Location
Multiple Locations +7
  • Fiji
  • Thailand
  • Costa Rica
  • Spain
    • Tenerife
  • Seychelles
  • Mexico
  • Greece
Length
1 to 12 weeks
General grants/scholarships

Program Details

Timeframe
Year Round
Housing
Guesthouse
Groups
Small Group (1-15) Medium Group (16-30)
Travel Type
Family Older Travelers Solo Women

Pricing

What's Included
Accommodation Activities Airport Transfers Meals Transportation
What's Not Included
Airfare Travel Insurance Visa
Nov 03, 2023
Feb 19, 2025
109 travelers are looking at this program

About Program

GVI offers a variety of marine conservation volunteering programs. You could travel to Fiji, Seychelles, Mexico or Thailand and actively participate in coral reef research expeditions, sea turtle protection and nesting programs, plastic pollution and beach clean-up efforts, or identify and survey indigenous sea life.

These programs offer a way to receive professional dive training and research qualifications, and improve your technical marine conservation skills, while also supporting local community projects to achieve their sustainable objectives.

Video and Photos

Program Highlights

  • Travel to a different part of the world, immerse in the culture and experience another way of life.
  • Learn conservation skills to improve your CV and increase your future employment opportunities in the marine industry.
  • Support the preservation of local biodiversity, contributing to reach sustainable objectives.
  • Better understand native species, surrounded by their immediate environments.
  • Dive, snorkel and swim in some of the most beautiful and ecologically diverse oceans.

Popular Programs

Turtle

Earn your PADI diving and coral reef research qualifications while preserving marine ecosystems, and endangered species in Puerto Morelos. You’ll also conduct beach clean-ups and collect ocean floor debris. In this immersive expedition, you will collaborate with local community members, and volunteer alongside other international participants.

Turtle

This is an expedition to gain a range of skills and qualifications in marine conservation, such as species identification skills, your PADI divers and research qualifications, and coral reef surveying techniques, all while contributing towards sustainable development objectives.

Turtle

Observe whales and dolphins in their natural habitat while on a boat in Tenerife. You’ll take photographs and record their numbers and behaviors. The data you collect will be used by local and international organizations to learn about the long-term effects of threats to whale and dolphin conservation and other marine species.

turtle

Dive into the warm waters of Dawasamu, where there is the possibility to meet an array of species on your excursions, such as sharks, whales, sting-rays, an array of fish and a variety of coral reef colonies. Learn to conduct underwater surveys, enhance your scuba diving skills and experience a new way of life.

Program Reviews

4.89 Rating
based on 37 reviews
  • 5 rating 94.59%
  • 4 rating 2.7%
  • 3 rating 0%
  • 2 rating 2.7%
  • 1 rating 0%
  • Impact 4.7
  • Support 4.9
  • Fun 4.9
  • Value 4.45
  • Safety 4.9
Showing 25 - 32 of 37 reviews
Default avatar
Flavia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

I had a time of my life!

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What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Definitely to embark on this journey with and open mind and growth mindset! I can guarantee this way you not only will enjoy the trip much more but also experience the program to its fullest!
135 people found this review helpful.
Response from GVI

Hey Flavia, thanks for your review! I'm thrilled to hear you had such a positive experience with us and enjoyed your time on base as much as you did. We'd love to have you back on base sometime soon!

Default avatar
Philippa
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Incredible

Wow! I had always expected great things from traveling to Fiji, but this GVI experience exceeded all expectations. The living conditions were basic, but for the remoteness of the island they were satisfactory and all added to the experience. Days were filled with activities both in and out of water, being in the water at least twice a day keeping one very busy and allowing many interactions with the marine life. Opportunities to go and teach in schools as well as do community work were also present for those who wanted to experience further the Fijian culture. Having a strong sense of community both with fellow vols, staff and villages in the three months I was there truly made Caqalai my second home, along with it’s beautiful scenery and tranquil environment. I could not recommend GVI Caqalai highly enough to anyone else thinking of going, my best advice would be to take the leap there and get stuck in, enjoy every moment because before you know it you’re leaving the island for the last time.

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Don’t wait for anybody else, if you want to go, go! You will meet amazing people out there and have an awesome time! Once there throw yourself in to the work and the culture, make every moment count
125 people found this review helpful.
Response from GVI

Hey Philippa, thanks for your review! I'm thrilled to hear you had such a positive experience with us and enjoyed your time on base as much as you did. We'd love to have you back on base sometime soon!

