Volunteers play a crucial role in LAMAVE’s research & conservation projects. Over the years we have trained >250 volunteers from over 30 countries, joining projects throughout the Philippines.

Volunteering Opportunities

Our projects focus on threatened marine megafauna — including turtles, whale sharks, and manta rays — across different locations in the Philippines.

Each project has a minimum commitment period for all volunteers — this allows our team enough time to help you master the skills needed to collect high-quality data that contributes to conservation actions. It also provides stability for the research team and ensures we always have a fully-trained team on the ground.

All projects have a donation requirement that directly supports LAMAVE’s long-term conservation efforts and your placement. These donations play an integral role in supporting LAMAVE’s conservation outputs: they complement grants and independent funding, contribute to core funding, and help support the long-term activity of research and conservation project sites and their outputs and impact.

About the Projects

An image of two whale sharks interacting underwater in the blue sea — **Whale Shark Research and Conservation Project**

Apply as a volunteer now

Project Details and Requirements

This project aims to identify and understand the habitat use and connectivity of the seasonal aggregation of whale sharks around the different areas in the Philippines through non-invasive tagging and underwater observation.

- Full for 2024-2025 Season
- 2025-2026 Dates To be confirmed. We will update here once available.
2025 Season
- July 16 to August 30, 2025
2026 Season
- May 1 to July 15, 2026
- July 16 to September 30, 2026
Download this information pack to learn more about life in this project.

Minimum volunteer commitment for 2025: 1.5 months

Minimum volunteer commitment for 2026: 3 months (with the possibility to extend)

Minimum requirement:

All volunteers must be at least 21 years old and can freedive up to 7 meters

Contribution: 750 USD per month

apply as a volunteer Now

Project Details and Requirements

This project aims to protect marine turtle nesting beaches and engage communities located in identified priority sites to promote local stewardship through enhancing community-based monitoring and management practices.

2025 to 2026 Season
- November 2025 to March 2026
- The starting date is every 15th of the month
Volunteers get a choice of either a 30-day or 60-day placement.
Download this information pack to learn more about life in this project.

Minimum volunteer commitment: 1 month (with the possibility to extend)

Minimum requirement:

All volunteers must be at least 21 years old and physically able to walk 8km on the sand at night

Contribution: 750 USD per month

apply as a volunteer now

You can learn more about how these research projects on manta rays, whale sharks, and turtles fit into wider program goals and conservation outputs HERE.

Why Volunteer?
Life on Site
Responsibilities
Terms & Conditions
Gallery

Why Volunteer?

**Contribute to Conservation**

Volunteers are our manpower in the field. For example, since 2012, our volunteers have identified >1400 individual whale sharks - helping lead to the finding that the Philippines is the second largest known population of whale sharks in the world.

**Gain On-The-Ground Field Experience and Research Skills**

You’ll learn and apply research methods such as photo-identification and citizen science. But you’ll also experience the conservation challenges of finding the balance between humans and wildlife in a developing world.

**Improve Your Free Diving**
**or SCUBA Diving Skills**

Our teams conduct surveys through free diving or scuba diving, depending on the project site. You’ll arrive a good swimmer, but leave a skilled in-water researcher.

**Experience Incredible Wildlife Encounters**

We study some of the most charismatic marine animals in the world. You’ll be joining teams studying whale sharks, turtles and/or manta rays.

**Be Part of an International Team**

Our teams are led by local experts and are composed of international and local volunteers. All our research projects work alongside local communities. You’ll meet new people, share life experiences, and be immersed in the rich culture of the Philippines.

**Align your University Placement with LAMAVE**

If you’re looking to complete a university placement, internship or gather data for your thesis then consider applying to one of our listed opportunities. More info **HERE**

Accommodation

Our project houses are communal, shared living space.

All team members are required to stay at the project house throughout their stay, this is for health and safety and for team work purposes.

All project houses have a kitchen, bathroom and a shared place where you can lounge and work. You’ll be provided with a bed in a shared room.

Due to the remoteness of some of our sites some project houses have limited signal (phone and internet data), electricity and water. For example some of our sites are based on islands where electricity is only available at certain periods of the day or where we collect shower water from a well and drinking water from another town.

