Career in Conservation Diving

[charbake]

Hi all,

I want to pursue a career in ocean conservation diving. I do not have a degree, and only currently have my RAID Advanced 30.
I was wondering whether anybody had any insight or advice regarding internships, career paths etc?
I understand this will cost me a lot of money to climb the diving ladder, but if anyone knows of any good volunteering so I can learn that would be fantastic as well. Unfortunately I have next to no money to my name, so my career choice is rather ambitious financially. One day I hope it will pay off.
I am extremely passionate about the state of our oceans, and want to dedicate my life to them.
Thank you in advance ! Very much appreciate everyones help

 

[MB NZ]

Be wary of pay-to-work conservation activities. A way to extract money from rich parents so their kids get to go on holiday and put something on their university application forms. Jealousy on my part? Damn right!

 

[Edward3c]

As @MB NZ says, theses volunteer conservation offers are just glorified holiday complexes, i.e. Coral Caye Conservation.

To work seriously on marine conservation you need to have a relevant degree of, diving qualifications are irrelevant.

 

[Jersixmlp]

I volunteered on reef monitoring trips while doing my Divemaster and kept building skills from there. Most positions I found were through word of mouth or directly asking local projects.

 

[Jersixmlp]

I’ve been down a similar road and found that gaining hands-on field experience made a big difference. If you purse your passion and join a suitable program, you'll be able to connect with like-minded folks and get involved in real conservation projects. It’s not just about certifications - showing that you're committed and have practical skills tends to open more doors, especially with smaller NGOs doing meaningful work on tight budgets.