Default avatar
Daniel
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

GVI Fiji Marine Conservation Expedition

The GVI Fiji Marine Conservation Expedition was such an amazing experience! I really enjoyed the projects we conducted while I was there! The GVI staff were very friendly and helpful when required! They were friendly, approachable and respectful. Not only were the staff amazing, but so were the volunteers! I met so many people from around the world and I learnt so much from them! Spending four weeks on a tiny island, really makes you grow strong connections quickly, and everyone becomes like family! I gained so many experiences and skills from this program and would recommend it to everyone! The accommodation was a little more basic then I was used to, but it all added to the experience! Would strongly recommend this program to everyone and would suggest doing more than 4 weeks (as my 4 weeks went way too quickly)!

What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Choose the longest duration you can do for this program! It goes so quick!
96 people found this review helpful.
Response from GVI

Hey Daniel, thanks for your review! I'm thrilled to hear you had such a positive experience with us and enjoyed your time on base as much as you did. We'd love to have you back on base sometime soon!

Default avatar
Ben
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Loving life

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What is your advice to future travelers on this program?
Dont take alot of luggage I took to much and ended up paying extra to bring home take the things that you definitely need and leave everything else behind you wont need it specially clothes you dont need many of them.
86 people found this review helpful.
Response from GVI

Hey Ben, thanks for your review! I'm thrilled to hear you had such a positive experience with us and enjoyed your time on base as much as you did. We'd love to have you back on base sometime soon!

Kaitlyn
Kaitlyn
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

How GVI Changed My Life

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What would you improve about this program?
Maybe they could buy a better volleyball... That's about it.
99 people found this review helpful.
Response from GVI

Hey Kaitlyn, thanks for your review! I'm thrilled to hear you had such a positive experience with us and enjoyed your time on base as much as you did. We'd love to have you back on base sometime soon!

Read my full story
Default avatar
Olivia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Finding Myself Across the World

I had no idea what I wanted to do after college. I had graduated with a business management degree but it felt like something was missing. I felt like I could get more out of life and I wanted to see what else was out there. I randomly stumbled upon GVI's Diving and Marine Conservation program online and took a leap of faith by hitting the apply button. To date, it is the greatest experience I have ever had. I got dive and snorkel each day in one of the most beautiful reefs in the world, educate local children and explore neighboring Fijian islands. I learned about marine life and ways to protect and conserve them. I learned that my heart belonged in the water, improved my diving skills and gained an immeasurable amount of confidence. My month volunteering in Fiji was good, that I signed up for a second home after being home for a while! I couldn't have traded my experience with GVI in Fiji for the world.

90 people found this review helpful.
Response from GVI

Hey Olivia, thanks for your review! I'm thrilled to hear you had such a positive experience with us and enjoyed your time on base as much as you did. We'd love to have you back on base sometime soon!

Default avatar
Olivia
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Impacting Marine Life in Fiji

Coming out of college, I had no idea what I wanted to do. To kill some time between graduation and the real world, I found GVi’s Diving and Marine Conservation program in Fiji. Being in Iowa and having the closer ocean be a 24 hour car ride away, I was thrilled that there was a program that would connect me to the ocean. Joining this volunteer program was the best decision I’ve ever made. I learned so much about the ocean and it’s inhabitants, I met wonderful people from all over the world, and I truly felt like my work made a difference. I also developed a passion for conservation and marine life that I never would have obtained if it weren’t for this program. It was so incredible, I went back a month later! I couldn’t say better things about GVI and the program I went on. It was a truly life changing experience.

92 people found this review helpful.
Response from GVI

Hey Olivia, thanks for your review! I'm thrilled to hear you had such a positive experience with us and enjoyed your time on base as much as you did. We'd love to have you back on base sometime soon!

Read my full story
Default avatar
Anna Sabrina
5/5
Yes, I recommend this program

Dreamjob on a tiny Island

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What would you improve about this program?
-more different media presentations
-a possibility to borrow materials (I can imagine that not everyone is able to spend so much Money on diving Equipment)
-look more after different Levels, Keep People busy
99 people found this review helpful.
Response from GVI

Hey Anna, thanks for your review! I'm thrilled to hear you had such a positive experience with us and enjoyed your time on base as much as you did. We'd love to have you back on base sometime soon!

Read my full story

Questions & Answers

Hi Berni, Each marine conservation project has different levels of dive qualification requirements. You will need to start by being PADI certified. These include; PADI Open Water, Advanced Open Water, Divemaster, Instructor, and Rescue Diver. Please note that the project you choose will determine which PADI divers qualification is required. To conduct the coral reef surveys on a project, you will...

You have to be 18 to do many of the GVI programmes. I was 17 when I did it however, they may have changed the age restriction since then. There are under 18 programmes available so best thing to do is check out the GVI website :)