Marine conservation vacations

These vacations take many forms. Some lean more into observation and research – data is often shared with conservation organisations and scientific projects – and others are more hands-on. Where you’ll be based is another differentiator. You may spend a week or two living mostly aboard a boat, such as on a whale shark research programme in the Maldives, moving between islands, and snorkelling alongside these gentle, graceful giants.

Other marine conservation tours are land-based. If you are working on a turtle project then you may stick to the sands, protecting nests and counting hatchlings. Some trips see you staying in hotels but spending most of your time in the water. Lionfish-spearing vacations, or studying sharks and manta rays, require a PADI qualification as they involve regular scuba diving. In some places, if you don’t have the qualification before you arrive, we can help you to get it.

One of the biggest reasons to recommend our marine conservation vacations, in addition to the fact you’ll be doing meaningful work on genuine, important projects, is that happily they take place in some of the world’s most beautiful locations. Think cruising around idyllic atolls in the Maldives or strolling down to a golden beach on a Greek island every day, clipboard in hand ready to itemise some eggs.

In Thailand or Belize, you can reward your efforts with time on the beach afterwards. If you’re working on the South African coast, then you might add on a safari afterwards. And in Costa Rica, a week of working with turtles and other marine wildlife might be rewarded with some rainforest trekking, ziplining or a stay at an ecolodge.