Shark Conservation Volunteering in Fiji

Dive in the stunning waters of the South Pacific and play a vital role in shark conservation efforts

Destination

Fiji

Age

16+ y/o

Minimum Stay

2 weeks

Start Date

Anytime

Accommodation

Apartment

Requirements

You should be able to swim at least 200 metres.

What’s included

Accommodation & Amenities

Clean, safe, and welcoming accommodation. A home away from home with comfortable amenities.

24/7 Support

Round-the-clock support on the ground and 24/7 back up from our global teams.

Transportation

To and from the airport, plus everything in between. Daily transport to your placement and back.

Activities, Training & Equipment

All programme activities and scuba equipment, including training and workshops from experienced professionals.

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Starting at €3,345 for 2 weeks

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Trip Overview

Protect endangered sharks

Contribute to vital research and conservation efforts for threatened shark species in Fiji and encounter a diverse array of marine life.

Become a PADI certified diver

Gain key diving skills and experience through comprehensive training in your first two weeks, giving you the tools you need to explore underwater.

Conduct marine research

Assist marine biologists with data collection, surveys, and underwater monitoring to support shark conservation.

Experience Fijian culture

Immerse yourself in the vibrant culture of Fiji by living in a shared apartment, interacting with local people, and exploring the stunning islands.

Contribute to conservation efforts

Assist with the protection of these magnificent creatures and play a role in preserving delicate marine ecosystems.

What you need to know

Overview

This project is perfect for adventurers and thrill-seekers with a passion for nature, marine life, and the outdoors.

If you’re interested in a career in conservation, this project is a great fit for you. You’ll be working with and learn from some of the top minds in marine biology. You’ll gain practical, hands-on experience in marine conservation, which will add valuable work experience to your CV. The programme will also give you unique points to talk about in applications and interviews.

No experience? Don’t worry! You’ll receive full training in your first two weeks to gain your PADI Open Water certificate. This Projects Abroad experience is thrilling but entirely safe. You’ll always be supervised by expert diving instructors from our highly respected dive partners, Beqa Adventure Divers. Their safety record on shark dives is 100%.

Are you an experienced diver? You’ll have the chance to gain specialised diving qualifications. Those staying for eight weeks or more can also train as a Dive Master on this project.

We have a number of volunteer opportunities with sharks in Fiji running all year round, so you can join whenever it suits your schedule.

A Day in the Life

A typical work day will run from 7am to 4pm, Sunday to Thursday. All your activities will be supervised by trained local professionals, including qualified marine biologists.

After breakfast with the other volunteers, you’ll begin your project work. You’ll head out on a boat with our local staff and deploy two Baited Remote Underwater Videos (BRUVs). This is followed by a 90-minute scuba dive, monitoring and collecting data on the marine life you see. Our partner dive organisation, Beqa Adventure Divers, is at the forefront of shark protection in Fiji. Their safety record on shark dives is 100%.

Then you’ll watch BRUV footage and record the species you see. You could also spend your afternoon teaching people in a nearby village about the importance of sharks. This includes things like running an awareness workshop, teaching a class on recycling with schoolchildren, or attending a lecture on shark identification.

You’ll also participate in workshops to learn more about Fijian life. You’ll learn how to cook local food, make ‘bilo’ – traditional coconut cups, or weave palm fronds.

Over dinner, you can discuss the day’s adventures with the volunteers sharing this memorable experience with you. Your evenings will usually be free, giving you the opportunity to explore Fiji. Go trekking through the highland interior or attend a traditional festival. Alternatively, relax by the swimming pool, drinking kava and watching the sun setting over the sea on this island paradise.

Aims & Impact

The aim of this project is to protect the shark population in the ocean around Fiji. We started our Shark Conservation Project in Fiji in January 2014 in response to the declining shark population in this area. The Fijian government has identified shark protection as a top conservation priority. Although marine protected areas have been set up to address the decline in shark numbers, the population continues to decrease.

“Sharks are more vulnerable today than ever before.” – Boris Worm, Professor of Biology, Dalhousie University, Canada

As one of the top predators in the marine food chain, sharks play a vital role in this ecosystem. The extinction of sharks would have devastating consequences for both marine life and humans. Without sharks, a destructive chain of events would lead to an increase in algae, which would choke coral reefs and eventually kill them.

