Research Assistant: Marine Conservation Volunteering in Carriacou, Grenada

I felt 8 weeks wasn't enough, so decided to stay for another 8 weeks to gain some experience... It turned out to be the best decision I've made in my life!
Caribbean Reef Buddy not only gave be the training and knowledge I needed to be a better diver and love the ocean, but it also opened a door for me to choose a new life style into becoming a Dive Instructor.
The team at CRB and Deefer are highly professional, knowledgeable, courteous and fun, which makes you feel amongst family and friends.
The underwater sceneries are mesmerizing, which makes Carriacou one of the best diving locations in the world.
But what I've loved the most, by far, was getting new dive buddies from different places in the world and also be able to experience the Caribbean culture.

I came to Carriacou in hopes to work with Caribbean Reef Buddy for 2 months, but ended up staying for double that! Their EcoDivemaster allowed me to not just develop professionally within diving, but also personally. CRB then allowed me to intern, learning more about our underwater world and the day to day activities of a dive shop. It gave me insight and knowledge I couldn’t get elsewhere.

The staff are so welcoming and friendly. They’re there to help you with whatever you need whenever you need. Their experience is beyond amazing, it’s so special waking up everyday knowing you’re going to see something you’ve never seen and learn something you’ve never heard about.

Safe to say, I definitely made lifelong friends and memories that will last a lifetime.

I decided to join Deefer Diving for my dive master and internship as I was very interested by the way Gary and his team are teaching it.
I found exactly what I was looking for: a safe and professional learning environment. I found myself challenged everyday to improve my scuba diving skills! It is all about changing my mindset to be able to achieve new skills I would not think possible! Overall is a lot of fun and an amazing team! It is without saying that the place and the reef are high quality!

I had a wonderful time with Caribbean Reef Buddy! I didn't have any scuba diving experience, but in my first week I completed my Open Water certification. The instructors were very knowledgable and I picked up the skills quickly. The dive sites were so beautiful and not too challenging for a new diver to navigate.

I found the volunteer work really interesting! I helped with the lionfish containment, fish identification, coral watch, and coral nursery projects. I appreciated how the staff gave presentations about the background and significance of the projects before we got in the water. I could tell the staff were genuinely interested and enthusiastic about keeping the reef healthy. I learned a lot about marine conservation from the presentations and hands-on work.

The staff and other volunteers were super friendly and there was never a dull moment with them. My 6 weeks in Carriacou went by too fast!

When I came to Carriacou I had never dove nor traveled by myself before, not to mention to a completely foreign country. I came to this program nervous but excited for the coming weeks on the island. As soon as I arrived I instantly felt welcomed by the staff and other members of the program and my nerves seemed to melt away. The staff were all proficient and incredibly enthusiastic about their work, making the work fun and very successful. By the end of my time there, I took part in many conservation activities, expanded my knowledge of the reef systems and diving a hundred-fold, and felt as though I was a part of a second family. Throughout the program, the staff led many fun activities around the island beyond diving - such as a hike up to Chapeau Carre, and a trek to paradise beach through the beautiful mangrove forest. I was truly heartbroken to leave Carriacou and Caribbean Reef Buddy at the end of my stay, and if I had the chance I'd probably stay down there forever.

I had an amazing experience with Caribbean Reef Buddy! I had so much fun scuba diving the beautiful reefs of Carriacou while also being able to learn a lot about the issues plaguing the reefs and helping out with conservation efforts. It was a great experience to first-hand help build coral nurseries and conduct reef surveys. I definitely got a lot out of the program and learned a ton as well as greatly improved my scuba skills. It was really great to see the passion and commitment of the team in Carriacou towards conserving the reefs and the ocean, and it felt great to be part of this effort. The program leaders were all very knowledgeable and were super helpful resources throughout my time. I would definitely recommend this program as it was a very fun and rewarding experience!!

I learned to dive in Australia a few years ago. I enjoyed the experience, but was not wowed by it. I didn't know what I was looking at TBH. I joined CRB to learn more about the marine environment and to dive a lot more too. I planned to do my DM whilst here too. Which was fab!.
The team here are very passionate about the marine environment, but in a practical way. Not in a tree-huggy way. The activities we got involved in were informative, helpful and very insightful. Its easy to really start to fall in love with the ocean when you're part of it every day and have these guys to tell you what it is your seeing and why its so amazing.

I was one of the lucky few who managed to get away to this program in 2020 during the pandemic. The UK unlocked and we managed to make it all work. I planned to come to Carriacou for a month, but ended up staying 4 due to flight cancellations and lockdowns. During my time there, I had an amazing experience with the crew and became part of the family. I also worked towards and got my divemaster certification too.

I am to come back again in 2021 to work with the crew again and create a new coral nursery, and to see how the babies I planted last year are growing....