Globalteer has joined in partnership with a marine and turtle conservation project in Malaysian Borneo to offer unforgettable volunteer experiences in the warm, crystal clear waters of the Celebes Sea from just £390 or US$585 for a two week placement.
The partnership is Globalteer’s first in Malaysia, and brings the number of fully-packaged, hand-picked volunteer experiences that we offer to a total of eleven.
The island-based project offers two types of accommodation – shared tents, with ample electricity to power a lamp and a fan, or for an additional payment volunteers can upgrade to more salubrious chalets.
Volunteer donations cover airport pick-ups, transfers, pre-transfer accommodation, on-site accommodation and main meals as well as full pre-arrival information and in-country support. Volunteers can choose from dive-based or snorkelling based duties, dependent on the time of year.
Volunteers who choose to take part in reef re planting are given full dive training on site in order to achieve their open water dive certification. Costs for diving placements start at £1175 (US$1760) for two weeks.
The island is located 45 minutes by boat from the coast of Sabah in Eastern Borneo, and focuses on replanting coral reefs that have been damaged by years of blast fishing. From May to September the project also monitors and protects endangered green and hawksbill turtles and their eggs, which are frequently stolen by local sea gypsies. Volunteers working on the turtle protection programme need to be able to snorkel, but no further dive training is required.
During your down-time you can relax on the island’s unspoilt beaches, or take to the waters in sea kayaks for a bit of gentle exploration. In the evenings, nightlife is distinctly low key, although there is a resort on the island with a bar and restaurant. The bright lights of Semporna town on the Borneo “mainland” provide a bit more excitement for those who grow tired of the peace and quiet of the project’s idyllic location.
For further information and more photographs of this amazing project, please visit our Volunteer Borneo Marine and Turtle Conservation pages.