SCUBA Dive in the Indian Ocean and contribute to critical conservation efforts

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Teaching Children from the International School

Program Overview
Life on the Program
Project Details
Volunteer Testimonials

Program Overview

Join us off the east coast of Africa in the beautiful Seychelles islands to work on vital marine conservation projects.

This marine conservation expedition, run in conjunction with the local government, offers unique training opportunities that are second to none. You will, alongside an international team of volunteers, participate in coral reef research, invertebrate surveys, whale shark migration observations, plankton sampling, in-water turtle surveys, turtle nesting research and more!

Some of the amazing Highlights:

Developing the techniques you need to survey coral reefs, exploring different dive sites, visiting breeding areas for the hawksbill and green turtle; having an amazing and unique adventure amongst some of the most beautiful scenery in the world, taking your PADI Advanced and PADI Coral Reef Research Diver courses, learning how to identify fish and coral in the Indian Ocean; visiting and diving amongst deserted tropical islands; extra dive courses at heavily discounted rates with local dive shops, enjoying fun-dives and searching for the incredible ‘mega-fauna’ in the area, such as whale sharks, manta rays, and dolphins.

The majority of this program is spent SCUBA diving. You need to be qualified to at least PADI Open Water, or equivalent. GVI supply training and certification up to PADI Advanced Diver for all volunteers. If you would like to join the expedition but do not have SCUBA experience, GVI can help you book onto a PADI Open Water course at a local dive center before the start of the expedition.

Scholarships

We are always looking for enthusiastic and dedicated people to join our team. This expedition offers qualifying and high-performing volunteers the chance to stay on the expedition for a longer duration on a GVI Scholarship free of charge and as part of the staff team in the field. If you would like to work towards a field career and make the very most of your time abroad, you might want to work towards a place on a GVI Scholarship. Successful scholars may find themselves offered full time employment with GVI, and many of our current staff have come through this route. Contact us for more information!

Please note, the awarding of scholarships is at the sole discretion of GVI and may be offered immediately after the completion of your program or at a later date.

Life on the Program

You’ll spend the majority of your time diving on the coral reef, collecting critical data on coral and other invertebrates and fish species. Weather, season and training permitting, you should expect approximately five to ten dives per week.

At the end of the day, the whole team gathers for the evening debrief, to eat and hang out together. Life on base is very simple island living where you can expect to share most things, from cooking and cleaning to dorm rooms and bathrooms.

On weekends there will also be free time to explore the beautiful islands and Creole culture of the Seychelles.

Project Details

This project’s efforts have been prioritized in tandem with local government agencies, the Seychelles Ministry of Environment and several local non-governmental organizations.

They are:

Coral reef monitoring and recovery research (using SCUBA)
Invertebrate fisheries surveys
Whale shark migration observations
Plankton sampling research
In-water sea turtle surveys
Sea Turtle nesting surveys
Helping to train local partners
Development of an environmental education and awareness program

Projects being conducted during any given expedition depend upon the season and the priority needs of our local working partners.

How this program makes a difference:

With substantial contributions from our partners, we are the leading marine data collection organization in Seychelles.

Much of this data is used by other organizations in the Seychelles. For example, the Seychelles government relies on this data to show an accurate picture of the overall health of the local coral reefs when setting and creating new management policies.

Volunteer Testimonials

Nadia Amoum, Morocco

Overall, my experience in the Seychelles was amazing. Of course there were some rough times but that happens in life and it’s important to learn to overcome challenges. My first two weeks were the hardest; I got sick prior to arriving in the Seychelles and spent all my time on Curieuse studying the fish species with the help of flashcards. It was challenging but I decided that since I was in one of the most beautiful countries in the world I wasn’t going to let it get me down too much. Before I knew it, I was able to dive and I can say that it was worth the wait. I’m a huge turtle fan and I was so excited to see a hawksbill sea turtle on my very first dive.

Due to the circumstances at the time, I was able to stay on both GVI bases in the Seychelles. They are both very basic and rudimentary but that adds to the whole experience! I really enjoyed the whole program, it was a chance for me to get away from my busy city life and meet people who appreciate and have the same values as I do. The members of the staff were extremely supportive and the rest of the volunteers were friendly and overall awesome people.

I would recommend it especially to people who aren’t used to travel alone, and who still need someone to get the most important things organized. GVI offers you a good infrastructure and a helping...

Dina Weindl, Austria

I love the marine life expedition cause I think it really makes sense to educate people and to increase the awareness about the endangerment of marine life! I only would recommend 1 or 2 changes in the pre education so working could start earlier for the volunteers to get more output for everyone.

But I definitely had/have and will recommend GVI to my friends.

As we approached the beach Neil (GVI staff) pointed out the tracks up the sandy beach towards the brush and our excitement rose. Charlotte and I quietly celebrated the possibility of the first...

Katie Munroe, Washington, USA

As we approached the beach Neil (GVI staff) pointed out the tracks up the sandy beach towards the brush and our excitement rose. Charlotte and I quietly celebrated the possibility of the first sighting on this phase of a turtle nesting.

We stayed for over an hour until the turtle was finished laying her eggs and started to wiggle back and forth, diligently kicking up sand to bury her nest. Charlotte and I were ecstatic to have witnessed something most people would never get a chance to see. My only thought is how amazing the Seychelles and this experience continue to be each and every day.

Lynsey Wheater, Halland, UK

I had a brilliant time, the staff were really friendly and welcoming and I loved all the diving/Coco de Mer surveys and turtle walks. there was so much variety and a lot to learn - I would definitely go back. This experience has made me change my career to what I love and I’m currently now looking for marine research/science work throughout the world. The GVI experience has made me reconsider what I want from life.