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This unique surf and volunteer project in Porto, Portugal, combines beach life with community impact. Volunteers enjoy world-class surf lessons while helping with inclusive surfing initiatives for children and individuals with disabilities, and supporting the protection of Portugal’s natural coastline through conservation efforts.

As a volunteer, you’ll help deliver community surf sessions that promote wellbeing and self-confidence, and take part in practical environmental work like beach cleanups and recycling initiatives. Whether you’re guiding a beginner into their first wave or helping remove plastic pollution from a protected shoreline, your actions support both people and planet.

Based near the scenic Douro River, this is a perfect opportunity to connect with the ocean, promote inclusion, and live meaningfully in one of Europe’s most welcoming coastal cities.

This unique surf and conservation camp in Lisbon, Portugal, combines adventure with impact. Volunteers ride the waves on beautiful Atlantic beaches while supporting coastal clean ups, recycling efforts, and environmental awareness campaigns that protect marine life and promote sustainable habits.

As a volunteer, you’ll take part in daily surf lessons led by experienced instructors, and contribute to preserving Portugal’s shoreline through hands-on environmental action. Tasks include cleaning beaches and forests, collecting and sorting waste, and engaging the public in eco-conscious initiatives.

Whether you’re a beginner or experienced surfer, this is your chance to connect with the ocean, help reduce pollution, and live purposefully while immersed in Portugal’s beach culture.

Oyster volunteers play a vital role in marine conservation on the stunning island of Alonissos, Greece, located in the heart of the North Sporades in the Aegean Sea. As part of Europe’s largest National Marine Park, volunteers help protect the endangered Mediterranean monk seal and support a rich array of marine life, including dolphins, turtles, and rare bird species. By participating in beach clean-ups, wildlife monitoring, and environmental education, volunteers contribute to preserving Alonissos’s unspoiled natural beauty and biodiversity. Their efforts foster sustainable tourism, empower local communities, and raise awareness about plastic pollution and marine conservation, ensuring this island paradise remains a sanctuary for both wildlife and visitors.
Oyster volunteers contribute to vital marine conservation efforts in Omiš, Croatia, helping to preserve the town’s breathtaking coastline and rich marine biodiversity. By engaging in beach clean-ups and underwater debris removal, volunteers play a key role in maintaining the area’s natural beauty and protecting marine ecosystems. These impactful activities support sustainable tourism, enhance Omiš’s appeal as a travel destination, and promote environmental awareness within the local community, making a positive difference for both nature and the local economy.

Help clean up our oceans and learn to dive – or improve your current skills – on a beautiful beach in Barcelona. Spend your days foraging for plastic waste and old fishing nets, analyse your ‘catch’, and then wave goodbye as it makes it’s way off for recycling. You’ll have plenty of free time to explore this epic city of course, and you won’t be disappointed!

Get off the beaten track to live on a beautiful Costa Rican beach, protecting the turtles that nest and hatch on the golden sands. Live like a local as you make a genuine contribution to marine conservation.

Become a research diver on an exciting volunteer marine conservation project in Thailand. Get involved in daily dives to explore the health of the marine environment just off the stunning island of Koh Phangan. Suitable for new and experienced divers alike, this Thailand Coral Reef Restoration Project allows participants to play in active role in tackling marine decline, all whilst enjoying the wonders of life under the sea.

 

Actively help in the fight against plastics and rubbish clogging up our marine environment. On this project you will be doing daily dives to remove fishing gear, debris and plastics from the ocean around Lisbon. It is an amazing opportunity to make a difference and clean up our world.

South Africa is home to the amazing Marine Big 5 – sharks, whales, dolphin, penguins and seals – and their existence is under threat. Spend your days out on the water observing marine life, all whilst contributing to innovative shark conservation and eco-tourism measures. Help out at a penguin rescue centre and with beach clean ups to improve the damaged marine world. And if that’s not enough, why not tick something off the bucket list and go cage diving with sharks too?

Immerse yourself and your family in traditional Costa Rica, living in a remote village community alongside one of the most stunning stretches of beach that the country has to offer. Join a conservation team working to protect both nesting and hatching turtles off the Pacific Coast, working together to protect this endangered species.
Dates: Early July to mid-December
Suitability: Suggested minimum age of 5

Perfect for school groups of up to 15 participants, this unique experience offers a stay in a stunning beachfront villa on a secluded stretch of Costa Rica’s coastline. Venture off the beaten path to participate in sea turtle conservation efforts, protecting both adult and baby turtles. Patrol the beach at night to observe nesting mother turtles and assist in releasing hundreds of hatchlings into the ocean. Immerse yourself in the local culture and engage with the community, gaining an authentic insight into life in rural Costa Rica while making a positive environmental impact. Ideal for educational trips focused on conservation and eco-tourism. Age 16+

Marine conservation has never been more important. The sea temperature is increasing, coral reefs are dying, fish are ingesting plastics every day, there are irresponsible fishing and diving practices across the world and, by 2050, it is estimated that there will be more plastic in our oceans than fish. But we can make a small change, and we encourage you to do so.

If you are passionate about marine ecology, biology, and sea life, why not consider joining a volunteering project to help the marine world? If you are a passionate diver this can involve diving to remove plastics from the ocean or to conduct important research on the state of the coral reefs. If you prefer to keep your feet on dry land, you can help with turtle conservation or do beach clean ups, and if you like to be on boats, why not help with monitoring sea life?

Marine volunteers help out for durations of 1 – 12 weeks on projects around the world. Some volunteers are on a gap year, others on a summer holiday, and others still are looking for a responsible diving holiday. Career breakers, retirees and students alike are all welcome!

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