Category: Volunteer Expeditions

Our award-winning expeditions offer international volunteers the opportunity to contribute to our marine research and conservation work at our remote dive camps in Madagascar and Belize.

Building capacity and strengthening networks – a participatory approach to invasive species management in Belize

The Pivot I can clearly remember waking up at the crack of dawn to the view of a breathtaking sunrise and the voices of eager volunteers who couldn’t wait to gear up. The savory aroma from the kitchen lingered like...

/ Sep 29, 2021

How to reduce the environmental impact of your travels

Former Blue Ventures Field Scientist Rachel Knowles talks us through ways prospective volunteers can minimise environmental impact whilst on a Blue Ventures expedition in Madagascar

/ Dec 20, 2019

Why I keep coming back to BV

Roger Vaughan has been volunteering with us for over a decade, and says a Blue Ventures expedition is an adventure like no other

/ Oct 23, 2019

An unforgettable medical elective

Nick spent four weeks in Timor-Leste diving the most biodiverse reefs in the world and helping his fellow volunteers stay in good health

/ Aug 28, 2019

Witnessing the unknown: coral spawning in Timor-Leste

Our Timor-Leste volunteers stumble upon one of nature’s most mysterious reproductive events.

/ Apr 25, 2019
alex-and-the-sun

Becoming a Divemaster

Marine conservation volunteer Aleksander Gakovic shares the personal journey of his time in Timor-Leste.

/ Feb 28, 2019

Amos and Mima: the journey to Divemaster

Blue Ventures’ Dive and Science Assistants in Timor-Leste have achieved PADI Divemaster certification and are now inspiring locally led conservation efforts in their communities.

/ Jan 30, 2019

Caribbean career break

IT professional Mark Jones decided that he needed to take a break from his day to day and do something completely different for a couple of months...

/ Nov 30, 2018
Spider tortoise (Pyxis arachnoides) | Photo: Joe Sharman

Spider tortoise spotting: monitoring one of Madagascar’s endemic species

Madagascar volunteer Ieva Kazakeviciute recounts her experience monitoring the critically endangered spider tortoise.

/ Jul 26, 2018

Fiar-an, La’o ba oin: the women of Ataúro Homestay Association are moving forward

A learning exchange with Agora Food Studio has led to a greater confidence and engagement in cooking for Ataúro Island’s homestay hosts.

/ Jun 28, 2018

Contributing to conservation in Timor-Leste: a day-in-the-life of one volunteer

Thinking of volunteering in Timor-Leste, but don't know what to expect? Recent volunteer Martin Cloix dives into the details of a day on Ataúro Island.

/ May 11, 2018

The power of education

Rosemary Hartley didn’t expect her Blue Ventures expedition to have such a focus on education, but found it to be one of the most rewarding aspects of her Madagascar experience.

/ Apr 19, 2018

Welcome visitors! Families on Ataúro pioneer the island’s first homestay association

Homestays offer a unique cultural experience that is long-remembered by visitors, and that would be impossible to replicate in a hotel or guesthouse.

/ Mar 23, 2018

Taming the lionfish: celebrating the contribution of our volunteers in Belize

At the European Coral Reef Symposium in Oxford in December 2017, we shared positive lessons learnt on the benefits that volunteers can bring to marine conservation, using our efforts to address Belize’s lionfish invasion as a case study.

/ Mar 14, 2018