing is primitive. You have to be an outdoor-person to feel comfortable. I loved it to spend the whole day outside with all the different sounds of the nature. Of course there were also some inconveniences as mosquitos or the frequent power failure. But it was a good experience to learn how little you actually need.

The staff and instructors in the program were AMAZING! They provided guidance and support every step of the way. I always felt I could reach out for advice and sometimes a shoulder to cry on. The program was incredibly challenging, but so rewarding.
I enjoyed the diving and getting used to handling strong currents. It paid off for me in a later dive!
The living conditions are very primitive and you’re sharing with lots of people. So, be prepared. You live, eat, sleep and dive with these people! Being flexible is a must.
The temperatures are hot and humid, so it can be physically exhausting. Just communicate with your instructors and they’ll try to help you rest. Take care of yourself and enjoy the ocean!

To be diving in one of the premier spots in the world was incredible. Special shout out to the all of the Indo Ocean Project Staff especially the two Italian beauties Mario and Sel!!!!

The course itself was well organized from start to finish. I was in the research internship part of the program and it helped open the door into the beautiful world of conservation.

The Raja Ampat location is quite remote. So if you're not used to shared dorms and bathrooms, mosquito nets on the beds, and having basic amenities around, you can still choose from the other locations. But I loved every minute of it!

The locals are super friendly as well, and having all your meals for free was great!

IOP divemaster and scientific diver internship really pushed me to become and better diver and scientist. I give huge credit to Rinaldi, one of the marine biologist at IOP, who pushed me to become better at fish ID everyday as I originally struggled with this but by the end of my internship leading fish ID survey’s was one of my favourite tasks. I really like how IOP make you do far more than the bare minimum to become and divemaster and I truly felt super comfortable in the water and confident as a leader after my 3 months was up. I will always remember this internship being a huge stepping stone into understand what I wanted to get out of life and my degree. Thank you for everything!

One of the best experience in my life! The Indo Ocean Project staff were friendly, professional and always ready to teach something new!!!
I recommend this experience because was a continue improvement: both professional and personal.
During the internship you can meet new people, new culture, learn from different background and from yourself. Indo Ocean Project will be the best also for you!
And the last but not least: Nusa Penida is beautiful for diving 🤩 🌊
Thank you Indo Ocean Project ❤️

I arrived in Raja Ampat on 8 Oct to start the Divemaster program with IOP. It was a bit too much to take in the first time I arrived, considering the basic facilities in place for the IOP interns. We were hosted at the Scuba Republic Base Camp in Waisai, Waigeo island, Raja Ampat. My initial thoughts were that it was going to be a long 7-8 weeks here.
Fast forward 7 weeks later, and now back in the comforts of home, I have nothing but fond memories of my time with the IOP team in Raja Ampat.

The people that run the IOP program in Raja Ampat i.e. Selene and Mario are top-class Diving Instructors, and coupled with the academic background in Marine Sciences, they made the whole 7 weeks there filled with so much learning.

Apart from the required SSI, PADI content, what was good for me was the experience sharing from Sel and Mario in handling real-life diving situations. Be it equipment issues, people not feeling well, a difficult 'diver', personality issues and so on. The informal sessions on top of the course content were what I found valuable. A lot of support also from the IOP staff at Raja i.e. Shae, Mike and later Jon. Being a senior intern from day-1 (I'm 52 years young) was one of the concerns I had when I arrived, but everyone there was very supportive, and I had no problems fitting in early on and really be part of the family. But seriously, there was a lot of content to absorb, and this was no holiday camp. Assignments and knowledge reviews were frequent and had to be submitted on time. Those in Raja would know what "BRUV LUV" means very well by now :).

Looking back, I came home a much better diver than when I started. The Divemaster certification allows me to pursue opportunities to further my training to work with disabled people that want to experience diving. The learnings on the science content makes me more knowledgeable on the different fish species identification when I'm in the water ( I've had the opportunity to see a Red Emperor Snapper hiding under a coral (go guess if this a Snapper or Emperor!). The workshops and practical session with corals will allow me to participate actively on future coral restoration work in Malaysia.

The final week was the hardest for me at least, starting with the Stamina test, the final Skills sessions and the Stress test (doing the equipment exchange underwater with a buddy 2 sizes smaller than me was a definite challenge !).

I ended my 7 weeks with a fantastic party! The customary "Snorkel Test" to finish of the program was one I would not forget in a long time.

To Mario, Sel, Shae, Jon.. A big thank you to guys. Thanks for taking care of us interns and ensuring that we were always motivated, making the learning sessions on land and in the water enjoyable, interesting and most importantly SAFE.