Program Reviews

If you're like me reading all this information, thinking, "this sounds too good to be true. It can't be real, " let me tell you, this program is truly just that amazing. I came to this program with no diving experience, and in 14 weeks, I became an SSI Divemaster. Indo Ocean Project believes that "to be a good research diver, you must first need to be a good diver," so holding our program at Reeflex Divers in Nusa Penida was an excellent choice. The standards for excellence at IOP and Reeflex are high, and it can be overwhelming at first, but you learn a lot. By my final weeks, I felt so prepared to handle whatever curveballs the Penida waters or assisting customers decided to throw at me. If you want to become a strong diver, learn in Penida through IOP/Reeflex.

On the conservation side of the internship, the workshops are fascinating and led by staff who are passionate about what they teach, and participating in data collection for multiple research topics is so rewarding. The program has specific requirements for the conservation aspect, but there are no limitations if you want to go above and beyond. You become certified in numerous data collection methods, such as becoming a certified survey diver for roving surveys, deploying/retrieving BRUVs, and then analyzing the footage. You also receive certification in different marine ecologies such as shark, manta, turtle, and even coral ecology, where you get the opportunity to propagate coral in the project's coral nursery. You can participate in additional research, such as going through and uploading identification shots of turtles, mantas, and molas or working on benthic survey analysis – which is what I did. It's crazy to think how much I learned in such a short amount of time – whether it be about diving or marine life, you are fully immersed in the project's mission and surrounded by others who have the same passion. I will forever be so grateful for this internship, and I can't wait to use these new skills and knowledge in my future profession.

Thank you to all the IOP and Reeflex staff, you guys are amazing, and I would give you six stars if I could.

I am so grateful to this program, the staff, and the beautiful island of Nusa Penida for opening my eyes to the wonders of the ocean and how we can best protect her moving forward. IOP didn’t just train me to be a skilled diver; I also left the program with scientific diving experience. I saw more mantas than most people get to see in a lifetime, and I know now that I want to work in conservation. The ecology workshops were hands-on and interactive. Reeflex dive shop was also fantastic— the instructors were exceptional and have a great deal of knowledge when it comes to equipment.

I completed my 10 week divemaster and research diver internship in Penida with IOP. My time there was amazing! I’ve gained so much knowledge and fieldwork experience, and have a better insight as to what it’s like working as a dive professional. It really made me feel better prepared to go out and start my career in marine conservation. At the same time you get to live on a beautiful island and make such good friends with the other interns. The diving is incredible and the staff are supportive throughout and after the internship.

This programme has opened up so many opportunities for me that I didn’t know existed, as someone which doesn’t have a science background I could never have imagined myself working within conservation. However during this programme you get to do a wide range of activities, from BRUV’S to surveys and much more. I now feel like I have something to offer to a group working in conservation which I didn’t have before joining. I know I want to be an instructor and this programme gives you a very good idea on what this would be like as you assist many courses and lead many dives. I love this programme will remember it forever and recommend anyone to try it out

As someone who was changing career direction, I had been looking for a way to gain marine conservation experience and was struggling to find something to cover everything I needed. Then I came across IndoOcean Project (IOP). For me it ticked every box I was after conservation wise (turtles, sharks,rays, fish families/key species, mangrove and coral restoration) and all for a very respectable price, plus I got my Divemaster out of it too. I felt that it was the ideal package for someone looking to start up in marine conservation, and I am so glad I was able to spend those 10 weeks with IOP in Bira.

The staff were all brilliant! As dive instructors, they were very professional, thorough and very supportive. They go above and beyond the standard PADI or SSI requirements to make sure we leave as excellent dive professionals by the end of the programme. For the conservation side, the ecology workshops were incredibly informative, and the staff only too happy to entertain the millions of questions that we threw at them.

Having up to 8 interns plus the staff around made for a very nice social atmosphere and building up really good connections. The accommodation was exactly what was needed, dorm style bedrooms, a big social area and kitchen, and access to local amenities - shops/restaurants/bars etc within walking or Scooter distance.

In terms of the diving, being one of only a few dive centres in the area meant that we had the dive sites to ourselves. As part of the coral triangle and being a relatively untouristy area means that the reefs are in good condition and there are plenty of fish, turtles, sharks and even the odd whale shark!

All in all, it was a fantastic project, and I can say without doubt that my time with IOP in Bira was invaluable (and the reason I was able to get a coral restoration position in the Seychelles afterwards) - Huge thank you to everyone there!

When applying for IOP, I was treating the divemaster as any other qualification, just wanting to get it to give me more opportunities. But very quickly after arriving my goals completely changed. I was never the most enthusiastic diver, but towards the end I was seriously thinking about continuing to do my IDC. The progression I made was not only with my diving, but also confidence in and out of the water. I managed to get over my fear of open water so quickly with the help of the instructors, who took time out of their day to talk to me about any issue I was having, whether it be to do with the program or just something I wanted to talk about. The whole environment is so calming and safe, which made me feel really comfortable. Every person I met in Bira I wish I could see again.
From seeing over 70 sharks in the 2 months I was there to sitting on the beach, drinking beer by a fire. My time in Bira was one of the best things i’ve ever done.

I completed my SSI Divemaster in Bira over 3.5 months and it was one of the best decisions I ever made! I hadn't dived for 2 years, so I was nervous getting back into it but the instructors were so supportive and helpful. The shark diversity is incredible (Tiger shark & Whale shark.... WOOOH!). Great meeting like-minded people who are interested in marine science & sustainability. One of the activities is teaching at a local kindergarten, they're the sweetest kids ever! Definitely go to Bira!!

Loved my stay in Bira and being a part of the project. Before I arrived I was nervous about if I could connect with the people, but it was no issue because everyone was openminded and friendly
The staff at the project was very professional, good at teaching the diving and how to be a roll model.
For me there was a bit too much knowledge review and theory and I didn’t really feel that I had enough time off. I don’t have a background with any marine biology and struggled with fish ID.
But when I’m looking back and go diving today I can definitely see a difference when it comes to fish ID.

I started my internship questioning my abilities and by the end I attained a level of confidence in myself I've never had before. The amount of experience I gained through this program is irreplaceable. As a diver and conservation biologist this program really delivered experiences that enhanced my skills and knowledge. You could tell the staff wanted you to get to your highest possible potential while with them and have been more than happy to help with future endeavors. With my program complete, I feel eager to step into the next phase of my life.

I completed my 8 week divemaster and research diver internship here. It has given me so much knowledge and experience to go out and start a career in marine conservation. I have a lot of fieldwork experience now. The diving is incredible and so is the diving support. I had the best time and feel supported since leaving the project in my future career choices and help with CV. I did 60 dives in 8 weeks which was plenty. I had to change my start date numerous times due to covid and family issues and IOP was very accommodating for this. So glad I finally made it!