- Summary
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- Included / Not Included
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Bahamian National Trust
Andros Island, The Bahamas
Last updated: 15 February 2013
The project enables you to work with the Bahamas National Trust to survey the Island's valuable reefs and its inland waterways. Data collected by volunteers is used to help create protected marine parks, assist local communities, teach conservation awareness in primary schools and assist with the effective management of Marine Parks in the area.
Essentials
| Country: | Andros Island, The Bahamas |
| Meals: | 3 meals per day. Cooked by volunteers! |
| Trip duration | 4 to 10 weeks |
| Suitability | All diving levels and capabilities welcome. |
| Getting there: | London to Nassau followed by private charter flight to Andros. |
What diving courses are availble to you?
Please click the course name for more information about that particular course.
Details and Itinerary
Programme content and guideline itinerary
Science Training
The science training takes place alongside the dive training and it is made up of four main components: fish identification, invertebrate identification, substrate surveying and survey techniques.
Fish Identification
Fish identification is the largest and most challenging aspect of the learning. You learn to identify around 150 species of fish as all surveyors need to be able to identify these confidently. Learning the fish species usually takes around three weeks and is very much dependent upon your effort and enthusiasm. Once everyone is ready to survey fish you are taught about a range of invertebrate species, how to conduct a substrate survey, how to identify coral lifeforms and how to do a complete an underwater survey. Science and dive training normally takes around 3 - 4 weeks.
Surveys
The survey work is comprehensive and hugely practical! Underwater marine surveys involve charting the coral with the use of GPS, identifying fish and marine movements, and locating where the breeding and feeding grounds are located. You also look to see how different seasons could affect the marine life. With a complete understanding of this underwater world you and your group can then work with the Bahamas National Trust on creating an effective management plan.
By joining this programme volunteers will ensure that future generations are suitably educated and care for the reef and its long term survival!
Dive Training
To complete the conservation project work you need to be a capable diver. To that end we train everyone to PADI Advanced Open Water level and then add in your Emergency First Response qualification for good measure! With the amount of diving done on the programme and the variety of dive sites experienced, you will certainly leave a competent and experienced scuba diver with some incredible memories from your time in the Caribbean!
Community Work
Aside from the survey work and data collection, this project aims to instill an understanding / importance of the marine environment in the minds of young Bahamian children. Sessions run by you and other volunteers are fun and interactive, often involving games and plays.
Once a week volunteers leave the beach and head to one of two local primary schools. Here volunteers use their new knowledge of marine conservation to teach young children about the valuable marine life that surrounds their island and how they can protect it for themselves to enjoy and for future generations*.
*Please note that during July and August the students are on holiday so an alternative activity will be provided.
Itinerary
This is a guideline itienerary for a beginner joining for 10 weeks:
Arrival: Arrive Nassau and flight to Andros Island
Transfer: Met at Andros Airport and transfer to camp
Week 1: PADI Open Water course and intro to science
Week 2: PADI Advanced Open Water and conservation training
Weeks 3-5: Science Training and fun dives
Weeks 6-10: Conservation research dives and fun dives
Please note: if you are already qualified science training and fun dives start in week 1 whilst others do the PADI training.
Included and Not Included
A guide to what you see and what you get!
As a general guideline you can expect the following:
Included
Transfers on Andros Island, accommodation in volunteer beach house, 3 meals a day, science training, PADI training (as selected by you), 2 survey dives a day (weather permitting), recreational diving on Saturday, pre-departure briefing, 24 hour UK support, PADI materials, PADI fees, community work in local schools, UK staff in camp, BCD and regulator use, tanks, weights, air and reunion party.
Not Included
International flights (book to Nassau), Domestic flight (Nassau to Andros - we make the reservation for you and paid for locally), personal spending money, visas, personal kit, vaccinations, personal travel insurance and some dive kit*.
*You require your own wetsuit, boots, fins, mask, snorkel, weight belt and dive slate.
Extra Information
A few things you should know and trip downloads
Guideline Pricing Information
All prices are per person and exclude flights unless otherwise stated. The guideline prices shown are designed to provide you with an indication of how much to budget for your trip. You will need to go through the booking process to get an accurate price for the trip.
Accommodation
The accommodation consists of beachside Bahamian stilt houses, over-looking the sea. With a separate learning zone, single sex sleeping rooms with bunk-beds, electricity and running water; we have tried to ensure that you can undertake vital conservation in style!
Flights
The best way to get here is with a direct flight from London to Nassau followed by a private charter aircraft from the General Aviation airport in Nassau to Andros Island.
Requirements
- Fit to dive
- Interest in marine science
- Over 17 years of age
- Qualified to Advanced Open Water with first aid to start the science programme.
Dive Training
We offer entry level PADI training on this programme. Training beyond Advanced Open Water and EFR is not available to pre-book.
PADI Materials
All PADI materials are included in the price.
PADI Fees
All PADI fees are included in the price.
What next?
Happy with what you have seen and read? If you want to book a place simply click the green 'book online' button (located on the 'prices, dates and booking' tab) and follow the on-screen instructions. You can book a place in as little as 5 minutes.
Prices, Booking and Dates
Guideline prices, trip dates and how to book!
Guideline Price Table
Book Online| Current Dive Level | As a guide... | |
|---|---|---|
| Duration | Price | |
| All Levels | 4, 6 or 10 weeks | From £2,475Guideline price for 4 week trip. 6 week trip from £2,815 and 10 week trip from £3,265. Extra dive courses will increase your overall trip cost. |
Online booking AVAILABLE!
This trip can be booked online. Please click here to open the booking wizard and to book online.
Booking Instructions
Step 1: Click the link above to start the booking process.
Step 2: Select your start date and trip.
Step 3: Choose any optional extras for the trip.
Step 4: Review your booking and enter your personal details.
Step 5: Agree to terms, make payment and confirm trip. SIMPLE!
Trip Dates
2013: 09th April 2013, 09th July 2013 and 08th October 2013.
2014: 11th January 2014, 12th April 2014, 05th July 2014 and 04th October 2014.
Financial Protection
Your money is secure with us! We have TTA Financial protection under licence Q0621. The protection means that you can book your holiday secure in the knowledge that the Travel Trust Association will protect you in the unlikely event of a us becoming insolvent. Should we for any reason financially fail or cease trading, the Travel Trust Association will liaise with the suppliers to ensure that your holiday goes ahead unaffected. If for any reason this is not possible, the TTA will administer a claim for a refund of money that you have paid to us for your holiday. Read more about how your money is protected.
Deposit and Balance Payments
We request a £250 deposit to secure a place. All balance payments are due 60 days before the start of the trip. If you book within 60 days of departure then full payment must be made at the time of booking.
