Blue Ventures is an award-winning, not-for-profit organisation dedicated to marine conservation, education and sustainable development in tropical coastal communities.
Blue Ventures’ volunteers learn the diving and scientific techniques to collect data that is vital to the management of some of the world’s most remote marine biodiversity hotspots. As well as diving on incredible coral reefs you’ll get the chance to work in mangroves and seagrass habitats as you directly contribute to our conservation, development and education programmes in Madagascar, Belize and Timor-Leste.
I volunteered with Blue Ventures for 6 weeks in early 2018, in Madagascar.
In short, I would highly recommend volunteering with Blue Ventures.
I will start with the negatives however. It’s expensive. But having volunteered with an organisation with which it was practically free, I would rather pay the money (if I have it). It means the charity is well organised, can afford to pay staff, and has a real plan and purpose for you. That’s what I found with Blue Ventures anyway. The only other negative I would bring up is the 6 week expedition wasn’t long enough. By the time you have settled, adapted to the heat and got your head around everything you have to learn, there are only a few weeks left to really be useful. You can extend your stay, so if you have the time it’s worth asking BV about it.
Now the positives. My main reason for choosing BV was their effort to employ locals, and work with the community. This I found to really be true. Most of the staff in Madagascar were Malagasy, and I felt like the village we lived in knew why we were there and were happy to welcome us.
Blue Venture’s approach to conservation is holistic, and throughout your time there you will learn why this is so important. The days were packed with learning about the reef, learning to dive, teaching English and learning more about the community, Blue Ventures, and everything that goes on in Andavadoaka.
From what I know, all three Blue Venture sites are incredible places to volunteer, so I wouldn’t recommend one above the other. I’m glad I chose Madagascar, but I had wanted to travel here anyway.
If you want to read more about what we got up to with Blue Ventures, have a look at my latest articles on http://frogslegsandmarmite.com/
If you are interested in diving, conservation and ecotourism, then I recommend joining a Blue Ventures expedition.
I was introduced to Blue Ventures through a study abroad trip with University of Florida to Madagascar for summer 2016. Our group spent 10 days in Andavadoaka with the Blue Ventures crew. Besides enjoying the various seasonal activities they let us participate in, I was so incredibly impressed with the overall mission and work being done in this region of Madagascar. During our month long stay in Madagascar we studied various conservation models and Blue Ventures was by far the most effective and holistic than anything else we saw. I feel like the staff on site genuinely cared about their work and the people and the long term effects of their research there. We learned about the marine reserve and mangroves and their respective management programs, which as a Biology major was beyond fascinating. I wish I had been certified to SCUBA at the time and plan to go back on my own to volunteer at other Blue Venture sites. More impressive was the community work, specifically the family planning and education programs being implemented which will vastly improve not only the health of the people but the sensitive ecosystems they interact with and wish to protect. Blue Ventures has thought of everything! I hope to return one day as a scientist to help contribute to their work and take part in the welcoming environment set in stunningly beautiful locations.
