Program Reviews

My time in Mexico can only be discribed as amazing. The staff and the other volunteers were amazing people and really made the trip. I actually travelled with one of the friends I made in Mexico to Honduras this past year and we spent a couple of months there getting our dive masters. I would never have done this without my opwall trip and for that I am forever thankful. Not only did this trip introduce to me to the world of diving but it made me want to further explore the field of science.

I went to a small island in indonesia called Byron Island for 2 weeks of adventure and laughter! It was such an amazing experience, I learned so much and got lots of practical experience too. One of my most memorable experience was on our last night in Bala Camp when we had a massive party in the evening, however it wasn't your standard 21st century party! We had a few lanterns to light up the "dance floor" we had a music system to blast out Ed Sheeran and One Direction, and we had some sticks and bottles... what more could you need? We ended up learning the Indonesian dance called "dangdut" and teaching the Indonesian people some of our dances! We also played games such as limbo, hoopla, running with a string and pencil tied to your and trying to get the pencil in a bottle(!) and the funniest game of musical statues ever! It was such a great atmosphere and the best party I have ever attended! Who would have thought that you wouldn't need mobile phones or lots of technology to have fun eh?

i went to Madagascar with OpWall in 2015 and had the most incredible two weeks. We spent one week looking at herps in the dry forest and one week looking at the nosy be coral reefs. I learnt so much and had a once in a life time experience. I would highly recommend these trips to anyone, whether for science or travel as you will be exposed to the best things that this world has to offer and meet incredible people.

I recently visited Hoga, Indonesia for the second time this year, but this time as a dissertation student. I've always been passionate about tropical marine ecology so I knew I had to get involved in some way with my dissertation, as I would love a career in this field. I had already had an amazing trip prior to my summer visit, so I knew I was only going to enjoy it even more.

From crystal clear waters with vast numbers of fish to the exciting, intriguing slope of the Sampela reef, this place will never be forgotten. I had multiple encounters with larger animals such as turtles, Napoleon wrasse and dolphins which I will remember forever. The seagrass beds and mangroves make for a more surreal experience, as I had never snorkelled around habitats like this before

6 weeks collecting data on fish communities and benthic structure on Hoga has vastly improved my reef surveying skills as well as my SCUBA diving skills. I feel like a research programme here will put give you the right experience as a step towards a career in marine science. All of the staff on the island were amazing and made every effort to make everyone feel comfortable and happy, even when we were having difficult days away from home or regarding our projects. We never hesitated to approach anyone, including other volunteers and the social atmosphere was one of the best aspects of my trip! My supervisors, both field and university, were exceptionally helpful and gave tips and pointers as to guide me through my project, which I am currently writing up.

I am definitely looking at going back to one of Operation Wallacea's sites for a 3rd time, perhaps this time as a Divemaster as I have heard these trips are just as great.
Thanks OpWall!

I was apprehensive and nervous to embark on the trip with group from my school as I have never been on a long haul flight and never been outside of europe before. But I have to say that the experience is the best thing that I have ever done. I would recommend it to anyone who wants to experience a whole new way of life and wants to make a difference somewhere. I felt valued and helpful as part of the team and enjoyed every aspect of the conservation activities. I earnt my PADI diving qualification and felt like I was a better person by the end of the trip. I would recommend anyone to just go for it and throw yourself into the deep end as I am so glad I did. The team out in Mexico were amazing and welcomed us into the Operation Wallacea family. It was so organised and efficient, so we really got the most out of our trip.

When an opportunity arose to participate (through Operation Wallacea) in a conservation project in the jungle and coral reefs of Madagascar, I seized at the chance to broaden my mind and to do something positive to help the planet. I visited beautiful locations, largely untouched by human development, and helped in project work designed to protect against threats of poaching, habitat loss and to safeguard biodiversity. The daily lectures furthered my understanding of the result of deforestation and bleaching of coral reefs. I had previously heard these terms in Geography and Biology lessons, but to see the consequences on the ground has inspired me to read for a degree which will enable me to make a difference in person. Even in such a remote and isolated destination, which took 40 hours travelling to reach, the local economy, which is predominantly based on agriculture, fishery and tourism, is affected by multinational companies such as Lays and Orange Telecom. These brands had a monopoly on the market and I didn't see any of their competitors. I want to understand better the factors affecting business success within national economies at differing stages of development. These major organisations also have an important role to play in the grassroots development of local communities through their environmental projects, such as Coca Cola's project to fund access to clean drinking water.

