35 hrs of fieldwork per week
1:6 staff to participant ratio
Includes GVI ExperiencesParticipating in this program means conducting important research with our key partners, and making a direct contribution to preserving the corals in the Dawasamu District. Coral bleaching is a global marine crisis: 50% of the world’s corals, which house a majority of marine life, have already been wiped out in the last thirty years, making it an intergenerational problem, requiring as much active action as possible.
This program aims to promote sustainable practices and effective management of ocean and coastal areas while preserving marine resources. We prioritise community engagement and collaboration, ensuring that local communities are involved in decision-making processes. Our goal is to develop long-term strategies that support a thriving marine environment and preserve its diversity.
Weather permitting, you may participate in 1 or 2 dives or snorkels each day, for up to 5 days a week. Prior to diving, you will complete extensive training, in order to prepare you for the monitoring you will be involved in. Our GVI staff will supply you with all the training you need to be certified up to a PADI Advanced Open Water diver.
Unqualified divers are welcome to join for 8 weeks or more, but the 4-week duration is only open for qualified Open Water divers. Unqualified divers who want to attend the program for 4 weeks can qualify through local dive centres before their intended start date.
Some of the example typical activities you could participate in on this program.
Some of the partners we work with on base.
Boasting magnificent sunset views and swaying palm trees, our base is located on the edge of a traditional rural village, in the district of Dawasamu. We have Tova Peak on one side (the third highest mountain on Viti Levu) and the beach on the other. From your bed you can listen to the sounds of the crashing waves. A short boat ride away, you will find the famous Moon Reef with its resident pod of spinner dolphins.
Participating in a GVI program offers a unique opportunity to gain insight into Fiji’s culture of hospitality and warmth, and to experience what it’s like to be part of the community. On arrival, you’ll get to experience a “Sevusevu ceremony” – as a sign of respect you present yourself to the community to ask “permission” to stay. The ceremony is an age-old tradition that marks the formalisation of the community accepting and welcoming you, and celebrates your arrival.
We want you to make the most of the chance to live in – and contribute towards – the most diverse and unique wildernesses and communities on earth. Introducing GVI Experiences – immersive adventure, cultural and wellness activities exclusive to GVI that have been specially designed in collaboration with our local partners to support and stimulate sustainable economic development.
Enhance your impact. Expand your adventure. Explore your world.
By joining a GVI program, you not only contribute to preserving unique ecosystems but also get the chance to explore the surrounding area or venture further to see what else the region has to offer on weekends.
Our field staff are a great source of advice on local travel options. Many participants choose to travel before or after their experience, solidifying friendships made on the program.
Engaging with a new context teaches global awareness, adaptability and critical thinking – skills highly valued in today’s world. Cultural immersion is encouraged, and there are many activities to enjoy during your free time or before and after your program. Please note, these suggestions aren’t included in the program fee and are at your own expense.
Fiji has a thriving souvenir industry. Local artists produce various intricately carved wooden items.
Dive with bull sharks in Beqa Lagoon, one of the world’s most famous shark diving destinations.
From Pacific Harbour, you can join a jetski safari, or go white-water rafting on Navua River.
If you’d like to find out what the experience of joining a GVI project is really like, simply contact us and we’ll put you in touch with one of our many Alumni.
We’ll try to match you to an Alum based on your location, nationality, age, stage of academic career, gender, and program interests. This allows you to gain insights into the experience that is most relevant to you.
Depending on your location you might be able to speak to an Alum over the phone or online, or meet up with them face-to-face at a coffee shop nearby. We also run a series of small events around the world where you can speak to GVI Alumni, Ambassadors and staff members.
Program Manager
Meet Michele, our brilliant Program Manager in Fiji. She has travelled widely in the US,
Science Program Coordinator
Noah joined GVI in July 2023, bringing extensive experience in conservation research from his work in India since 2018, focusing on dugongs, seagrass, manta rays, and coral reef ...
