Volunteering Mauritius: underwater image of a coral reef off the Mauritian coast

Volunteer Abroad Marine Conser­va­tion

Volunteer in international marine conservation projects and help to protect our oceans and marine life

Volunteering in marine conservation

Volunteer in marine conservation, gain knowledge of marine biology and join an international team dedicated to the conservation of our oceans and the protection of marine species.

As a volunteer in our marine conservation projects, you will have the opportunity to actively support the conservation and protection of marine species and ecosystems, gain valuable knowledge in marine biology and spend an enriching stay abroad with people from all over the world.

Contributing to marine protection through volunteering

Pollution, overfishing and climate change – the balance of marine ecosystems is seriously threatened by these factors. As a volunteer in marine conservation, you can make an active contribution to maintaining the delicate balance and thus help protect fascinating species sustainably.

Depending on the project, marine conservation volunteering may include regular diving, sampling and marine health research, data recording, water and beach clean-ups, or patrolling specific areas – usually in cooperation with an international team of volunteers and experienced marine biologists and conservationists.

During your time as a marine conservation volunteer, you will not only help courageously to protect our oceans, but you will also dive into the landscape and culture of new countries and meet people from all over the world. In this way you will not only sharpen your knowledge of marine biology, but also your intercultural skills.

Conservation volunteer performing unterwater tasks off the coast of Mauritius

Volunteering marine conservation – from Europe to South East Asia

Would you like to become actively involved in marine conservation projects as a volunteer and possibly complete a full gap year in marine biology and conservation? Your opportunities as a marine conservation volunteer are diverse and internationally broad. From Europe to Africa and Southeast Asia – your help in researching and conserving marine ecosystems is needed in numerous countries around the world. As it often involves special, expensive equipment and long journeys, volunteering in marine conservation is rarely inexpensive but nevertheless an enriching experience for anyone who wants to actively contribute to the health of our oceans.

Keyvisual

Highlights of your volunteer work in marine conser­va­tion:

Volunteer in Europe, Southeast Asia, Africa or Central America
Actively contribute to the protec­tion of marine animals and the health of the oceans
Immerse yourself in fasci­nating landscapes and new cultures
Gather new knowledge in marine biology

Adventures to get you dreaming

Marine conservation volunteering with Natucate

As a Natucate volunteer you can support various organisations that are committed to the protection and exploration of our seas. The volunteer projects we offer can be visited by people with a busy schedule as well as by long-term travellers, for example during a sabbatical or gap year.

Marine conservation volunteering in Costa Rica

As a volunteer in our species conservation project in Costa Rica you can actively contribute to researching and protecting endangered sea turtles on the Caribbean coast of the country. Together with other volunteers from all over the world, you will patrol certain parts of the beach to locate and guard sea turtle nests and provide a safe route for the hatching young turtles into the ocean. You will also collect data, clean up the coastline and carry out various renaturation activities to support the recovery and preservation of the animals’ natural habitat.

Volunteering Costa Rica: young sea turtle at the beach crawling into the ocean
Volunteering Costa Rica: conservation volunteer measures a young sea turtle
Volunteers in Spain getting prepared for a dive to perform conservation tasks underwater
Volunteering Spain: volunteer and teamleader examining a natural area near Valencia

Marine conservation volunteering in Spain

Volunteering in marine conservation in Europe: As a volunteer in Spain you can work in the picturesque València region to protect and conserve marine and coastal ecosystems. Volunteers based in the city of València will focus on the coast in Albufera National Park, by preserving the dune landscapes and beaches as well as the turtle protection. Volunteers in the small coastal town of Dénia, on the other hand, focus on the protection of marine ecosystems. Tasks include whale, dolphin and seabird watching, data collection on coastal flora and fauna and marine ecosystems, coastal and marine ecosystem restoration, wetland conservation and turtle protection. Snorkelling and diving are regular components of your voluntary work in Spain.

Marine conservation volunteering in Mauritius

As a volunteer you can also contribute to marine conservation in Africa. One possible destination: the idyllic island state of Mauritius, located in the southwest of the Indian Ocean about 1800 km east of the African continent. In addition to various onshore species conservation activities, the protection of marine areas is also a major focus of this project, unfolding its work in the beautiful nature reserve of Kestrel Valley. Volunteers support, among other things, the monitoring of endangered turtles and the breeding of corals to restore the local coral reefs.

Conservation volunteers in Mauritius working in a coral reef
View over the beach of Cousin Island, an island of the Seychelles
Volunteering Seychelles: Sea turtle on North Island on ist way into the ocean

Marine conservation volunteering in the Seychelles

Another destination for volunteering in Africa are the beautiful Seychelles. On both North Island and Cousin Island, volunteers can become active in protecting endangered species and sensitive natural areas. Until the 1970s, large-scale coconut cultivation led to serious damage to the nature of the island nation and thus to the loss of native species. As part of one of the projects that were set up as a result, you will support various renaturation projects as a volunteer and dedicate yourself to the protection of sea and land turtles threatened with extinction by observing and controlling populations. In this way, you will not only make an active contribution to the protection of species and the preservation of marine habitats, but you will also be able to dive deep into the species-rich natural paradise of the Seychelles.

Marine conservation volunteering in the Philippines

As a volunteer in the Philippines you will be stationed on Panaon Island in Southern Leyte where you will actively participate in the protection of local coral reefs and their inhabitants by collecting essential data. On regular dives you will experience the fascinating underwater world of South East Asia. You will bring your diving licence with you or you will acquire it on site, right before the project starts.

Volunteers diving off the coast of the Philippines to perform conservation tasks
Volunteering Philippines: macro image of a fascinating sea creature in the ocean

Contribute to marine conservation as a volunteer in Europe, Southeast Asia, Africa or Central America, immerse yourself in picturesque underwater worlds with fascinating marine animals and acquire professional and intercultural know-how together with an international team.

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Conscious Travel with Natucate

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