from 2,947€

Outstanding 4.9rating (189)

Great Barrier Reef Marine Conservation plus SCUBA

location
1 - 5 weeks  ·  Age 17 - 50+

rating  Outstanding 4.9  · 
  Verified by Volunteer World
  Very high response rate

Highlights

  • Become a trained volunteer marine biologist, surveying and reporting on the health of the Great Barrier Reef through thrilling diving and snorkeling adventures on tropical islands
  • Dive into the incredible underwater world and swim alongside a diverse range of sea life, including fascinating turtles and majestic sharks
  • Take part in marine debris clean-up activities, actively reducing the threats posed to marine life and making a direct positive impact
  • Enhance your diving skills by learning in one of the world's most amazing locations or advancing your certification with an Advanced or Rescue Diver course
  • Connect with like-minded individuals from around the world, sharing your passion for marine conservation and creating lasting friendships

Especially suitable

Age 17+
Singles
Couples
Groups
50+

About the program

Learn to dive while helping protect and conserve the world’s biggest coral reef. 🪸

The Project

What an amazing experience! Learn to Dive in Australia's Great Barrier Reef while combining this with some incredible marine conservation activities and you will feel great for contributing to the world’s largest reef.

Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers has joined prominent scuba diving and ...

About the program

The Project

What an amazing experience! Learn to Dive in Australia's Great Barrier Reef while combining this with some incredible marine conservation activities and you will feel great for contributing to the world’s largest reef.

Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers has joined prominent scuba diving and outer reef operators in Far North Queensland to offer volunteers a unique Marine Conservation program. With a high commitment to environmental protection and sustainability, this diverse dive program falls under the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority’s (GBRMPA) powerful monitoring program ‘Eye on the Reef’ and is designed for volunteers interested in scuba diving, marine conservation and spending time on various parts of the reef.

You begin in Cairns, the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, where you will become a certified scuba diver by completing a 5 Day PADI Open Water Course. If you are already certified, you will complete your Advanced Open Water Course or Rescue Course, then volunteers embark upon the reef completing several dives. Then back to land where you will undergo a day’s training to become a ‘citizen of science’. Armed with your newly found knowledge of the reef and its inhabitants, you will join the ‘Eye on the Reef’ and ‘Marine Debris Initiative’ programs completing rapid monitoring surveys monitoring coral health and beach clean ups. 

After the dive component, volunteers venture to 1 or 2 tropical islands (depending on your length of stay) and are given the opportunity to snorkel their way through coral reefs while conducting surveys and reef health checks. This occurs in the mornings, then the rest of the day is spent enjoying free time. Island facilities include the resort, restaurant, bar, walking trails, glass-bottom boats, kayaking and snorkelling. Alternatively, volunteers can relax with a walk on the beach and enjoy the island reef experience.

For volunteers undertaking an extra week, there are more activities including our marine debris initiative. That’s right! Collecting and sorting through rubbish! Marine debris is a concerning issue in our oceans, with devastating impacts on marine life. Training is provided for all volunteers about the importance of this work and how to undertake data collection and recording of marine debris.

Pre-requisites. The minimum age for this program is 17, however we only run certain dates for 17 year olds.

It is a dive course requirement that participants can swim 200 metres or snorkel 300 metres and tread water/float for 10 minutes.

O2E runs this program for non-certified and certified divers. 

*When booking, please select the right dates for the corresponding dive course as start dates vary. You can find these further down the page. 

The Location

Cairns is a regional city in the far north of Queensland. It is a popular travel destination for foreign and local tourists because of its tropical climate and serves as a central point for people wanting to visit the Great Barrier Reef and Far North Queensland. It is also a major port for exporting sugar cane, gold and other metals, minerals and agricultural products from surrounding coastal areas and the Atherton Tableland region. 

The Great Barrier Reef is the largest living structure on the planet. Stretching 2300 kilometres, this natural icon is so large it can be seen from outer space. It’s known mostly for its colourful reefs, providing a home for a huge number of fish, plants and animals, including turtles and crocodiles who have been around since prehistoric times and have changed little over time. 

A breathtaking collection of marine creatures includes 600 types of soft and hard corals, 1625 types of fish, 133 varieties of sharks and rays, more than 100 species of jellyfish, 3000 varieties of molluscs, 500 species of worms, and more than 30 species of whales and dolphins. The reef is full of a unique range of ecological communities, habitats and species, all of which make it one of the most complex and intricate natural ecosystems in the world. 