Part of your role as a volunteer is helping keep the project house clean and contributing to daily chores such as cooking.

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Food

Food and cooking is communal, so it is essential that volunteers provide their food intolerances, strict preferences and allergies in their application. The food we serve is plant-based and is sourced within the local community. Ingredients are often limited but the cooking creativity of the team often makes up for this! All our sites have access to local food markets and a variety of small shops where volunteers are able to buy (at their own cost) and additional snacks, luxury items or treats. Imported goods are usually only available in larger towns or cities.

Transport

All our sites rely on public transport (buses, jeepneys, tricycles) so you’ll experience the colourful options of getting around in the Philippines. On site, when needed, you and the team will use a variety of public transport to move between the project house and the research site.

As restrictions ease in the Philippines, the team are following national guidelines in respect to the capacity limits of public transport.

For safety, the use of motorcycles, with (habal-habal ride) or without (rented) a driver is strictly prohibited.

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Skills

All our projects offer different skill training. As an active part of the research team you’ll be taught different skills that you’ll be required to use in the field. Living in a shared environment with an international team you’ll also learn some incredible life skills.

Project-specific research techniques include:

photo identification (whale shark, turtle, manta ray projects)
citizen science
remote underwater video systems (manta ray projects)
compliance surveys
data cleaning
importance of cataloguing data correctly

Other Skills you’ll learn:

Teamwork and Collaboration
Communication
Team building
Community engagement (when the project hosts public events)
Professionalism

Global Fluency & Perspective
Leadership
Problem solving and adaptability
Time management

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What LAMAVE takes care of:

Project logistics and safety
Field equipment for research - this differs per site, but can refer to cameras for photo-identification, GPS, Remote Underwater Video Systems
Training in research methods
3 meals a day and shared accommodation in the project house
Daily transport related to project activities
LAMAVE uniform (T-shirt, in-water shirt)

You are responsible for the following:

Medical Insurance (this is required for the placement. For scuba diving based research projects your insurance must cover scuba diving)
Flights to the project site
Activities on your day off
Snacks and luxury items
Diving gear for the scuba based projects (BCD, regulator, dive computer)
Free diving fins, mask and snorkel for free diving based projects

Before applying please be sure to read the volunteer Terms and Conditions.

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Hear from past volunteers:

Hear from past Volunteers

Sep 7, 2023

Volunteer Experience

Sep 7, 2023

What is it like being a LAMAVE volunteer?

Volunteering overseas and making an impact in the conservation of marine wildlife is one of the most fulfilling experiences anyone can have. Charlotte Joliffe shares her most memorable moments as a volunteer in the Philippines for the Whale Shark Research & Conservation Project and how her experience has geared her to thrive in her marine sciences career.

Volunteer with LAMAVE

Apply now to join our research and conservation projects!

Volunteers play a crucial role in LAMAVE’s research & conservation projects. Over the years we have trained >250 volunteers from over 30 countries, joining projects throughout the Philippines.

Volunteering Opportunities

About the Projects

Project Details and Requirements

Project Details and Requirements

You can learn more about how these research projects on manta rays, whale sharks, and turtles fit into wider program goals and conservation outputs HERE.

Why Volunteer?

Accommodation

Food

Transport

Skills

What LAMAVE takes care of:

You are responsible for the following:

Before applying please be sure to read the volunteer Terms and Conditions.

Hear from past volunteers:

Volunteer with LAMAVE

Apply now to join our research and conservation projects!

Volunteers play a crucial role in LAMAVE’s research & conservation projects. Over the years we have trained >250 volunteers from over 30 countries, joining projects throughout the Philippines.

Volunteering Opportunities

About the Projects

Project Details and Requirements

Southern Leyte Placement Dates

Palawan Placement Dates

Project Details and Requirements

Palawan Placement Dates

You can learn more about how these research projects on manta rays, whale sharks, and turtles fit into wider program goals and conservation outputs HERE.

Why Volunteer?

Accommodation

Food

Transport

Skills

What LAMAVE takes care of:

You are responsible for the following:

Before applying please be sure to read the volunteer Terms and Conditions.

Hear from past volunteers: