Going Pro with a heavy bias for Marine Conservation

[Mikey03438]

Hi everyone. Im really looking to pick some brains.

My girlfriend and I are looking for a place to do both our divemaster internship and a marine conservation internship/course.

We had committed 4 months to a place that claimed to do all this in Malaysia, sadly the reality was very little dm work and a poor effort at conservation.

So basically has anyone had any experiences at reliable organisations? We really are flexible as to where to go (consideriung everywhere from the Philippines, Africa to Central America). We would be starting in Jan/Feb 2017.

Thanks in advance guys!

 

[Subway Watersports]

Hi Mikey! While I am biased, we offer a great Divemaster Internship program here on the beautiful Caribbean island of Roatan, the Bay Islands of Honduras. I would be happy to put you in contact with former interns so you can speak with them directly about their experiences here as well.

We have amazing all-inclusive packages, discounts for signing up as a couple, and a fantastic GoPro Green Internship that offers you added bonus of participating in conservation efforts during your training!

Feel free to send us an e-mail to internship@roatandiveacademy.com and I can provide you with the full details and the contact information of former interns.

Please note that we only have two or three spots remaining for the January/February time period so if you're interested, please get in touch with us as soon as you can.

Best of luck with the search and have a great day!

 

[RyanT]

Here's my question, what do you want to get out of the career in terms of conservation? It's really a tough business in many respects. I have no doubt that DMs can have important impacts on their clients in terms of conservation, particularly in educating their clients. But, in terms of conservation biology, what do you expect to do? If you actually want to work in the field of conservation biology, you should get a degree, particularly an advanced degree in conservation biology.

There are a million different organizations that are working towards ocean conservation, and all are doing admiral work. Sadly, making a decent living by doing that is much more difficult.

 

[Bay Island Diver]

What sort of conservation activities are you looking to get involved in during your Divemaster internship? Here are three quite different examples that immediately jump to mind:

1. Education of the local population about reef ecology and how they can make a difference,
2. Installation of marine infrastructure such as mooring to reduce anchor use
3. surveying/monitoring coral health

 

[GoProHonduras]

Hi Mikey,

We have a conservation/ecology option you can add to our Divemaster program, more info here

GoEco Program | Utila Dive Center

The program is headed by a qualified marine biologist with extensive experience training Divemasters as well.

Email goeco@utiladivecenter.com for more info.