Our Volunteers

Volunteers travel from all over the world to participate in this project due to the highly unique opportunity to conduct ‘citizen science’ activities alongside the local people as they support the effort to conserve the Great barrier reef. You make a difference to this project by contributing to its long-term protection by collecting valuable information about reef health, marine animals and incidents and providing this essential data to the ‘Eye on the Reef’ program. The program’s success depends highly on the monitoring and data collected by marine biologists, marine park rangers, fishermen, reef tour operators, tourists, volunteers and other reef users, and this is your opportunity to join in the effort. The information is compiled in a single data management and reporting system, providing managers and researchers of the Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority (GBRMPA) with up-to-date information on reef health status and trends, the distribution of protected and iconic species, and early warnings of environmental impacts. The assessment looks at the marine environment and the adjacent coastal zone, examining how natural and heritage values can be protected into the future. 

Conditions Onsite

The accommodation is shared between a Cairns hostel and liveaboards on the reef. The liveaboard accommodation is in shared cabins.

In Cairns, volunteers stay in sex-segregated dorm rooms at a leading international hostel in Cairns.

Training is loads of fun and involves learning or mastering diving skills, learning how to calculate percentages underwater, identify different fish species/Manta Rays and small Reef Sharks underwater, identifying impacts on the coral reef and following instructions underwater, collecting, sorted and categorising marine debris and learning about the challenges the Great Barrier Reef faces.

It’s important to remember that scuba diving poses unique challenges. Common conditions include ear and sinus injuries or a sting or bite from venomous marine life. In addition, serious conditions can occur, such as decompression illness (Pulmonary Embolism) which can occur due to an expansion of gasses with rapid ascent, Oxygen Toxicity which is only a problem for deep divers who go below 135 feet, Nitrogen Narcosis which is the effect of extra nitrogen in the body and malfunctioning equipment.

Volunteers must ensure they are physically fit, are able to learn how to scuba dive, can swim and float, take direction and work within a team.

What’s Included

  • Pre-departure support
  • Project Information Booklet
  • Project orientation
  • Training
  • Field equipment and materials
  • Hostel accommodation in Cairns in a dorm (room upgrades available)
  • Accommodation on the Reef
  • Most meals
  • 5-day PADI Open Water Dive course OR Advanced Open Water Dive course OR Rescue Diver course
  • 3 day/ 2 night liveaboard on the Great Barrier Reef
  • Multiple dives on the Great Barrier Reef
  • 2 day trips to a tropical island
  • O2E t-shirt
  • 24-hour in-country support
  • 24-hour O2E emergency phone
  • Certificate of Participation, if requested 

What’s Not Included

  • Flights
  • Travel insurance
  • Personal spending
  • Visas
  • Dive medical costs (if required)
  • Optional activities

Please Note:

Pricing changes depending upon which dive course volunteers undertake.

$3070 Marine Conservation with Open Water Dive Certificate

$2970 Marine Conservation with Advanced Water Dive Certificate

$3120 Marine Conservation with Rescue Dive Certificate

$2460 For Certified divers, Marine Conservation with 2 night liveaboard

$1500 Extra week of marine conservation volunteering

*When booking, please advise which dive course you are interested in so we can ensure you receive the correct price. The start dates will vary.

The second installment of your project fees is due after you paid the deposit on Volunteer World. This is a total of $495 AUD and comes off your balance. The balance is due 90 days prior to travel. So if you book within 90 days you will be required to pay in full upon booking confirmation. For all further information about the fees, please scroll down to the section "Program Fees."



Typical day

After completing the ‘Liveaboard’ dive course (Open Water, Advanced Open Water or Rescue Diver Course), volunteers use their skills as snorkelers to conduct a variety of marine conservation activities.  

For 2 days volunteers are transported to a tropical island where they spend the morning ...

Typical day

After completing the ‘Liveaboard’ dive course (Open Water, Advanced Open Water or Rescue Diver Course), volunteers use their skills as snorkelers to conduct a variety of marine conservation activities.  