Science Officer
Meet Taione, our Marine Dive Officer in Fiji. He is passionate about all things conservation, working with communities, and especially our diverse volunteers and experts in this ...
When it comes to support, we ensure that each participant is provided with unparalleled, 360 degree support, from your initial contact with the GVI Family, all the way through your program, and even after, as you become part of the GVI Alumni Team.
As part of this promise, we will ensure, whenever possible, that one of our dedicated staff will be available to meet you at the airport. In most locations, we also set up a Whatsapp group to help with managing airport arrivals.
We will arrange with you prior to your departure that, should you arrive in the agreed upon pick up window, a member of our team or representative will be there to welcome you, easily identifiable in a GVI t-shirt or holding a GVI sign and wearing a friendly smile.
This means there will be someone there to greet you as you land, and from there you will be transported to your GVI base to start your adventure and meet the rest of your team.
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All of our programs have short-, mid- and long-term objectives that align with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs). This enables us to report on our collaborative impact across the world in a streamlined manner, measuring which UN SDGs we are making a substantial contribution to. Furthermore, this will help our local partners and communities measure and visualise their contribution to the UN SDGs.
Prior to your arrival on base, you will be educated about the UN SDGs. Then once you arrive on base, you’ll learn about the specific goals we have in this particular location, our various objectives, and also clarification of how your personal, shorter-term involvement contributes to these.
Our aim is to educate you on local and global issues, so that you continue to be an active global citizen after your program, helping to fulfil our mission of building a global network of people united by their passion to make a difference.
While on a GVI program, you will make an impact by assisting with the conservation of a staggering 1,500 marine species through underwater surveys and data collection, all of which are endemic to this region.
The communities we work with in Dawasamu often do not have access to sufficient resources to carry out regular data collection in their fishing grounds. Access to data provides greater insight into how to address coral reef and fish stock-related problems, which can be hampered by natural disasters and unsustainable fishing practices.
The data collected on our programs is provided to the local community and our local partners along with alternative livelihood methods and management strategies to help stakeholders make informed decisions with regards to their existing marine resources and long-term food security.
Research is shared with local communities to support decision making regarding the management of their marine assets.
The data is also shared with our in-country partner – the Fiji Locally Managed Marine Area (FLMMA) network.
GVI Dawasamu Long-term Objectives:
1. Protection and monitoring: Collect long-term data on the reefs around Dawasamu. Share this data with the communities of Dawasamu and support them in developing a sustainable resource management strategy.
2. Education: Provide the communities of Dawasamu With information about their natural resources – including the threats and means of protection. Support the best-informed decisions when looking after their resources.
3. Livelihood: Support alternative methods of generating income, reducing dependence on damaged fish stocks for income.
4. Dawasamu Environmental Movement (DEM) supports the continued development and training of the DEM and their natural resource management strategy.
5. Waste Management: Conduct regular cleanups of the sea and beaches on and around the Dawasamu district.
The best decisions in international development and conservation cannot be made without accurate and up-to-date data or informed research. Our many field teams around the world collaborate with local and international partners to analyse data and draw conclusions. In addition, many of our participants have used research they have collected on their various GVI projects to complete their Masters, Doctorate, or postdoctoral studies. We also run a fellowship program which connects postdoctoral researchers at globally-respected universities with our many sustainable development programs around the world to support their research and ensure continuous improvement of our best practices on base.
Fiji Times Newspaper
Fiji Times Newspaper
A GVI program is an investment in your career. No matter which you choose, you will be working toward improving your employability by mastering new social skills, gaining further technical expertise and earning qualifications in many cases. Most of our staff are, in fact, GVI Alumni, and we have helped many of our Alumni discover, move toward, and earn their own personal dream jobs. Each program includes introductory workshops, ongoing presentations, as well as on-the-ground professional support provided by our very own trained staff members. In addition, our training programs are critical for helping us to ensure the long-term impact of our sustainable development projects around the world.
