WorkTravelSA.org, through its marine volunteer programmes, is totally committed to marine conservation. If you are looking to volunteer abroad, take part in marine research projects, protect the world's oceans or just try something different while you travel, our marine volunteer programmes include a number of exciting projects in an idyllic beach setting, focused on the protection of South Africa's spectacular and unique coral reefs and other marine ecosystems.

Projects are based in the iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a Marine Protected Area (MPA) and South Africa's first UNESCO World Heritage Site. The warm Indian Ocean along South Africa's eastern coast provides excellent diving conditions, while turtle research takes place on the Park's vast stretches of unspoilt white beach.

Marine Volunteering Projects

Indian Ocean Reef Conservation

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The world renowned coral reefs at Sodwana Bay have been listed in the top five dive destinations around the globe and support some of the most diverse fish communities in the world. The reefs are unusual in that they are dominated by beautiful soft corals, as well as being some of the southernmost tropical coral reefs on the planet. Humpback whales move past Sodwana Bay on their annual migration, leatherback and loggerhead turtles nest on the beach each summer, whale sharks and manta rays feed along the shoreline and ragged tooth sharks gestate annually at Quarter Mile Reef. All of this and much more makes this rustic coastal town one of the world’s prime diving locations.

Turtle Conservation South Africa

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WEI and WTSA are research partners along with the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) on the Maputaland Turtle Research and Monitoring Programme. Turtle monitoring has taken place here annually since 1963/64, making it the oldest monitoring programme of its kind in the world. Sea turtles are long lived, late maturing reptiles that are under threat globally. Five of the seven species of marine turtle are found in South African waters: leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), loggerhead (Caretta caretta), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), green (Chelonia mydas) and olive ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea) turtles. The beaches of Northern KwaZulu-Natal and southern Mozambique support breeding populations of both leatherback and loggerhead turtles, making this an ideal location to conduct research.