For 2 days volunteers are transported to a tropical island where they spend the morning making their contribution to the Great Barrier Reef. The rest of the day is spent enjoying some free time. Island facilities include a resort, restaurant, bar, walking trails, glass bottom tours, kayaking and snorkelling. Alternatively, volunteers can relax with a swim, snorkel, sleep on the beach or sun lounge and really enjoy the island reef experience.

For those staying on, a further 2 days is spent reef monitoring on a different island on the reef and a day is spent completing our marine debris initiative. That’s right! Collecting and sorting through rubbish! Marine debris is a concerning issue in our oceans, with devastating impacts on marine life. Training is provided for all volunteers about the importance of this work and how to undertake data collection and recording of marine debris.


Free-time activities

There is plenty to do in this vibrant part of Australia so take some time out before or after your placement to explore some of the surrounding areas.

Cairns and the surrounding areas have it - dive sites, Fitzroy Island National Park, off road driving, ballooning, canoeing, cruising, scuba-diving, ...

Free-time activities

There is plenty to do in this vibrant part of Australia so take some time out before or after your placement to explore some of the surrounding areas.

Cairns and the surrounding areas have it - dive sites, Fitzroy Island National Park, off road driving, ballooning, canoeing, cruising, scuba-diving, kayaking, sailing, scenic flights, shopping, skydiving, snorkelling, swimming, bush walking, rock climbing, wildlife spotting, markets, hot springs, beaches, lakes/rivers/dams, nightlife/clubs/pubs/casinos, roadside stalls, cellar doors, scenic railway, canopy walk, tea plantation, coffee plantation, wineries, sky high cable car, lava tubes, kayaking, spas and galleries.

Cairns is the best place to soak up the tropical lifestyle. Swim at the Esplanade lagoon, sample local produce at a farmer's market, enjoy free entertainment, shop for a summer wardrobe, visit some caves, National Parks or Falls, or cruise around the marina and check out the night markets. Take a cool dip at a secluded freshwater swimming hole, jump on a bike for a sightseeing tour along the city's network of cycle paths or experience the unique rainforest.

After dark choose a lively bar for drinks, taste local seafood at an award-winning restaurant, party on a dance floor, discover treasures at the markets or watch a local cultural show.

This compact city is easy to get around and has the reef, rainforest and outback on its doorstep. With the Cairns International and Domestic airports only 10 minutes from the Central Business District, Cairns is the ideal entry point for a Tropical North Queensland adventure.


Requirements

Requirements

Minimum Age: 17 years

In order to join the program you need to be at least 17 years old on the program start date.

Language Skills

You need to speak English (fluently)

Required Documents

Proof of travel Insurance docs

Nationality Restrictions

No restrictions. Helping hands from all over the world are welcome.

Other Skills

Volunteers must be able to swim and float.

Time Commitment

Your helping hand will be required on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday from 07:30 - 16:00

What's Included

What's Included

Services by Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers

All project fees are payable in Australian Dollars (AUD).

Prices include 10% Australian Goods & Services Tax (GST).

What's included in this project?
  • Pre-departure support
  • Project Information Booklet
  • Project orientation
  • Training
  • Field equipment and materials
  • Hostel accommodation in Cairns in a dorm (room upgrades available)
  • Accommodation on the Reef
  • Most meals
  • 5-day PADI Open Water Dive course OR Advanced Open Water Dive course OR Rescue Dive course
  • 3 day/ 2 night liveaboard on the Great Barrier Reef
  • Multiple dives on the Great Barrier Reef
  • 2 day trips to a tropical island
  • O2E t-shirt
  • 24-hour in-country support
  • 24-hour O2E emergency phone
  • Certificate of Participation, if requested
What's not included in this project?
  • Flights
  • Travel insurance
  • Reef taxes and levies 
  • Night time and weekend meals
  • Personal spending
  • Visas
  • Dive medical costs (if required)
  • Optional activities

Accommodation

The accommodation is split between Cairns and a boat on the reef. While on the mainland, the accommodation is located at the YHA Central Cairns Hostel (or equivalent if not available). 

  • This is a dormitory-style hostel in central Cairns, located in close proximity to a range of cafes, restaurants, the mall, the esplanade and tourism operators. 
  • You can expect to share a room with 1-6 others of the same gender (please note that you can be accommodated with both O2E volunteers and non-volunteers). 

