Who can volunteer?
Anyone aged 18 and above with a passion for the ocean and marine conservation is welcome to join. Whether you're an experienced diver or newly certified, our programme offers training and support to help you make a real impact. A basic level of fitness and comfort in the water is recommended.
- 18 years or older
- Physically fit
- Certified diver (minimum 10 logged dives)
- Capable swimmer
- Basic level English
- Price: RM2,310
Practicalities
Programme Costs
To cover the accommodation, meals and diving expenses with Scuba Junkie, along with a donation to our SEAS conservation work, we ask for a reasonable cost of the following for our one week volunteer programme.
Includes
- Return speedboat transfer
- Workshops and volunteer programme
- Conservation dives and equipment rental
- 7 night dorm accommodation
- 3 meals and 2 breaks a day
- Water, coffee and tea
- SEAS t-shirt
- Certificate of participation
Excludes
- Airport Transfer
- Extra fun dives and night dives
- Diving at Sipadan
- Dive computer rental
- Extra drinks and snacks from the bar
- Laundry services
- Jetty Ticket (from Semporna only)
- Tourism tax (if upgraded accommodation)
Location
Mabul Island is located in the coral triangle, off the coast of Sabah, Borneo. It is a 45-60min speed boat ride from the town of Semporna.
Accommodation
As a volunteer, you’ll stay in a newly refurbished dorm at Scuba Junkie’s eco-friendly Mabul Beach Resort a 5-Star PADI IDC Centre set in beautiful gardens.
The mixed-gender 8-bed dorm was designed specifically for people staying for a longer period of time. Each bed includes a personal fan, reading lamp, side table, power outlets, shelving, hooks, and a lock box giving you space to settle in and stay comfortable throughout your programme.
- Get in touch with us if you wish to upgrade to one of the other room options at the Mabul Beach Resort!
Meals
- Breakfast – buffet style with local and western options including an egg station,
- freshly baked bread, and cereal.
- Morning break – homemade cake or sweets
- Lunch – buffet style with a variety of options including main dishes, cooked
- vegetables, soup, salad, and fruits.
- Afternoon break – homemade cake or savoury snack
- Dinner – buffet style with a variety of options including main dishes, cooked
- vegetables, soup, salad, fruits and homemade sweets.
As a conservation practice, a sustainable seafood policy is implemented and no seafood is served due to not being able to confirm sustainable fishing practices in the area.
Want to learn more?
Monday
intro and check dive
Your epic island adventure kicks off! After 9.15am Arrival and a warm welcome to SEAS and our exciting projects, get ready to explore the resort—Plastic Machine, Rehab Centre, and Hatchery included! After a tasty midday refuel, gear up with your masks, fins, and snorkel, then ready your first water confidence session. Let’s get this adventure started!
Tuesday
Photo ID
It’s all about turtles today! Start with a Turtle Talk and learn the basics of turtle ID through Photo ID. Then, head out on two boat snorkels for a turtle survey. After a midday break, dive into hatchery management, followed by a turtle walk and egg relocation workshop. Conservation heroes, assemble!
Wednesday
Coral Watch
Ready to become a coral champion? Start with a CoralWatch intro, then gear up for two snorkels collecting coral data sessions. After a midday power-up, get hands-on entering your coral findings, and sharpen your Photo ID skills in the afternoon session. You’re officially reef-smart now!
Thursday
Community project – outreach with local school
Today is all about giving back! Ease into the day with a relaxed morning to recharge. In the afternoon, join a short briefing to learn about the Mabul community and help prep materials for our outreach project. As the sun dips lower, head to the beach for games and activities with local kids—sharing laughs, building connections, and making memories along the way.
Friday
Be the Scientist – turtle ID and Coral Watch dives
Step into the role of a marine scientist for the day. Participants take the lead, planning the dives, deciding what equipment and materials are needed, and assigning roles within the team. The day includes two dives: one focused on turtle identification and one conducting CoralWatch surveys. In the afternoon, the team comes together to enter, review and discuss the data, gaining a deeper understanding of how field research informs marine conservation decisions.
Saturday
Marine Debris Day
Curious where ocean trash comes from? Start the day with an introduction to marine debris and its impacts, followed by two dives focused on collecting underwater trash. After lunch, one bag of collected debris is selected for a brand audit, where items are sorted and analysed to better understand waste sources. The day wraps up with a community beach clean-up, turning data and action into real impact for Mabul’s reefs and shoreline.
Sunday
Plastic Project Day – From Waste to Resource
Start the day by learning about plastic pollution on Mabul and how small-scale recycling can reduce waste on the island. Then get hands-on with our plastic project, working alongside the Mabul Eco Youth to clean and shred collected plastic, choose colour combinations, and mould new products. Finish the day by learning how to weave your own bracelets or keychains — and take two handmade items home as a reminder of the impact you’ve helped create.
Monday
Final Day – Choose Your Adventure
Your final day is flexible, giving you time to enjoy Mabul at your own pace. You can add an optional extra like local diving, snorkelling, or a Sipadan trip (available at an additional cost). If you’re not taking an extra activity, you can hop on the 10:00am boat back to Semporna, or spend a leisurely day on the island and catch the 4:00pm boat.
Please Note!
All activities are subject to change due to dive centre capacity, staff and visitor safety, ongoing conservation projects, scheduling availability and weather conditions.
We keep physical contact with our turtles in rehab at a minimum since it causes them stress; do not expect to be constantly interacting with these turtles.
In addition, only our Honorary Wildlife Wardens are licensed to handle the turtle nest relocation and hatchlings. But we will engage you as much as we can in the process!
