Conservation Diver Excursions combine deep ocean knowledge and experience with top level tour management to produce scuba, apnea and land-based marine conservation trips that focus on producing meaningful outputs for our marine environments.

Trips are led by Conservation Diver instructors, experts in their fields, and tailor curriculum to produce unique and personalized experiences.

For groups or individuals, these programs are designed to provide immersive marine conservation experiences for all backgrounds and interests

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Types Of Trips

Diving with Purpose

Adventure travel with a combination of scientific diving and mind-blowing underwater experiences aimed at those looking to partake in environmentally conscious excursions who want to learn more about how to become a marine conservationist and help global scientific efforts.

Experience Scientific Diving

Engage in immersive scientific dive training in a wide range of fields. Participants learn

about and practice different monitoring techniques to assess the health of an ecosystem and the practical and active methods to restore it.

Targeted Research

Be part of a research expedition or conservation mission and join our expert team who are making scientific discoveries, deepening our understanding of the oceans, and implementing sustainable conservation initiatives

On every trip, participants earn specialized certifications offered by Conservation Diver. These certifications focus on foundational science and conservation practices, and specie specific or specialized technique trainings.

Conservation Diver Certifications List

2024 CDE TRIPS

Image by Harry Kessell

Image by Road Trip with Raj

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Image by Harry Kessell

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Bali & Gili Islands

Dive with purpose and engage in science-based marine conservation while scuba diving up to three times a day. Trip members earn 4-5 Conservation Diver certifications, bright gold stars for college applications, or a great way to establish a foundation for, or enhance your marine science or conservation career. Half the trip is spent in Tulamben, a rural town in northwest Bali, and the second half is spent on the idyllic island, Gili Air.

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CD Certifications Available On This Trip:

On this trip you can earn up to five conservation diver certifications. Click the links below to learn more about each cert.

Ecological Monitoring Program (EMP)

Coral Restoration

Nudibranch Ecology & ID

Shark Ecology & Population Studies

Seat Turtle Ecology & Monitoring

FAQ

We get a lot of little questions from parents and students throughout the year, especially leading up to trips. Here you can find answers to the questions we see most often. If you can't find what you need here, feel free to reach out to us by email or phone

Trip Tuition Covers:

• Accommodations
• Most Meals (We occasionally encourage trip members to explore local restaurants)
Local transportation

• Project planning, materials, and management
• Adventure Activities
• Travelers medical, emergency and evacuation insurance
• Local and International trip leaders

Trip Tuition Does not Cover:
• International airfare (trip leaders can help select and arrange airfare for groups)
• Local shopping
• Additional sightseeing activities

Passport:

If you do not have, or have not applied for your passport and are planning to join a trip, sooner than later is best. Passport delivery since 2020 has taken as long as several months to receive. You can order a passport at your local post office. Standard service (is supposed to) take 4-6 weeks, while expedited service is much faster but also more expensive. If you already have your passport it must have at least 6 months of validity from the day you arrive in Bali or it needs to be renewed. If you do not have 6 months of passport validity you will be refused entry to Indonesia.

Bali Tourist Visa:

All trip participants must bring $40 cash to purchase a one-month tourist visa on arrival in Bali.

Accommodations:
All accommodations in Bali are clean yet modest. In Tianyar and Nusa Lembongan students will stay in bungalows designed for western visitors. Upon arrival in Bali we will stay in the beach resort town of Canggu. Roommates will be arranged based on your preferences and in consultation with chaperones and Padma staff.

Electronics:
There is little time for playing on screens during a Padma trip. That being said, be sure to have a camera or phone to take pictures throughout the trip. Feel free to bring GoPros and camera drones if you want. With a simple power converter (ask the omniscient Google for options) all US chargers can be used on your trip. Trip leaders will have local cellphones for your use if needed and to communicate with families back home. Smartphone apps such as WhatsApp, and WeChat offer free international voice messaging, and calling from anywhere with internet access. Trip leaders' and chaperones' primary international means of communication is through WhatsApp.

Meals & Water
Most meals are eaten together at reputable restaurants, or prepared by chefs at our accommodations. A special focus on hygienic, nutrient rich, and clean food is our goal to help avoid any gastrointestinal issue during the trip. We are careful to provide, and remind trip members to only drink, clean water. With abundant activity and the often humid and warm locations of our trips, it is important to drink a lot of water to avoid dehydration. Although we strive to provide ample food, many trip members also bring snacks from home. There are also opportunities for trip members to explore local restaurants on their own.

