GVI, Ethical Impact: Marine Conservation Volunteering

My experience in Tenerife was fin-credible and something that has changed my life for the better. As someone who wants to work in conservation after completing my masters, GVI Tenerife was another educational and inspiring project for me to do, furthering this idea. I cannot wait to undertake another project with GVI (or come back to Tenerife). The time spent on the boat was an aspect of field work I've not experienced before and I loved the data collection and analysis! The team is incredible and make you feel right at home, I've made some incredible memories and friends from this trip and wish I could stay longer! Ale is an absolute legend and boss, she flies round the boat giving us so much info, she's a mad chef too and has put up with my shocking jokes and I'm so glad she didn't sacrifice me to poseidon! Big love to Ale, Woj and Tiny, their knowledge and expertise makes this project FIN-sane!!!

I had an incredible time at GVI Dawasamu! The Fijian staff were always so friendly and welcoming, making me feel at home from day one. I was lucky to meet amazing friends from all over the world, and together, we explored untouched reefs filled with stunning marine life. Living in the village gave me a deep appreciation for Fijian culture and community. GVI Fiji offers a perfect blend of adventure, conservation, and cultural immersion. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting a life-changing experience!

I felt like it would be a life-altering experience going to Thailand for four weeks with GVI, and I was so completely right. Meeting volunteers from all sorts of backgrounds was so enriching and the friendships formed were so touching. The staff were all so caring and energetic, I felt inspired and excited about the work we were doing. It didn't take long to feel part of the team and when there were challenges I always felt like I could speak to people and that I was not alone.
I fell in love with this part of Thailand and getting to experience a side to it that was so unique felt really special and the kind of responsible travel that I was looking for. The people on the GVI base clearly cared so much about the community and had such a positive impact, it felt amazing to be a part of it all.

My experience with GVI was a very positive and impactful resource that allowed me to create a new experience, challenge myself and connect with awesome people who are driven and share the same passion and love for our planet, this internship was great organized and very resourceful! I was able to assist Masterclasses, review my project, have input, network with a new organization, this virtual internship allows you work on a schedule that works alongside your daily life!

I’m hoping to do another program and highly recommend it

I signed up to do the marine biology internship in the Canary Islands as a way to finish off my gap year before going to university, and it's one of the best and most memorable experiences I've ever had in my life. We were out on the boats 3 times a week, monitoring individual pilot whales through Fin ID recognition, as well as the less common sightings of dolphins, turtles, and sometimes more! The staff were really kind and caring, and I've met people that I will keep in contact with for life. It also gave me huge confidence in myself that I'd never. had before - this was the first time I'd ever done something quite like this. I have a stammer and as part of the internship I had to give presentations - the people were so friendly that I had no problem going a presentation at all, which was the first time I'd done something like this since I was 14 and in school. Furthermore, I'm studying geography at uni beginning in September, and I'm thinking of going into conservation afterwards, so this will be really helpful in the future as well. I would definitely recommend GVI to someone wanting to go into conservation work or just for fun, and am hoping to do another program with them in the future.

I had a really eye opening experience of what research looks like in the field in the Canary Islands and saw first hand what some of the biggest problems in marine conservation are. It was VERY special to be so close to pilot whales in their natural habitat and have the opportunity to be guided by people that know so much about them. The staff on base where very nice and were always available to help if we needed it. It was a little overwhelming at times to be living with so many people but fortunately this programs brings together people with good intentions and good hearts.

I’ve had the best 6 weeks with GVI Tenerife. I was originally booked on for 4 weeks so the fact I extended while I was there showed just how much I enjoyed my experience. Base is like a family and the staff were worth their weight in gold. We went out on the boat 3 times a week and I had some incredible sightings over my time there. On the boat we were taught how to record data and then once we were back on base we would process it and identify the different pilot whales we saw. On other days as a volunteer I did land surveys and park/beach clean as well as watching informative documentaries on conservation. We also had a lot of free time where we could go to the shops, beach, pool or explore other parts of the island.

I was a Participant in the marine conservation programme in Tenerife and made a lot of amazing experiences. Even though I was only staying there for two weeks, I learned a lot about whales and dolphins, how to collect data about them and how to identify individuals. The boat days were amazing and you can see pilot whales and other dolphins on every trip. When we were not on the boats, we did beach cleans, land surveys or entered the collected data. On hot days the work can be exhausting but in the end it is all worth it. I would recommend this programm to everyone who wants to make an impact and take part in helping marine wildlife.