Indo Ocean Project Reviews

I loved my time there and had the best time. This internship provided a great opportunity to learn about marine research and there’s no perfect place to do it other than Raja Ampat. Learnt a lot as a diver and as a research diver. Ended up making life-long friends and walking away with beautiful memories of that place… The Scuba Republic local staff were really great and always going above and beyond to ensure we have a good time on land and on the boat. I will definitely recommend this program to anyone interested.

Honestly everything about my time here was amazing. All the staff are truly kind with valuable experience in their different ways... I could name you all one by one but I don't wanna make myself sad revisiting how fulfilling my time in Penida was. The staff at Reeflex also played an instrumental role in my progression as a diver. I had only hoped it would be a little heavier on the science, but that's part of what makes the program appealing to people without a background in science wanting to get involved in conservation. Hey, I even got to pilot a submersible drone so you never know what's going to come your way with IOP... Anyhow missing you guys loads, will definitely cross paths in the future!

Definitely one of the best experiences I’ve ever had! I did two months in Nusa Penida and had the opportunity to grow and learn so much from incredible instructors and marine biologists. Not only did we dive almost daily but we also had some free time to explore the island and meet amazing locals. Sharing these moments with other interns was the best part. I will forever be grateful for the lifelong friends that I’ve made. Special thanks to the whole IOP team and Reeflex staff who made the entire learning experience 1000000x better. I hope to come back very soon!

This opportunity came at a crucial time in my life. I Graduated with a degree in Marine Biology, but having no knowledge in diving, this Divemaster internship at Raja Ampat was a springboard for my personal and professional growth.

Traveling a long distance alone can seem like a heavy challenge to tackle. But strangely, I really enjoyed being able to live in such a simple and authentic way for more than 3 and a half months. Learning from basic to hero diving in such a privileged place as Raja Ampat was really a blessing.

Raja Ampat is above all a grandiose human experience. Not only do you experience and connect with the local culture up close, but you are also rocked by an immense cultural diversity thanks to interns from all over the world.

Marine biodiversity is immeasurably rich and transcendent. IOP teaches us perfectly the functioning of these ecosystems and sensibilizes us to conservation issues and the challenges that remain to thrive these fragile and threatened ecosystems. Despite my training in marine biology, the practical and theoretical knowledge acquired at IOP allowed me to understand more concretely how to focus my energy and my actions for the benefit of the preservation of the ocean.

IOP Raja Ampat has been for me an evolutionary platform. This breathtaking beauty mixed with this surreal tranquility transcends your body and your entire mind until vibrating your soul. This is the kind of experience that delivers the brightest or darkest sides of yourself and teaches you how to cope. It is also by understanding these aspects that you gain confidence as a diver.

I felt so fulfilled, so free and so safe in the ocean, like I had never felt before. The instructors, Dana Nalezencova, Elise Dixon and Mette Carlsen are qualified professionals who have managed to transmit to me their love of diving and confidence in the water.

This constant contact with the ocean was for me a true revelation, an illumination.
It was the most memorable experience of my life and I am so grateful for everyone who contributed. I now have the joyful satisfaction of being able to discover with even more freedom, motivation and perseverance the oceans of the world to understand and learn more and more about how to preserve them.

Coming to IOP Raja Ampat is not just a simple diving and marine conservation course, it is a life experience that will mark you forever. Go for it !

I can't omit it : " LET'S GO DIVING HEINNNN !!! "

If you’re looking to get your dive master whilst increasing your knowledge for the marine word or trying to continue your journey into marine biology/conservation like I was, this internship is a very good choice! You meet plenty of professionals in both the diving and marine research industries Eye opening to see the different opportunities available and make good contacts for the future.
The dive shop which this internship is based at (reeflex dive shop) is also home to lots of very good instructors.

IOP (Nusa Penida) was a life changing experience. Daily dives and workshops provide the perfect environment to become an experienced Dive Master with a strong understanding of marine environments/marine ecology. The IOP staff work hard to ensure interns get the most from their time. While the program is rigorous, there is a fair amount of down time, with 4-5 days off a month. I came with my Rescue Cert so the program was 2 months but it flew by, and I wish it would have been longer. The locals on Nusa Penida are very kind and make the day-day quite pleasant. There are tons of amazing cheap food options all over the island. It’s easy to fall in love with island life. Don’t miss your chance to be a part of IOP it’s once in a lifetime!

I spent 14 weeks at the Bira project location, arriving with 0 dives and leaving with a divemaster certification, this was an incredible experience and definitely one of my favourite things ive ever done! My time was filled with assisting and leading dives, workshops, species ID, roving surveys, BRUV deployments and analysis, benthic surveys, coral restoration and mangrove care and replanting. I have learnt to much at my time in IOP and would highly recommend this program to all (especially at the Bira location there are so many sharks and even a few molas!!!!).
Couldn't have asked for a more perfect experience with the most perfect people to experience this with, special thanks to the blue planet team Phoebe and Sylvain and Jess, Ben and Qinthan, the most inspiring people to do scientific diving with :)

I can’t possibly believe I had the most beautiful and productive 2 months in Raja Ampat - divers’ paradise learning from some of the most compassionate, well informed, and driven team of dive professionals. The amount of exposure and growth I’ve had is incredible! I couldn’t have asked for a better experience. The training along with the scientific research and conservation efforts that make up the program is so wholesome. I feel so much more confident as not just a dive professional but as someone who’s going to lead more people into diving! Along with all that, living with the Papuans was a blessing in itself. They are the loveliest staff and so helpful.

Arrived as an open water diver in Raja Ampat, not really knowing what to expect living this experience far away from home. The first day, I discover the camp, surrounded by the jungle and straigh away I feel in peace knowing that something good was about to happen. I got to stay for 12 weeks to become a dive master before extending for 4 more. I feel like if you really want to understand how amazing this adventure is you have to see it by yourself, words wouldn't describe it. Believe me you won't be dissapointed. To say, I tried to extend as much as I could ;) I won't spoil you but just expect to fall in love with diving, the people and Raja Ampat as a whole.
Also, I want to express my truthful gratitude to Mette Rosenberge Carlsen and Elise Dixon, amazing people and instructors that gave me back my passion for biology and introduce me to diving which I know is gonna be a big part of my life ! I will forever remember these jungle women as an exemple in my life and cannot express my gratitude for how much they impacted a part of my life!

I have spent the last year taking part in various marine conservation internships, I can honestly say my time with Indo Ocean was unlike anything else- in the best possible way! Arriving as an Advanced Open Water diver with only around 10 dives under my weight belt, I worried if travelling half way around the world was too big of a step but I am so pleased I did. Completely surrounding myself in the diving environment was definitely the best way to learn. I can now say I am a confident diver and enjoy every second underwater. I am not from a scientific background and I did struggle with some aspects of the learning, mainly the fish identification (there are just so many in Raja!), however after working with the tutors and fellow dive master trainees I was extremely pleased to pass my tests and take part in surveys. I know some say the accommodation is basic but my bed was comfortable and I was always very happy with the food provided- who doesn't like crepes for breakfast?! It takes a little while for everything to settle in a new location, but I am thrilled to say I was one of the first Divemasters to be trained by Indo Ocean in such an incredible location.