Alcohol & Drugs
Padma maintains a zero tolerance policy on illicit drug use, and it will not be tolerated. Depending on the severity of the incident, trip members may be immediately expelled from the trip at their family's expense. In many countries and areas we travel, trip members are legally allowed to drink alcohol. On such trips, trip members are allowed to drink alcohol responsibly unless parents/guardians inform us otherwise. No drunkenness, inappropriate, or disrespectful behavior is allowed and if it occurs, trip members may lose privileges or be sent home if Padma trip leaders conclude the situation warrants expulsion.

Disciplinary Policy:
Padma Organization reserves the right to expel any trip participant from the trip at Padma trip leaders' discretion. This trip is not a party. Padma trips are intended as an opportunity for students to serve others while representing themselves, their school, Padma, and the United States as cultural ambassadors. Any behavior that disrupts this purpose, brings danger to themselves, or other trip members, along with any illegal activity are not allowed. The family of any student expelled from the trip is responsible for all costs to bring their student home. A first warning and removal of privileges will be given for minor offences, while larger incidents may result in immediate trip expulsion.

Day 1: Depart US

Day 2: Arrive in Denpasar,

Day 3: Sanur morning, BCD by lunch. EMP intro talk in afternoon/eve.

Day 4-7: Dive twice daily, begin EMP, coral restoration, Nudi (Kyle keen to lead some EMP and coral, Spencer

leads Nudi) (Full Muck day/experience, split certs between bcd/gili. Visit Nudi center with Spencer.)

Day 8: Ferry to Gili Air. Relax much of the day, turtle or shark talk.

Day 9-11: CD cert stuff, dive, Gili T day and evening.

Day 12: Ferry to Bali. Hang in Sanur.

Day 13: Sanur day then head to airport.

Day 14: Arrive home.

Medical Considerations

Medical staff are part of every trip. Based on the medical forms submitted as part of each trip member's application, a Padma medical staff member will contact every participant who may require an individualized medical plan. Each student is provided travelers medical, emergency, and evacuation insurance. Any medical, psychological or physical conditions that might impact a student's trip participation must be communicated to your Padma trip leadership before your trip. Prescription medications must be brought with you as availability is not guaranteed during trips. If you wish to purchase international medical insurance to cover any additional costs in the event of an emergency, contact your Padma trip leader for recommendations. Here are a few:

World Nomads
Allianz
AIG Travel Guard

Vaccinations:

There are currently no required vaccines to travel to Bali and it is up to parents and students to decide what vaccines to get. We recommend consulting the CDC website for suggestions on vaccines and details on additional travel information on Bali. Here is a link to the CDC's Indonesia travel information: https://wwwnc.cdc.gov/travel/destinations/traveler/none/indonesia

Recommended for all trip members:

To be up-to-date on COVID vaccinations and routine vaccines such as measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, varicella (chickenpox) vaccine, polio vaccine, and your yearly flu shot.

Trip members can cancel for any reason up to sixty (60) days before their trip, and receive a 50% refund of all paid tuition, less the $200 non-refundable deposit. Cancellations made less than 60 days prior to the trip cannot be guaranteed a refund. In case trip members are unable to join a trip due to medical or emergency related reasons, a full refund may be considered at the discretion of Padma staff. If trips must be canceled due to unexpected travel restrictions, or for any reason such as a natural disaster, social unrest, etc., full refunds will be offered, pending refunds from trip partner companies and organizations, contractors, and third party vendors.

Water Safety:

During your trip, there may be opportunities to swim, snorkel, scuba dive, and surf in the ocean, or swim in rivers and lakes. Currents, sudden depth changes, riptides, large waves, sharp reefs, stings and bites are some of the inherent risks we will face. Trip participants are never to swim alone and careful consideration of individual swimming ability and experience must always be considered.

Minimum Eligibility Criteria:

Padma’s Bali Reef Restoration Expedition includes outdoor and/or physically strenuous activities in various environments such as snorkeling, surfing, hiking, and building large or heavy structures. Following instruction, trip members must also be able to work independently for up to four hours a day and be capable of completing or participating in the specific activities of this trip.