EGYPT - Coral Reef and Beach Clean-up Project

Egypt: A land of the Pharaohs. A land of pristine, clear warm waters, tropical fish, beautiful and colourful corals and endless sandy beaches...well almost!

Humans can mess up things sometimes. Here in this part of the world corals are under a threat of extinction and are on the ENDANGERED LIST - due to a host of factors, human as well as natural. This project is for mature (21+) volunteers to make a visible difference.

Most projects around the world calling for volunteers tackle only a small part of the jigsaw puzzle. By the end of your stay on this project, you will be able to physically see the difference you have made to the environment plus achieved a number of personal goals. A very worthwhile project.

Based in El Quseir, Egypt, you will be living in a community and being part of a dive team attached to a Dive Centre. All our volunteers to date have enjoyed the project and have grown from the experience.

The project is not a constantly supervised programme (there is no one continually looking over your shoulder). Volunteers will have to be self sufficient and motivated. With this approach we have found volunteers can really get out of the project whatever they want. The minimum age for this project is 21; as a mature attitude towards conservation, SCUBA diving, the environment is required plus there is no night life in the area.

This project is open to all volunteers over 21 in a reasonable fit condition.

Ideal for students of Marine Biology, mature University and non-University students looking to gain hands-on experience of marine conservation. As there is virtually no night life in the area (no discos, nightclubs, loud bars or touristy night traps), party animals are advised this may not be the right project for them!

For anyone thinking of entering the world of professional SCUBA diving, it’s a good chance to spend a month (or more) behind the scenes of a working dive centre and living with the staff.

Anyone needing to boost their logged dives for, or to become a Divemaster or even move on to the professional rung of diving- wishing to attend an IDC (Instructor Development Course) - this is an ideal and invaluable grounding.

Please note, this is not a marine biology course, but instruction will be given with an itinerary of work to be carried out.

Work

You will become an integral part of the Dive Centre team which consists of 5 European PADI Professional divers and 10 local crew members, you will be diving up to 5 days a week completing reef clean up dives or establishing survey sites.

Other duties you will be asked to perform could include:

• Supervising and taking part in Beach Clean Ups at the local dive sites.
• Liaising with local conservation bodies,
• Log all the types and condition of the corals around the house reef,
• Photographing and logging coral location and extend; when back on land, researching what it is you have seen and or discovered.
  The same thing with fish on the reef, noting when different species are spotted to establish trends and so forth.
• Volunteers will be given a Project Aware course on the basics of fish ID and coral conservation if required.

£800 first month (View exchange rate in YOUR CURRENCY)
£700 second and subsequent months

Dive Centre expenses for:

• Meet and greet at the local airport in Egypt
• Accommodation (a room in self catering accommodation in a local furnished apartment in El Quseir)
• Local transport
• SCUBA diving facilities
• Volunteer Compass Registration fee
  
  

You will need to provide your own:

• Flights to either Hurghada or Marsa Alam airports
• Personal and equipment Insurance (proof will be required)
• You will need to provide you own food allowance (approximately £10-£15 per day is more than sufficient for most people)

• Free diving on your 2 days off per week.
• Reduced price PADI courses.
• Opportunities to visit other areas of Egypt such as Luxor (just 105 miles from El Quseir) and Cairo (351 miles).

Does this project sound like you? Do you wish to learn to SCUBA dive or add more dives to your log book?

Places are very limited for this project - we cannot accept everyone. If you are interested, call us for a chat or if this is something you think you would like to do for a month and have fun with - fill in the Online Application Form today.