Are you a diver who wants every dive to count? The Marine Research Diving Internship at Juara Turtle Project (JTP) turns recreational divers into conservation research divers. You will learn how scientists use diving to monitor, protect and restore coral reefs, then apply those skills on Tioman Island's reefs for the rest of your stay.

Week 1: JTP Research Diver course
Your internship starts with JTP's own one-week course: 5 training dives (3 from the shore and 2 by boat) and about 5 hours of short, practical classroom sessions. You will learn buoyancy and trim for working around sensitive reefs, survey methods such as transects and timed swims, fish and coral identification, recording data on slates, reef threats, and what happens to data after the dive.

Weeks 2 onwards: research diving in the field
As a trained research diver you join JTP's regular reef work:

• underwater surveys of reef fish, corals and reef health
• coral restoration, including nursery maintenance and coral planting on restoration blocks made from recycled glass
• underwater clean-ups and ghost net assessments
• entering, checking and managing survey data

Your responsibility grows as your skills develop, and the data you collect feeds JTP's long-term reef monitoring.

Sea turtle conservation
Out of the water, you are part of JTP's turtle team. From March to October you join night beach patrols, record turtle data and photo-ID, monitor nests in the hatchery, excavate hatched nests and support natural hatchling releases. In 2025 JTP protected 211 nests and released 16,217 hatchlings.

Community and education
You will also help run conservation tours for visitors, support school and outreach activities, and join the village recycling and beach clean-up programmes.

About Juara Turtle Project
JTP has protected green and critically endangered hawksbill turtles in Juara Bay since 2001, and has run reef monitoring and restoration since 2017. Interns are supervised by JTP's conservation staff and work alongside volunteers and interns from around the world.

Academic credit
Interns can bring assignments from their university, or we can suggest a project to suit your level and field. Every intern receives a JTP certificate and a reference on completion.

Not yet Advanced Open Water?
You need PADI Open Water and Advanced Open Water (or equivalent) to start the internship. If you don't have them yet, you can complete both on the island with our partner dive centre before your internship begins. Send us a message through Volunteer World before booking and we will plan your dates with you.