Marine Conservation Philippines
Dive Center
🌏 Philippines, Visayas
🌊 Activities: Recreational courses, Technical diving courses, Environmental awareness programs
🤿 Instructor languages: English
🟢 Nitrox available: No
👌 Certification: PADI
✅ Type: Dive Center
Marine Conservation Volunteer, Negros Oriental, Philippines
Marine Conservation Philippines (a Filipino non-stock, non-profit NGO) is based on the edge of the Coral Triangle, the most biodiverse marine region on Earth. Since 2015, our team of resident biologists, local staff, and international volunteers has run long-term reef monitoring, managed Marine Protected Areas, and delivered marine education and community programs. You will meet life long friends, and do amazing dives, but this isn't a beach holiday with some diving bolted on, it's real conservation work with measurable results. No previous diving experience is required, we'll train you from your first day.
Minimum duration: For Certified divers, who have dived recently, who are at least Advanced Open Water and have 20+ dives: 4 weeks. For uncertified divers or inexperienced divers: 6 weeks. The average stay is 8-10 weeks.
What You'll Do
Two scientific scuba dives Monday-Saturday, surveying coral health, fish populations, and invertebrates for our long-term reef monitoring project. Volunteers typically do 12-13 dives weekly.
Weekly reef and beach clean-ups
Mangrove nursery work and replanting
Community outreach in various activities helping the local community.
Entering and reviewing survey data
Rotating kitchen and base duties, everyone pitches in
Real Impact as a diver, Not Just a holiday
Our mission is to protect and restore marine ecosystems through hands-on conservation, research, education, and community partnership, working alongside the people who live here. To date, MCP has helped protect or restore over 500 hectares of marine habitat through strengthened Marine Protected Areas, planted more than 25,000 mangrove trees, reached over 10,000 school children through our education programs, collected and recycled over 280 tonnes of plastic from local beaches, rivers, and mangroves. You can see our full track record on our Achievements page.
Understand our work
See our video gallery
Phone
📞 +63 969 484 7382Accommodation
Stay on-site:
Our base sits inside a ten-hectare botanical garden. It's a lovely and lush jungle setting. Accommodation is in Balinese-style bungalows (dorms, housing 4, 5 or 6 people) built largely from materials sourced on site, with shared bathrooms, personal lockers with power outlets, mosquito nets, and fans. It's comfortable, not luxurious, and that's part of the experience. Our cooks prepare three meals a day using mostly local, market-sourced ingredients and Saturday night is barbecue night. (or some other special end-of-the-week meal we come up with) Accommodation is included in the weekly price. Private accommodation with own bathrooms is available at an extra costs.
Good to Know
Safety information:
All participants must have dive and travel insurance, and must sign the standard PADI liability releases. The nearest recompression chamber is in Dauin, about 25 minutes from camp. Dumaguete City, close by, has several modern, well-equipped hospitals. All staff are trained first aid providers, and many are first aid instructors. Staff live on site and can deal with any emergency 24/7.
Opening days and annual closure:
We are open year round. We accepts new arrivals every second Monday, and stays are always in two week blocks. (So 6, 8, 10 weeks etc.) Sunday is a non-diving day, so departure days are Mondays too (this conveniently gives everyone a chance to offgas safely before flying)
Google Reviews
Anna Nørland
★★★★★
The absolute coolest place I have been! I went there with my boyfriend for 6 weeks in March and April, and did both my Advanced Open Water and Rescue Diver-certification there. The instructors are all deeply skilled and professional, and help you become a better diver in such a short time, with two dives a day! Everything is very well organised, both the courses and the scientific surveys, that you get to collect afterwards. The accommodation has everything you need and the kitchen staff makes you delicious dishes every day:) You meet so many wonderful people from all around the world, which just makes MCP even more special. The dive sites are amazing to experience, and I am already looking forward to hopefully going back to MCP sometime soon!
Esmee Dekker
★★★★★
If you’re looking for an unforgettable experience while also giving something back, this is the perfect place to do it. Everything is incredibly well organized, and the staff are always available to help with any questions or problems you may have. The diving is absolutely amazing. The training prepares you extremely well, and by the end you’ll feel confident and comfortable surveying the reefs and spending time in the water. The amount of hands-on experience you gain is invaluable. On top of that, you’ll meet so many great people from all over the world, which makes the experience even more special. Overall, it was an incredible experience that I would highly recommend to anyone interested in diving, conservation, and meeting amazing people.
Lovisa Thim
★★★★★
Without any previous diving experience I realized upon arrival that I didn't really know what I had signed up for, but it's an experience I will never forget and will forever cherish. I'm very grateful to have learned in a place where they see every individual and prioritize creating great divers, rather than teaching you under the time pressure of just a few days. Apart from learning to dive, I really enjoyed volunteering and doing the surveys. Having a purpose while diving was so much fun and I would really love to so something similar again. If you're thinking of joining their work at MCP I would highly recommend it. The combination of doing something good while experiencing the Philippines and life at camp is amazing, you won't regret it!
Alex Win
★★★★★
Our time at Marine Conservation Philippines was nothing short of amazing. We arrived as Advanced Divers and left not only as Rescue Divers but also with a whole new understanding of what it means to be responsible and sustainable in the water. The 12 weeks we spent here were among the absolute highlights of our one-year world trip – we learned so much about marine conservation, and even more about ourselves as divers. What makes MCP so special is the people. The staff are not only professional and knowledgeable but also incredibly welcoming and open-hearted. They make you feel at home right from day one, and their passion for the ocean is contagious. The constant flow of volunteers keeps things exciting and gives you the chance to meet wonderful people from all over the world, many of whom will feel like lifelong friends by the time you leave. Life here is simple – don’t expect luxury, because that’s not what this place is about. Instead, you’ll find authenticity, a strong sense of community, and small details that make you smile every day. The kitchen team is always friendly and happy to connect with volunteers, and the two dogs are simply adorable (Vader especially will melt your heart the moment you arrive). A huge shout-out to Jason and Kiri, who run the project with so much care, responsibility, and dedication. They go above and beyond to make sure everyone has the best possible experience. I honestly can’t think of another project where people are this happy, and the number of volunteers who come back again and again speaks louder than any review ever could. For us, MCP was more than just a project – it was a home, a family, and one of the most meaningful experiences of our journey. We’ll carry it with us for a long time and for sure will come back some day! 💙
Desiree Kofler
★★★★★
I stayed with MCP for eight weeks, completed my Rescue Diver course and received training for the science programme. It was such a great experience, meeting awesome people from all over the world and being part of this open-minded and welcoming community. The staff and instructors are lovely and provide high-quality teaching. Life at the large base is just fantastic. Thank you for everything!