Doing conservation work in Guyana was such a fantastic experience. The wildlife was phenomenal, I saw more than I ever thought I would, including the giant black caiman hanging around the Iwokrama Research Centre on our first day: the largest caiman species in the world. I loved all the preying mantis species which seemed to be highly attracted to me - I kept finding them on my shirt. But most fantastic of all was coming nose to nose with Timbo the baby Tapir.

The best thing about the trip however was the interaction we had with the locals. We were living and working alongside them in the rainforest, the whole time learning about their culture, way of life, and the unique skills that they tried to pass onto us. They may have laughed at my attempt to weave a basket out of vines, but I very much value that skill which they taught me and my basket now sits cheerily on my desk, a reminder of a fantastic once in a lifetime trip.

My trip to Mexico in the summer of 2016 was the best thing I've ever done. I love every single second of it, even the unusual toilet situations in the jungle! Since I have returned I havw been asked multiple times which week I preferred and I honestly can't answer that question. Both weeks were so different and amazing. The terrestrial site was so peculiar and weird comeparwd to my life at home. We were so close and at one with the madness of nature and the buzz of creatures at night was amazing. I loved just laying in my tent listening to the crickets and monkeys as I woke up. The research we completed was eye opening and really interested me. Everyone at the camp was so friendly and the sense of community was very strong, they weren't just leaders to us, they became friends!
In the marine site, the accommodation was much more modern and it was nice being able to have a shower and flush a toilet. The food here was also incredible. It was nice being able to eat your dinner on the roof watching the Mexican sunset. The diving was amazing and eye opening. The biodiversity of the reef is breath taking and really does make you realise how important nature is. Akumal is known for the large amount of turtles that flock there. The turtles didn't fail to disappoint! I loved seeing the turtles and appreciating them in their natural habitats.
Overall, I would say operation Wallacea is an opportunity of a life time is well worth the oedfort of fundraising for. I would love to go back but at the moment I relish the momories passionately. I made loads of new friends, gained lots of knowledge and experience and became a more confident person.

Going on a trip with Opwall, in my case the research assistant trip to Cuba, was truly an amazing experience. Besides all the cool stuff I expected like exploring a new country, learning to dive, seeing amazing things, doing research, and meeting new people, I was also able to learn things my way (getting insanely curious about something and asking questions until I have answers), and be hands on, not the classical methods used in schools. . My favourite example was aboard the Filipe Poey, the university of Havana's research ship. It was about 10:30 pm and I had just finished brushing my teeth, about to go to bed, when I heard splashing in the water. Looking overboard to find the source, I noticed a small snake-like critter swimming. As there are no sea snakes in Cuba I was very confused so I asked two of the staff members. They didnt know either so we got a bucket and spotlight, and caught the little guy to identify it (it was a baby eel)! We, along with another student, then set about trying to catch the fish that were jumping and splashing everywhere and identify them (they were halfbeaks, a huge challenge to catch with a bucket). We also caught more baby eels and a tiny little crab, maybe 1 mm in diameter that was floating among the zooplankton. It was so rewarding because not only was my insatiable curiosity fulfilled, I really learned something. Working with knowledgeable people who are equally as passionate as me is an incredible feeling, something I will never forget. It was a fantastic night!

The main thing I took out of the experience was the amazing sense of community there was with everyone. Especially when in the jungle, us students, teachers, scientists and the locals all got along as a family for the time we were there. The stories everyone shared were so interesting. Even more interaction with the locals would have been great. And overall just a longer expedition would be been great.