Learn about the importance of child and vulnerable adult protection best practices and how to apply them while on project.
Introduction to the history and evolution of sustainable development, the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs) and how these related to your project work.
Learn about our country locations and further opportunities available to you during or after your program.
During your first days on the project, you will participate in several training sessions that emphasise the key teaching skills useful for our education program, including learning through play and lesson planning. You’ll also gain soft skills in communication, collaboration and organisation, and complete an overview of completed project work, items in process, as well as future plans. Lastly, you will learn how our work contributes and longer term sustainable goals, and how they link to the SDGs.
Dawasamu on Education and Community project.
All about the village of Silana, traditions and cultural information.
Overview of GVI and Project work.
Overview of Fiji and its traditions and culture.
During your expedition you will help to enter raw data that you collected into the GVI database where it can be further analysed by our science team. There are 14 sites around Caqalai where we collect data once a year, of which seven will be surveyed for a second time, all at three different depths. Once a year a comprehensive annual report is produced detailing the analysis of the data collected and any conclusions that can be drawn. Data collected on crown of thorn surveys, dives against debris, beach cleans, coral bleaching surveys and The Great Fiji Shark count will be shared with relevant partners.
The baseline method employed by GVI during the underwater surveys was designed to complement existing survey methods used in Fiji by the Department of Fisheries and the Fiji Locally Managed Marine Area (FLMMA) network. GVI uses three separate methods for our marine expedition, Point Intercept Transect (PIT), Invertebrate Belt Transect (IBT) and Underwater Visual Census (UVC), all conducted as a team along one transect.
You will be assigned the responsibility to learn about fish, invertebrates or benthic life forms – based on the length of your stay and depending on the needs of the survey team. The reason for this division of species is to get volunteers into the water collecting data as soon as possible and thereby maximising the effectiveness of the survey team. Short-term interns and volunteers (2-6 weeks) will be trained and allocated the collection of data on Crown of Thorns, coral bleaching and nudibranchs around Caqalai, as well as participating in Dives Against Debris.
The best way for the staff to improve and assess your fish, invertebrate and benthic life form knowledge is to use multiple teaching methods. GVI’s teaching method in Fiji incorporates slideshow presentations, fun workshops (fish bingo anyone?) and most importantly, what we call “point out dives & snorkels.” Once basic dive training is completed at the beginning of the expedition, each diving day you will participate in 1–2 point out dives or snorkels.
Earning a professional diving qualification, such as those offered by The Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), is a necessary step for many aspiring marine biologists. All GVI marine conservation programs include training by certified dive instructors that allows participants to qualify for a range of PADI certifications including PADI Open Water, Advanced Open Water, Divemaster, Instructor, Rescue Diver and Master Scuba Diver Trainer.
The Marine Megafauna (MMF) Distinctive Specialty, unique to GVI, is designed to enhance your diving skills and enable you to contribute effectively to marine megafauna conservation projects. This course educates divers on the correct identification of megafauna species and the importance of their habitats.
Learn more about what is contributing to the decline in the health of the world’s ocean and marine species and what can be done to prevent it. You’ll gain a greater understanding of the field of marine conservation, explore how to protect marine ecosystems and discover how you can contribute towards conservation-related initiatives. After successfully completing the course, which you have the option of doing prior to your in-country program, you’ll receive a certificate from the University of Richmond.
This online course, valued at £295, is included in all volunteering programs. Full course details can be found here.
We won’t sugarcoat it — traveling abroad is usually a complex process that carries an element of risk. But this is exactly why we’re passionate about providing extensive support throughout the process as well as the highest safety standards during the in-country phase. We believe that volunteering abroad should not only be impactful, but an enjoyable experience that carries as little risk as possible. This is exactly how we’ve been able to maintain our reputation as the most highly respected volunteering organisations in the sector over the past two decades.
Make the most of our unique programs with these exclusively curated local adventure and wellness experiences.