If coral reefs die, thousands of species will lose their habitat. This would take away a major income source for local fishermen and a primary food source for Fijian locals.

To ensure we’re working towards long-term goals to tackle these issues, we’ve created a Conservation Management Plan for Fiji. Some of our objectives in this plan include:

Collecting data on marine life to inform conservation policies
Planting mangroves to create the first carbon-neutral resort in Fiji
Raising awareness about conservation and the importance of sharks
Promoting sustainable living in local communities

Join a Shark Conservation Project in Fiji and help us work towards achieving these goals.

Activities

There’s a huge amount of work to be done to conserve marine wildlife and the environment in Fiji. Here are the kind of things you can get up to:

Projects Abroad volunteers learn to dive during PADI course at the Shark Conservation Project in Fiji.

Help with important awareness and education work in local communities

Your work will focus on the following areas:

Get your PADI diving certification

We offer PADI certifications as part of this project because diving is central to the work you’ll do. If you’re a beginner, you’ll complete the PADI Open Water Dive Course during your first two weeks. If you already have diving experience you’ll complete the PADI Advanced Course or PADI Rescue Diver Course.

Data collection

During the project you’ll help staff collect data from survey dives and Shark dives (twice a month). We share data with global monitoring platforms such as eShark and SharkBase. In 2016, our marine biology research projects was one of the top five most important contributions to these databases.

You’ll collect data by:

Going on survey dives and recording details about different species
Doing bi-monthly shark dives to gather important information about behaviour on individual sharks.

Mangrove reforestation

As well as your core work with sharks, you’ll help care for mangrove seedlings in our mangrove nursery and replant mangroves along the coast.

Mangroves are one of the most important ecosystems in this region and help marine life conservation. They act as nurseries for many different fish species and help reduce carbon emissions. We’re working in partnership with local businesses to work out their carbon emission levels and plant enough mangroves to neutralise them.

Awareness and sustainability initiatives

Help reduce the 73 million sharks killed by humans each year through the campaigns you run. With workshops and outreaches, you’ll raise awareness of the importance of sharks, the impact they have on the ecosystem, and sustainability. You’ll help make sure that local people are involved in shark conservation work. You’ll also help ensure that younger generations continue to protect sharks in the future.

These are some of the activities our volunteers are involved in:

Conducting workshops to teach local people about the importance of marine conservation and living sustainably
Holding classes with school children on recycling, climate change, and sea creatures
Collecting plastic bottles from partner restaurants and resorts and repurposing them as pots for the mangrove nursery

Map & Location

Dive into Fiji, an archipelago of more than 330 islands in the South Pacific. With sandy beaches, blue water, and lush rainforest, it’s the very vision of the tropical paradise in your imagination.

But it’s more than that. Fiji is a melting pot of culture, with influences from Polynesia, India, and Europe. With ancient villages and even older traditions dating back 3,500 years, it is steeped in history and culture — a perfect escape for water sports, relaxation, and cultural discovery.

Pacific Harbour

The small town of Pacific Harbour, on the southern coast of Viti Levu, is a haven for thrill seekers and beach lovers alike. It has easy access to all the essentials and benefits from a tropical climate with warm temperatures and sunshine year-round.

Pacific Harbour is ideal for sun seekers, with world-class water sports, stunning beaches, and incredible natural beauty. Though it is home to only 2,000 residents, there’s plenty of places to eat, relax, and enjoy the atmosphere.

Food & Accommodation

Gaze over white sand beaches and the glistening Pacific Ocean from a Projects Abroad apartment, giving you everything you need to make the most of your Fiji trip. With a cosy bed, fresh drinking water, and three meals a day prepared by our in-house cook, you can make travelling stress-free.

Your apartment will be comfortable, safe, secure, and within walking distance of your placements. If you need to travel for pre-planned trips or work further afield, our staff will handle this for you. You will have Wi-Fi access in the common area between 6:30am and 8pm.

You will stay with other Projects Abroad participants during your stay, sharing a room with someone of the same gender and a similar age. Here, you can rest, relax, tell stories, and play games to get to know your fellow participants.

Your Arrival Made Easy

When you arrive at your respective airport, a member of Projects Abroad staff will be there to meet you. You can find more detailed information on arrival airports, orientation, and visas on our Fiji Arrival Procedures page.