My name is Gemma, I’m from a small town called Skipton in the UK. I studied at college Art and Design and I work now as a Marketing Manager for a stationery company. I’ve always been interested in volunteering and making a difference so being able to volunteer abroad on a variety of projects was a natural next step for me. I came across GVI on the internet whilst searching for a project that both myself and my boyfriend could do together. I then met with a GVI ambassador who really helped me to choose a project right for us and talk me through the process of applying – I already felt part of the GVI family before I got on the plane to fly to the Seychelles. The flight was long with a change in Dubai so we had a couple of days to relax in the Seychelles before being picked up and taken to the gorgeous island of Curieuse. We really didn’t fully understand what to expect by this stage and was going with the flow, meeting new like minded people and getting welcomed into island life. The first day was by far the hardest on the island, taking all the briefing tasks in and trying to understand everything you’re going to be a part of for the next two/three weeks! The GVI team on Curieuse were amazing and their energy was what kept me going. My favourite part of the experience was being able to release a lemon shark back into the sea after an examination – truly beautiful creatures. I learnt from my trip to the Seychelles that I’m a lot stronger than I thought I was and also some things that I am good at that I didn’t think I would be. It has raised my awareness of my inner self and made me realise that I need to do more for myself in giving back to the natural environment and wildlife as the experience in the Seychelles changed my perspective for the better. We both felt completely safe and supported throughout our time on base and made some amazing new friends who we still see now we are back home in the UK – and even some of them have flown over to the UK to see us!! I feel this project got me on to a new path in my life, a more conscious living journey and something that is moving forward day by day. I would love to do more work of this nature in the future and I do believe this opportunity has helped me massively! I want to say a special thank you to Alan, Morgan, Catherine and Pete who each supported me on the island and gave me some amazing advice in my short time there. I’m very sad to have left and I hope to see them all again one day on Curieuse island.

My volunteering with GVI on Curieuse was what pushed me into following my passion for conservation. I felt relaxed going on my first solo flight/trip because of the amazing support from GVI before and during my time in the Seychelles. The hands on learning and variety in the volunteers programme makes everyday exciting. The staff were like a second family and I made some life long friends. I would recommend it in a heartbeat.

My first week with GVI Mahe, Seychelles at Cap Ternay was a very busy one, the amount of information I learnt in such a short period of time was astounding, and yet I thrived at wanting to learn more. The days are long and tiring but in the best way!

Helping the marine environment and learning more about it is something I hold dear and it wasn't just about having fun it was serious and to know the work we were doing was making a substantial difference.

If more people can do what we have done all around the world then there is a slight hope in saving some of our coral reefs and marine life which have nearly been lost. Also being able to teach this to the local school in Seychelles was another an amazing experience, they want to listen and knowing they will grow up with this knowledge from GVI staff already makes the world a better place.

Everything about the program was inspirational. Plus scuba diving every day, well who wouldn't!!

Although the base camp is very basic you do quickly adjust to that, helped by great staff and a brilliant group of international co-volunteers who gelled into an amazing team. The routine and simple life, free from technology (unless you want to invest in a local SIM) leads to great conversations, learning new card games - from Russia to Australia, joining an impromptu yoga class, discovering the delights of Exploding Kittens, or reading on a beautiful beach close to camp in your down time. I was there outside of the main turtle and shark monitoring periods but this gave me the opportunity to participate in a wide range of projects including beach profiling, Giant Tortoise measuring (hatchlings and ancients), Coco de Mer studies as well as monitoring the beaches for Green Turtle nesting and continuing the Juvenile Lemon Shark monitoring. It is worth finding out what you will be involved in and an idea of the size of your group, but whatever it is you will be trekking over beautiful, if rugged, terrain most days and getting to enjoy the simplicity of island life. Added to this we snorkelled every week and got to see so many wonderful marine species. GVI seem to be very age inclusive, which was important to me as a mature person. There are opportunities to explore other islands at weekends and Bird is highly recommended.

My entire life I’ve been curious about the ocean and all that it has to offer. Volunteering with GVI really gave me a front row, hands on experience in marine conservation. Spending the last 7 years as a paramedic has been great, but spending 1 month working in marine conservation has really opened my eyes to a whole new world and is now a career path that I would like to explore further.

To anyone considering volunteering abroad, GVI is definitely the organization to go through!

The seychelles are a truly magical places for volunteering. Especially Curieuse Island - with just the day visitors you life almost alone on the tropical island. No hotels, no shops, no cars or streets. Living on base is basic: no hot water, simply toilets and no air conditioning ;) . But after my three month experience I have to say that you do not need those things. The advantages of the island life are superior. In the right season you can see turtle laying at the beaches, you can work very close with baby lemon sharks (and by close I mean you definitely will thouch them if you want) and of course you will see the over 100 giant tortoises on the island. But you should have in mind that this is still a conversation project and not a 5 star luxury vacation! Be prepared for sweaty manual work, to develop the base, so it is a benefit for all.
But this is just a side note all in all I can totaly recommend joining this project, it is truly an experience I will never forget!

I spent 4 weeks out in the seychelles on a tiny island called curieuse. The GVI base and seychelles national park authority rangers are the only groups living on the island which in itself is difficult to comprehend. With this came huge benefits. It developed you as a person, not just the surveys but the lifestyle and routine of things, and because there are very little seasonal changes to daylight your body clock switched to 6am starts followed by dinner at 7 and most in bed by 8. Likewise, the whole ecological and biodiversity side of things was surreal, the species you saw were something I didn't comprehend until I got home and likewise with the beaches- you don't expect them to be like they are in the postcards, but they're even better. Overall this is an experience I'll take away with me when it comes to finishing my final year at university and as I begin to look for jobs abroad.

My experience of travelling to the Seychelles through GVI was one of the most exciting I have done in my life, and I have travelled extensively across the world. The reason this trip was so special to me is because I was volunteering and contributing to a cause I am passionate about, marine conservation; I think if more people volunteered it would help many more of the world in need across a variety programs GVI offer. I did this trip on my own and was nervous at first but soon became like part of the family with the GVI staff and volunteers on Mahe island, scuba diving daily and undergoing vigorous training in fish identification and scuba diving made this whole experience more enjoyable. Don't go to just relax and do nothing, this course needs people that are determined to learn and become part of something that is vital to the Seychelles marine eco environment, but of course have fun at the same time. Wish I could have stayed longer, it really, truly is a chance no one should miss.