Coral Restoration Internship in Bali
Join the movement and help restore the reefs — spend a few days or weeks planting and maintaining coral restoration sites in Nusa Penida and Amed.
Hands on coral restoration
Scuba Dive For A Purpose
Our Educational Internship is built for divers who want to move beyond recreational diving and get real, hands-on experience in reef rehabilitation — planting coral, clearing predators, and working alongside our marine biologists and local fishing communities. By joining, you’ll take direct action in saving and restoring Indonesia’s reefs while learning techniques developed over 25 years of coral farming.
Why Bali needs coral restoration?
Bali’s reefs face mounting pressure from coral bleaching from warming seas, and physical damage from anchors and untreated wastewater from unsustainable tourism. Nusa Penida and Amed are two of the island’s most ecologically important reef systems, home to manta rays, mola mola, and hundreds of coral species — but large sections have been degraded over the past two decades. Planting new coral is only half the work: young fragments need ongoing care to survive, from clearing predators like Crown of Thorns starfish and Drupella snails to keeping ropes and structures free of overgrowth. Every coral fragment planted and maintained through this internship directly supports the long-term recovery of these reefs.
a DAy in the lifE of a coral intern
You will play a critical part in helping regrow and restore the damaged reefs here in Bali. It is designed to provide you with the scientific knowledge and practical skills needed to successfully restore coral ecosystems. You will get to expand your coral knowledge and gain valuable practical knowledge that you can put your scuba skills to good use. You will:
- Practice identifying the different coral types as you move through your coral restoration tasks
- Help expand either the Nusa Penida or Amed coral restoration sites by replanting corals using the various techniques we use.
- Ensure the fragile baby corals survive by removing coral predators (Crown of Thorns starfish and Drupella snails)
- Prevent corals from getting overgrown by sponges or soft corals through cleaning of the ropes
These are some of the basic tasks. If you have a marine biology and good buoyancy, you may be able to tackle more complex tasks.
Here's how to apply
When and Where is the program held?
Dates: Our internship program runs year-round, typically mid-month on the weeks when we are running courses and visits. You can indicate some dates where you are available to see if we are receiving interns then.
Location: We work out of the Ocean Gardener Coral Lab in Nusa Penida. However, depending on the amount of interns, staff and restoration needs, you can request to spend some time in Amed.
Requirements:
- Age: Minimum 18 years old.
- Certification: PADI/SSI Open Water Diver (or equivalent).
- Experience: Minimum of 20 logged dives.
- Skills: Excellent buoyancy control is mandatory. You will be handling delicate organisms; steady hands and fins are a must!
- Recent activity: A Refresher Course is required if you have not dived in over one year.
- Pre-requisite course: All interns must have completed the 3-day “Intro to Coral Restoration” certification. It ensures you have the foundational knowledge and technique to work safely on our nursery sites.
Fees and Costs of The Program
For the duration of your internship, you will be responsible for the rental of your own equipment, accomodations and transportation. We can help arrange this with the local dive shops and guest houses near our facility.
We charge a nominal fee for the duration of your stay to cover staff, facility use, and all restoration materials (epoxy, cement, reef stars, etc.). As a token of our appreciation for your dedication, the daily rate decreases for longer stays.
We appreciate everybody coming to help. We are a small NGO that relies on donor funds to operate and we must make sure our limited funds go towards our planting and research projects.
| Duration | Fee (IDR) |
|---|---|
| Daily Rate | 800,000 |
| Weekly Rate | 3,800,000 |
| Monthly Rate | 13,000,000 |
Specialized Dives: Occasionally, we conduct coral spawning monitoring or scientific survey dives. Interns can join these for an additional IDR 300,000 per dive.
Frequently asked questions
How long can I stay to stay and help?
Once certified, you can opt to stay for as long as you wish during the weeks our staff is not in the field. As an intern, your typical day involves morning dives (subject to change depending on staffing, weather, and logistics) focused on reef maintenance, nursery cleaning, and coral transplantation. Typically, there is 1 restoration dive per day.
What is the difference between volunteering vs internship?
There is no difference and your impact is the same.
Indonesian regulations require volunteers to have a special volunteer visa. However, visitors on a tourist visa to Bali are allowed to take Educational Internship programs.
Our program is designed for passionate individuals who want to move beyond recreational diving, gain hands-on experience in reef restoration and give back to the reefs.
I am volunteering my time. Why isn't it free?
We are very appreciative of your contributons.
Volunteer and internship programs typically have a fee to cover costs and help fund the on-going restoration work .
In our case, there is the cost for gasoline and captain for the boat, the running of Coral Lab, experienced staff to guide and supervise volunteers and interns, permits and materials related to planting corals.
The additional funds go towards our outreach programs to build more coral advocates in communities in Indonesia and the replanting and maintenance of our restoration sites here in Bali.
Is travel or dive insurance required?
Yes, we require proof of dive insurance before your first restoration dive. We can recommend providers if you don’t already have coverage.
Why is the internship not available in certain times?
Our staff is on the field typically at the start and end of month for various restoration work like coral spawning monitoring, workshops in other parts of Indonesia or training programs. As such, nobody will be at our Coral Lab to help coordinate and supervise the interns during those periods.
What does a non-diving day look like?
Occasionally there may be non-dive days for gear maintenance, education material preparations or general clean-ups of the Coral Lab. On free days, you may spend the day exploring the island.
READY TO MAKE AN IMPACT?
The reefs of Bali need you. Join us for a fulfilling experience of learning about the corals, how restoration works and helping hands on during the internship to replant the reefs here in Bali.