Note at peak times, volunteers may be placed in a mixed dorm. Volunteers who identify as they or non-binary will be placed in a mixed dorm unless a request is made by a volunteer for another room type. Volunteer who are 17 must stay in a single room and pay a single room supplement. 

Accommodation upgrades to private rooms or smaller rooms including twin and double share rooms are available at an additional cost, as well as extra nights of accommodation before or after your program. It is best to arrange accommodation upgrades or extensions with the local team at least 4 weeks prior to your program start date. Please note that these upgrades are subject to availability.

Food & Beverages

Some meals are included. On the mainland, healthy lunch varieties are provided Monday to Friday with vegan and vegetarian catered for. Breakfasts and dinners are the responsibility of the participants, however there are supermarkets and many great eateries in Cairns as well as a communal kitchen for those volunteers that would like to shop for groceries and cook their own meals.

Meals on the Liveaboard are provided.

Internet Access

Good access at the project site

What's NOT included?

What's NOT included?

Airport Pickup at Cairns Airport

An airport pickup isn't included within the program fees either.

Flight Tickets

The nearest airport is Cairns Airport (CNS) in Cairns. We assist you to find cheap flights to Australia. FIND CHEAP FLIGHTS

Travel Insurance

Going abroad is an adventure and it is always best to be prepared. Sudden illness or injury, cancellation or theft - a travel insurance for Australia provides security and is a plus to have. GET A QUOTE

Vaccines

If you are intending to volunteer in Australia you should seek medical advice before starting your social journey. Check your required vaccinations for Australia. VACCINE CHECKER

Details on arrival

Please Note:

Pricing changes depending upon which dive course volunteers undertake.

$3070 Marine Conservation with Open Water Dive Certificate

$2970 Marine Conservation with Advanced Water Dive Certificate

$3120 Marine Conservation with Rescue Dive Certificate

$2460 For Certified divers, Marine Conservation with 2 night liveaboard

$1500 Extra week of marine conservation volunteering


The programs run most months of every year. Please contact us for start dates further out than these.

Start dates for the full non-certified Open Water Dive Certificate: 

1/01/24 to 13/01/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

28/01/24 to 10/02/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

25/02/24 to 9/03/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

28/04/24 to 11/05/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

26/05/24 to 8/06/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

23/06/24 to 6/07/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

25/08/24 to 7/09/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

29/09/24 to 12/10/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

27/10/24 to 9/11/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

24/11/24 to 7/12/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

 

2025 Dates

5/1/25 to 18/01/25 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)


Start dates for the Advanced Open Water Dive Certificate:  

2/01/24 to 13/01/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

30/01/24 to 10/02/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

27/02/24 to 9/03/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

30/04/24 to 11/05/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

28/05/24 to 8/06/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

28/06/24 to 6/07/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

27/08/24 to 7/09/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

1/10/24 to 12/10/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

29/10/24 to 9/11/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

26/11/24 to 7/12/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

 

2025 Dates

7/01/25 to 18/01/25 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)


Start dates for the Rescue Diver Certificate:  

7/1/24 to 13/01/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

4/2/24 to 10/02/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

3/3/24 to 9/03/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

5/5/24 to 11/05/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

2/6/24 to 8/06/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

30/6/24 to 6/07/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

1/9/24 to 7/09/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

6/10/24 to 12/10/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

3/11/24 to 9/11/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

1/12/24 to 7/12/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

 

2025 Dates:

12/1/25 to 18/01/25 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

 

Start dates for the Certified Diver liveaboard:  

2/01/24 to 13/01/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

30/01/24 to 10/02/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

27/02/24 to 9/03/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

30/04/24 to 11/05/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

28/05/24 to 8/06/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

28/06/24 to 6/07/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

27/08/24 to 7/09/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

1/10/24 to 12/10/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

29/10/24 to 9/11/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

26/11/24 to 7/12/24 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)

 

2025 Dates

7/01/25 to 18/01/25 (stay 1-3 extra weeks)


There will be some free days throughout the program to give the volunteers time to rest after  activities. 

To get there, fly or take a train or bus to Cairns, Australia.

