GVI, Ethical Impact: Marine Conservation Volunteering

I absolutely loved being part of the Marine Conservation volunteering program at gvi Phan nga this year!
I was truly impressed by the excellent organisation : GVI has closely supported me since the very beginning helping me making my initial choice up to the departure and after the end of then programme .
Overall, I found the gvi team really helpful, welcoming, and most of all , truly passionate about their work with local communities. During my time in Thailand, I was also impressed with their professionalism: all volunteers were closely protected and looked after at all times.
What made my trip so enjoyable was also probably the great variety of activities offered which allowed us to make an impact on the local community through effective projects work whilst also experiencing the local culture .Thanks to the program, I also had the opportunity to further explore my passion for animals and biology and understand more about what I want to study In the future. I can now definitely say that I have grown as a result of this experience. Not only have I learnt a lot about myself but also from the incredible people around me; being surrounded by volunteers of different nationalities , passionate staff members and welcoming local people truly opened my mind and inspired me to always aim to grow further as person.

Wow! I had always expected great things from traveling to Fiji, but this GVI experience exceeded all expectations. The living conditions were basic, but for the remoteness of the island they were satisfactory and all added to the experience. Days were filled with activities both in and out of water, being in the water at least twice a day keeping one very busy and allowing many interactions with the marine life. Opportunities to go and teach in schools as well as do community work were also present for those who wanted to experience further the Fijian culture. Having a strong sense of community both with fellow vols, staff and villages in the three months I was there truly made Caqalai my second home, along with it’s beautiful scenery and tranquil environment. I could not recommend GVI Caqalai highly enough to anyone else thinking of going, my best advice would be to take the leap there and get stuck in, enjoy every moment because before you know it you’re leaving the island for the last time.

The GVI Fiji Marine Conservation Expedition was such an amazing experience! I really enjoyed the projects we conducted while I was there! The GVI staff were very friendly and helpful when required! They were friendly, approachable and respectful. Not only were the staff amazing, but so were the volunteers! I met so many people from around the world and I learnt so much from them! Spending four weeks on a tiny island, really makes you grow strong connections quickly, and everyone becomes like family! I gained so many experiences and skills from this program and would recommend it to everyone! The accommodation was a little more basic then I was used to, but it all added to the experience! Would strongly recommend this program to everyone and would suggest doing more than 4 weeks (as my 4 weeks went way too quickly)!

My experience with gvi was the best in my life I was sad to leave. The staff where so friendly and I made many friends. I loved diving that I carry it on so I be qualified enough to do it as a career. Am at dive master level. I loved surveying fish I even got the book I learnt the fish from. From my experience it's made me want to go to uni and start studying ecology and conservation so I am able to go back with qualifications to work for gvi or in Fiji. I want to carry on making a difference. I settled in so easily and loved the way life was over there. I loved surveying the fish and being in a completely new environment it's like a new world under the ocean and am happy I've taken apart in trying to conserve what we have. I made good friendships and I worked very hard in the island always trying to do more to help the community. I had lots of help and support from the staff they are the friendliest people you will ever meet and also very passionate. I hope I can go back and work for them to do my bit. I was never nervous about being away so far away I loved it. I just embrassed everything and went with an open mind.

After spending 3 months on Caqalai, I honestly don't know where to begin aside from saying the whole experience was unbelievable. Being able to wake up every morning to a beautiful sunrise on the beach and knowing that each day would mean another chance for me to make an impact on this world brought a sense of fulfilment I had never experienced before in my life. Even the training and tests were made incredible from the sheer patience and support from the knowledgeable staff, which even as a new diver made me feel confident and safe even when I was out of my comfort zone.

I got to see first hand how caring they were when my mother, who was a poor swimmer and very nervous to dive, was met with nothing but kindness. They were beyond flexible with their teaching methods, and would go so far as to taking their own free time to help her learn and feel comfortable even being in the water. All that effort truly helped make my Mom the confident AOW diver that she is today, and just goes to show how accommodating and willing to help the staff was no matter what the problem.

My favourite memory is hard to choose from. Even post-program I find myself scrolling through the hundreds of videos and photos I took while volunteering, and just reminiscing in the sheer joy I felt while living out those moments. Every dive made me feel like I had a purpose. We got to meet the community first hand and see the differences we made in their lives by collecting this research. It was beyond gratifying seeing how thankful and appreciative the community of Moturiki was to have us, and they never failed to welcome us into their homes. I truly felt that I was apart of something much bigger, and most importantly, apart of their family.

Some useful tips would be to really come with an open mind. The conditions are harsh, and the activities are physically demanding. But if you stay open to being put way out of your comfort zone and opening yourself up to growth and failure, you can meet some of the best people that you will ever know in your life, and have experiences you would have never imagined possible.

Who knows, you just might find yourself also dancing with your friends in the moonlight, while the bioluminescent plankton at your feet lights up the water like stars.

I had no idea what I wanted to do after college. I had graduated with a business management degree but it felt like something was missing. I felt like I could get more out of life and I wanted to see what else was out there. I randomly stumbled upon GVI's Diving and Marine Conservation program online and took a leap of faith by hitting the apply button. To date, it is the greatest experience I have ever had. I got dive and snorkel each day in one of the most beautiful reefs in the world, educate local children and explore neighboring Fijian islands. I learned about marine life and ways to protect and conserve them. I learned that my heart belonged in the water, improved my diving skills and gained an immeasurable amount of confidence. My month volunteering in Fiji was good, that I signed up for a second home after being home for a while! I couldn't have traded my experience with GVI in Fiji for the world.

Coming out of college, I had no idea what I wanted to do. To kill some time between graduation and the real world, I found GVi’s Diving and Marine Conservation program in Fiji. Being in Iowa and having the closer ocean be a 24 hour car ride away, I was thrilled that there was a program that would connect me to the ocean. Joining this volunteer program was the best decision I’ve ever made. I learned so much about the ocean and it’s inhabitants, I met wonderful people from all over the world, and I truly felt like my work made a difference. I also developed a passion for conservation and marine life that I never would have obtained if it weren’t for this program. It was so incredible, I went back a month later! I couldn’t say better things about GVI and the program I went on. It was a truly life changing experience.

From my first day on I learned so much about the reef around Caqalai, the Fijians and their culture and how important education and community work is. That is what I love about the work GVI does, it is not just about marine conservation and diving, it connects everything therefore you can understand the whole context. This is the best way to do it because that is how everything on this beautiful planet works, everything is connected and depends on each other.
The project really opened my eyes how to be aware of our environment and improve my ecological footprint. I was so impressed by the way of living I experienced on Caqalai island. Everything was unpretentious but enough to be really happy and achieve something. For me, this time confirmed which work fulfills me the most. After one month I finished my Coral Reef Research Diver course, I am so thankful for this amazing experience, for all the lectures, the possibilities to go on dives and clean the ocean with my own hands on DAD dives, SAD snorkels and beach cleans and for all the beautiful, mindful people I met during my time in Fiji. I have so much respect for the whole staff team and the Fijians on Caqalai, Leleuvia and Mouturiki, you are doing an amazing job!
I left this island with the promise to do whatever I can, to save the ocean and share my new knowledge and experience with as many people as I can.