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Diving & Marine Conservation in Thailand for Teenagers

Volunteer and work alongside our staff while you learn to dive and protect marine life

Destination

Thailand

Age

15-18 y/o

Minimum Stay

2 weeks

Start Date

During school holidays

Accommodation

Hotel

Requirements

You should be able to swim at least 200 metres.

Service Hours

What’s Included

24/7 Support

Full supervision from arrival to departure, and 24/7 back up from our global teams.

Accommodation & Amenities

Clean, safe, and welcoming accommodation. A home away from home with comfortable amenities.

Activities, Training & Equipment

All programme activities and scuba equipment, including training and workshops from experienced professionals.

Certification

Dive course qualifications and certified record of service hours, workshops, and activities for your CV.

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Starting at £2,735 for 2 weeks

Flexible 0% Interest payments

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Trip Overview

Contribute to marine conservation

Participate in vital conservation efforts, protecting Thailand’s diverse marine life and ecosystems through beach cleans, coral surveys, and more.

Become a certified diver

Earn your SSI Advanced Adventurer certification and gain the skills and knowledge you need to navigate the underwater world.

Sun and sea beds

Live in a comfortable hotel with authentic cuisine and the chance to soak up the sun on the tropical island of Koh Tao.

Fall in love with a new culture

Immerse in Thai culture and join evening and weekend activities to experience everything it has to offer.

Forge global connections

Connect with teenagers from around the world, share incredible experiences, and create lasting memories from a once-in-a-lifetime trip.

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What you need to know

Overview

This project is perfect if you are looking to do something different during the summer holiday. It will also suit you if you’re interested in pursuing a career in conservation. This project is specifically designed for teenagers, and we have a set itinerary in place and extra staff support available.

You’ll spend your short volunteering trip with passionate conservation staff, who actively protect and help the local environment every day! The best part? You get to tap into their knowledge and experience, using it to learn more about conservation initiatives in Southeast Asia.

You don’t need experience for this project. A willingness to help, learn and explore is all we ask of you! Within a week, you’ll receive your SSI Open Water and SSI Advanced Adventurer qualifications as well as a SSI Peak Performance Buoyancy Specialisation. This will ensure that you can confidently and safely help with underwater conservation work during your second week. Our diving instructors will be with you throughout the training and during each dive.

If you are wanting to gain a significant amount of diving time, then this is the best marine conservation project for you. You will gain advanced diving qualifications, dive twice on almost every day of your trip, and be based in one of the best diving locations in the world.

A Day in the Life

A typical day in Thailand on the conservation project begins around 7 am and ends at 4 pm. Your day is packed with activities that benefit the local environment and the community. You’ll have breakfast with the other volunteers.

You will follow a set schedule for the group trip. It will detail activities for each day.

Mornings are usually spent doing land-based conservation activities such as beach cleanups, microplastic surveys, upcycling workshops, or attending presentations to learn more about different issues and skills.

In the afternoon you will go diving and join reef surveys, remove debris and invasive species such as Drupella Snails, and maintain the artificial reefs. You will usually dive twice per day. It’s common for the dives and workshops during the day to be related to each other.

Lunch and dinner are also provided at the restaurant which offers a large variety of Western and Asian options.

During your free time, you can explore the island to discover new beaches and viewpoints.

Aims & Impact

The aim of this project is to help threatened marine life in the Koh Tao area. By training and educating divers and non-divers about ocean issues, we hope to improve the health of our oceans and coral reefs.

The waters around Koh Tao used to be shark-infested, but the population has reduced dramatically over the decades. The whole ecosystem needs protection and support to protect these apex predators. The Koh Tao region has also suffered multiple coral bleaching events recently. The worst mass bleaching event occurred in 2010, and more events have impacted the reefs since. Tourism, development, and the dropping of anchors have threatened the fragile ecosystems of Koh Tao.

There are a number of ongoing marine conservation missions we are involved with to limit the impact of these threats. The primary focus of the project is the preservation and restoration of coral reefs so that future generations can benefit from these important ecosystems and the marine life around the island stays healthy.

The data you collect during dives is shared with local authorities and global research projects with the aim of improving environmental policies and making a positive change. Practical work to build and maintain reefs has a clear and visible impact. Immediate changes can be made to protect reefs by deploying mooring buoys and preventing anchors from dropping onto the reef.

By doing ocean conservation work abroad in Thailand, you can help support and protect our oceans. Become a marine conservation volunteer today to help make this happen!