Availability
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Program fees

1 week 3 days (min. stay) 2,947€
1 week 4 days 2,995€
5 weeks 6 days (max. stay) 7,267€
Average fees 1,651€/week

Program fees

1,651€ per week 1 - 5 weeks Age 17 - 50+

Payment methods

Visa Master Card Maestro American Express PayPal

NO CREDIT CARD FEES


Duration

1 - 5 weeks

Deposit

The deposit is simply to reserve your volunteer placement. Payments are handled by PayPal, our trusted global payment provider. If you don't have a PayPal account, you can also pay using a credit card.


Final Payment

Your final payment will be agreed with Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers during the application process. Common solutions are either via bank transfer or a cash payment at the project site.


Meet your organization

Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers

Outstanding 4.9 rating (189 reviews)

Non-profit - founded in 2011

Verified by Volunteer World

  Very high response rate

Coordinated by

Tracy

Spoken languages: English

About the project

Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers is a non-profit organisation that was founded for the purpose of providing resources and financial assistance to animal welfare and conservation

Meet your organization

The O2E Founders are animal lovers and committed volunteers. They founded and established the organisation in Melbourne, Australia, having seen firsthand that volunteer recruitment agencies were not always aware if the projects they supported had the best interests of animals and environment in mind. Instead, unethical and harmful behaviour including elephant riding, unsustainable tree nursery projects and the consumption of scarce community resources by the presence of volunteers were often the result. Local wildlife communities and the animals’ environments were also clearly disadvantaged. For this reason, we created our Oceans 2 Earth Ethical Standards and the Wildlife Code and measure all potential projects by these policies prior to partnering with them.

Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers offers volunteering and adventure travel experiences for ethically minded animal and conservation lovers looking for the trip of a lifetime.

In creating Oceans 2 Earth Volunteers, the O2E founders challenge and engage individuals to contribute to meaningful animal welfare and conservation projects. As wildlife carers and avid animal welfare and rights campaigners, they uphold a vision to promote ethical volunteering as an advisable travel alternative.

We believe the way to solve the issues of animal mistreatment and environmental destruction and degradation is to provide people with the opportunity to contribute and interact so that they may develop their own personal culture of responsibility and global conservation. People exposed first hand to challenging bio diverse environmental issues are more likely to draw on those experiences and continue to make a positive impact once they arrive home. 

Oceans 2 Earth recognise that individuals really can make a difference. However small the work effort is from one person, if you combine the actions of many people as a whole, the result can become quite significant. By bringing like-minded and ethically conscious animal lovers together, Oceans 2 Earth believe that there is no limit to what we can achieve. 

Our Mission

Promote environmental sustainability and to be accountable for our impact on the environment.

Take action and find solutions to improve the natural, bio-diverse way of life for all. Promote the ethical treatment and natural living ecology of all animals.

Expose and educate volunteers to the plight of animals ill-affected by conflict or interaction with man, encouraging them to take action and find solutions to these global issues. 

189 reviews · rating4.9

The marine conservation program was one of the most transformational experiences of my life and inspired me to keep advocating for the health of our blue planet. The crew of Passions of Paradise were knowledgeable and made us feel like family in Australia! I'll never forget my time there. I highly ...
Ida Stilbo rating5

2024 at Aussie Wildlife Homestay

I had the best time staying with Peter and Caroline! In my 3 weeks stay I got to experience the Aussie Wildlife on close hand. I spend lots of time with the roos and wombats both feeding, playing and cuddling. There are also plenty of other animals to talk to during the day. The rooms and house were ...
Susanne Everding rating4.4

2023 at Forest Elephant Sanctuary

The best animal welfare project I have ever experienced - everything was just great! Highly recommended!! The founder LEK is an incredible woman who achieved unbelievable changes for ...
Spent my best time in Australia so far. It’s been such a pleasure to know and work with a group of amazing people. Great shout out to Helen, Tim and all the other volunteers. This is the perfect experience where you get to know Great Barrier Reef from a different perspective while doing ...
It is such a unique and an amazing experience. I’ve met so many wonderful people and learnt so much about the Great Barrier Reef while volunteering for a great cause! Highly recommend and would like to do it again. Thank you ...
kate minchin rating5

2023 at Forest Elephant Sanctuary

I ventured by myself on this trip and found it very rewarding. I was part of a group of 20 people where we worked together on many various tasks from carting watermelons, to cutting bananas or grass to visiting a school for the day. We had lots of time to also explore the park or walk a dog or ...

Location


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English

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