Research Assistant Program @ Gili Shark Conservation in Indonesia

I stayed for two weeks with the Gili Shark Conservation Project and I can only recommend to join the program. I learned very much about marine biology and conservation and although I was already a rescue diver with a certain number of dives, I improved my diving a lot. Before I joined the program I had no experience in marine biology. Still, from the beginning of my stay I was given the feeling that what I did was helpful as for the program as for the community. I met many interesting people and everyone was very nice and helpful. The stay at Villa Nangka was great. Besides, Gili Air has a lot to offer. I enjoyed every minute of this great experience!

Indonesia was my first country I have ever travelled to by myself, and the people at the Gili Shark Conservation Program were some of the kindest souls I have ever met. I have wanted to work with sharks since I was 5, and GSC showed me not just the research side of sharks but also how important it is to have the community involved. I wish I stayed longer than 2 weeks so that I could have made a bigger impact on the data collection. 2 weeks is a little too short to get the full experience this program can offer.
Rose was very helpful with anything. I left my phone in a taxi in Bali, got my cards frozen, and ended up getting "Bali belly," and she did everything she could to help me by getting my phone back, helping me with funds until I got my cards unfrozen, and giving me medicines to help with my belly. Truly, everyone who is a part of the program does everything to help others on the team and people on the island.
I highly recommend the Gili Shark Conservation Program. You'll meet amazing, kind people from around the world. You'll gain helpful experience in Elasmobranch research, and you'll feel like you're doing something to help the community of the Gili islands.

My only regret is that I didn’t spend a longer period of time with the gili shark conservation program. With all the certifications you get the value for your money is high, but in two weeks I barely got to collect any data for the program as it was pretty much all certification training, fun dives, and dives against debris. I highly recommend going for at least 3 weeks if you want any real experience with survey dives.

I had a really great time with the shark conservation team here on gili air, normally i was supposed to stay here for 6 weeks but i extended it to 8 weeks. This was because here i was learning so much about the marine environment and ofcourse about sharks. You also get to meet so much interesting people.

I would recommend this program to everyone that is interested in sharks and the marine environment.

I had a great time with the shark team on Gili Air. They made my stay comfortable, fun, and exciting. I loved being able to dive and collect useful data with each team member and hang out with the locals in the evening. Gili Air is a beautiful island that I definitely want to visit again. It's a shame that more isn't being done to protect the surrounding waters of the islands; human impacts can clearly be seen and thus reinforce the urgency needed to get these sharks the protection that they need.
My time on Gili Air was well spent and I will sorely miss all the amazing people that I met.

I wasn’t sure what to expect coming into this program, as it was my first volunteering experience abroad. But I’m glad I applied got to spend two weeks on the beautiful island of Gili Air. The Gili Shark Conversation team is fun, helpful and dedicated. This program helped me gain valuable field based experience in the sphere of marine conservation, and inspired me to spread awareness about the dramatic decline in shark populations worldwide. I also got my Rescue Diver certification which helped me improve my diving skills and made me a more confident diver.
Gili Air is a very safe island with good food and amazing diving( lots of turtles, sharks and rays). Villa Nangka is a great place to stay and the staff is very hospitable. I made some great friends and wish I could stay here longer :)

Before I arrived at the program I did not know what to expect, but being greeted so kindly and happily was a welcomed surprise. The staff both at Villa Nangka and at the program were very helpful, friendly, and overall great people. The program is great and will give any person with an interest in marine biology the tools to succeed in the field and a great experience for future work. This was one of the best experiences of my life, the people were great, the diving was awesome, and the memories unforgettable. If you want to learn more about marine and shark conservation or want to help create an impact in the community, this is the program for you.

During my two week stay on this programme I fell in love with the Gili's, diving, and slightly to my surprise; sharks! I learnt so much about these majestic creatures that my previous neither loving nor hating attitude towards sharks turned into; why aren't we doing more to conserve them?

The staff were full of knowledge, always available to answer questions and up for a laugh and some fun. The dive school was very professional with some great dive masters available for your courses. Accommodation was comfy, clean and beautiful and the food on the island can't be beaten!