Activities

On arrival in Thailand, your adventure as a Diving & Marine Conservation volunteer begins! After your induction, our staff will fit you for your scuba gear, explain our work in the area, and start you on your marine conservation work. Here’s what you’ll get up to:

Diver in sea on Thailand volunteer project

Take part in survey dives with professional divers

A team of diver conservationists on a boat in Thailand

Gain conservation skills and knowledge

A Marine Conservation volunteer maintains the coral reef in Thailand

Plant and maintain coral reefs

Learn to dive

Your dive training takes place in the dive shop’s pool and in the ocean. By the end of your first week in Thailand, you’ll obtain your SSI Open Water, SSI Advanced Adventurer, and SSI Peak Performance Buoyancy certifications! This means you can safely take part in underwater conservation work with the team. You’ll keep learning and developing your skills throughout your time in Thailand.

In the long run, your volunteer work will contribute to helping protect coral reefs in Thailand. These advanced qualifications will also be useful for future conservation work and recreational diving.

Take part in survey dives with professional divers

Survey dives will help monitor the health and biodiversity of the reefs. Data will be important in determining future policies to protect the marine area. You will also use this data during workshops and lessons.

Gain conservation skills and knowledge

The Marine Conservation Project is designed to teach you about coral reefs, their benefits, and the issues they face globally. You’ll join regular workshops and lessons to improve your knowledge and awareness of conservation issues and skills. This will be a part of a wider Citizen Science course where you can experience some of the latest research projects being conducted by marine biologists.

This course includes studying microplastics, water quality, coral health, and new methods of recycling and upcycling. Many of the topics you learn about will link to the dives you conduct that day. For example; you might collect water samples during a dive, and then test the samples at the base in the afternoon.

Plant and maintain coral reefs

The main focus of this project is to help restore vulnerable coral reefs, while also creating new artificial reefs. This involves surveys, construction work, and planting coral fragments onto new nurseries underwater. Existing reefs require extensive maintenance to keep them clean and to reduce the influx of invasive species.

In many places around the world, it is illegal to touch or damage coral. However, the Department of Marine & Coastal Resources has approved special permission for our team to transplant coral around Koh Tao. You’ll be part of this process and will learn the different stages of transplanting, as well as techniques to use ‘corals of opportunity’ to rebuild impacted areas. You’ll assist marine biologists in our research and restoration areas while discovering the many techniques that suit different corals and locations.

Fishing nets and even trash can be found in the most remote locations. During dives, you will remove ropes, nets, glass, aluminium cans, and other items that are suffocating or threatening coral reefs and other marine life. You’ll be taught how to plan scuba dives to remove debris, and the decision-making process to remove only certain items. You’ll also collect data to push for changes in government regulations to reduce debris levels in our oceans.

Join beach clean-ups along the coastline

Litter and trash are harmful to marine life and wildlife in general. With volunteers from around the world, you will walk along Koh Tao’s beaches, collecting and correctly discarding rubbish. Thousands of cigarette butts alone litter Koh Tao’s beaches.

After each beach clean-up, you’ll make notes, and share this data with local officials. This information can then be used for educational purposes, and for long-term conservation plans in the area.

You’ll join workshops to repurpose and mould plastic into new items. Learn new ways to recycle and manage waste.

Map & Location

Famous for the modern marvels of Bangkok, ancient ruins like Ayutthaya, and deliciously spicy cuisine, Thailand is a safe and captivating destination. It is a country of parallels, home to both the largest solid gold Buddha and smallest mammal in the world.

Though most of our projects operate from the paradise island of Koh Tao, Thailand is full of wonder just waiting to be discovered. Glittering temples, lush jungles, and some of the best dive spots in the world — what’s not to love?

Koh Tao

Koh Tao, a small paradise island in the Gulf of Thailand, is a haven for thrill-seekers and beach lovers alike. With stunning natural beauty, a tropical climate, and sunshine year round, it’s a dream destination for any traveller. Though home to just over 2,000 people, the island has all essential amenities.

Most famous for its colourful and expansive coral reefs, making it ideal for diving and snorkelling, the island also has hidden coves, scenic hikes, and and unmatched island lifestyle.

Food & Accommodation

Enjoy the tropical island paradise of Koh Tao in style and comfort, with everything you need to have an enriching experience. This includes a comfortable bed, three meals a day, and fresh drinking water.

You will stay in a beachside hotel with free Wi-Fi within walking distance of your work. You’ll be given a daily allowance to cover your meals, served at a local restaurant. This means you have the chance to enjoy a range of traditional Thai cuisine throughout your stay.

You’ll stay with other Projects Abroad participants in Thailand, resting and relaxing in common areas or on the beach together, sharing your stories and cultural experiences. If you share a room with someone else, we will make sure that they are of the same gender and a similar age.

Your Arrival Made Easy

When you arrive at your respective airport, a member of Projects Abroad staff will be there to meet you. You can find more detailed information on arrival airports, orientation, and visas on our Thailand Arrival Procedures page.