Seychelles conservation holiday
Age limits 21 - 60 years.
Description of Seychelles conservation holiday
This exciting opportunity is open to volunteers aged 21 to 60 who can commit to a minimum of four weeks on a private island in the Seychelles, contributing directly to wildlife conservation and habitat restoration.
About the Island
North Island lies within a marine biodiversity hotspot and pristine sanctuary, home to giant tortoises, rare birds, and endangered Sea Turtles. As a key nesting site for both Green and Hawksbill Turtles, the island offers volunteers the chance to assist with daily monitoring, nest translocations, data collection, and turtle patrols.
Your Role
Volunteers support the island’s Environmental Team - dedicated conversation and research staff - with reforestation, biodiversity monitoring, invasive species control, and marine and coastal conservation work. Tasks vary from beach patrols patrols and habitat restoration work to ocean trash removal and snorkelling for fish and coral identification purposes.
No prior experience is required, but we request that volunteers have a good level of fitness as some of the activities are very physical. Volunteers must also be prepared for hot and humid conditions, as well as the occasional tropical downpour! The ability to follow instructions well and be adaptable is crucial - while there are schedules and itineraries, nature often has other ideas and no two days here are the same.
Daily Life as a Volunteer
Beautiful sandy beaches, rugged hillsides and clear blue ocean water provides the backdrop to your month in paradise. You’ll share a house with a maximum of three other volunteers, and socialise with island staff at the lively staff village. Volunteers work six days a week with Fridays off for rest or leisure. Days start early with breaks built into the schedule to avoid the midday heat, and from around 4pm volunteers are free to relax, swim, snorkel, or paddleboard. SUP boards, surfboards and sea kayaks are available for volunteers to use at the staff beach during their breaks or free time.
Why Join?
This conservation experience in the Seychelles is unlike any other. Whether you're an aspiring conservationist, a nature lover, or simply craving a meaningful adventure, this is your chance to contribute to real-world impact in paradise. While it is hard work, it is a unique opportunity to play a hands-on role in protecting endangered species. Watching turtle hatchlings make their way to the sea for the very first time is a life-changing experience!
This organisation is proud to be a conservation partner on North Island, working closely with the island's Environmental Management team to support their goals. An award-winning non-profit organisation, providing volunteers with the opportunity to contribute to globally significant conservation efforts.
Price information
Age limits 21 - 60 years.
Check dates
Travel guides
Holiday information
Reviews
2 Reviews of Seychelles conservation holiday
Reviewed on 15 Nov 2016 by Louise Banks
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Every second, from getting on the boat to going to leaving, everyday was marked with memories. Snorkeling and beach patrol were my favourites along with spending time with Elliott, one of the environmental team, he was a very knowledgeable man and taught me so much, however, planting, data input, tortoise GPS tracking, driving the buggy to name a few of the other jobs i did were equally fun and rewarding.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Enjoy every moment, as time vanishes on North Island, 4 weeks felt like 4 days. Take time to get to know everyone on the island, everyone is so interesting
and holds so much knowledge. Always have a camera with you. Take plenty of bug spray and once you pack your case, open it back up and take out half of it, camera, good shoes for climbing the trails, flip flops are all you really need, your live in staff uniform, you receive a list of what they advise and if just going to island that is all you need.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
Yes, the project on the island is to take it back to how the Seychelles once was, enabling endangered wildlife to return and live in conditions they once knew
when they thrived. In working on the team you allow the permanent members of staff to get on with important work whist you collect data needed for this
and get to see so much wildlife. I Believe the island is about to receive an award for all there hard work.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
A trip of a lifetime, would advise anyone looking at this to just book now, you wont be disappointed, the project is set up and very well run, everyone is very
accommodating, happy and helpful. I could talk for hours about all my experiences and still have stories to tell. Amazing, you will never experience anything like this anywhere else, clean air, clear night skies filled with stars, standing on a beach without another person, sun rises and sunsets, living your own wildlife documentary and being surrounded with kind honest people.
Thank you Responsible Travel for finding this project, its what dreams are made of.
Reviewed on 06 Jul 2015 by LINDA VERNON
1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?
Beach walking ,recording locations of nests. seeing the hatch-lings making for the sea. It is another world where you can totally relax leaving your worries behind you and putting things in perspective. Enjoy the snorkeling and the giant tortoise learning their behaviour.
Taking part in a project which is designed to encourage the survival and thriftiness of some of the threatened species in the Seychelles. Removing some of the invasive vegetation and species as required.
2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?
Be happy and confident enough to be able to enjoy the moments when you are alone with nature. everything is provided so travel light .Free laundry, three meals a day, your own wooden hut in the jungle village with own bathroom ,shower and fan, the clothes you wear etc. Arrive early or stay on late if you want to see the rest of the Seychelles. leaving and returning to the island during your months stay is rather difficult because of ferry times.Be prepared to mix in with the 150 permanent residents and make friends if you want to really get the most from your holiday.
3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, reduced environmental impacts or supported conservation?
It helped local people to a degree by providing an environment encouraging the
development of the original habitat of the Seychelles which in turn encourages managed tourism bringing money to the islands in support off the local population.the idea is to make environmental impact a positive input.
One or two anomolies do occur but it is the money from the tourism that funds the development of the environment on as island like this -so just remember that.
4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?
A unique experience from which you gain as much as you put in. I loved it.THERE IS NO AGE LIMIT .Anyone can earn and enjoy the fullfilment.
Responsible Travel
Planet
When North Island was abandoned as a plantation in the 1970’s following the collapse of the coconut industry, many unwanted and intrusive species of flora and fauna remained behind such as coconuts, casuarina, cows, rats, pigs, Indian Mynah birds, cats, barn owls and an especially invasive weed called lantana. After the alarm bell had been sounded by prominent ecologists, the challenge was undertaken of not only reversing the Island’s decline but of taking the long road towards the restoration of the Island to its former glory. A cornerstone of this bold initiative has been the “Noah’s Ark” concept by which tortoises and certain species of birds are gradually being re-introduced to the Island along with such indigenous trees as takamama, badamier and the legendary coco-de-mer palm. The island also emphasises on keeping the environment clean by not letting waste water contaminate the environment. The on-going process of conservation is at the very heart of North Island’s philosophy and of this volunteer trip.People
North Island encourages Wildlife Groups of the Seychelles (including schools and universities) to visit North Island periodically. A full programme is put together to ensure that learners and students are able to experience the wonders of the island, while at the same time learn about the importance of island and ocean conservation and its relevance to their lives. The activities we do with the Wildlife groups include tree planting and various conservation presentations and an island tour where the history of the island is explained together with the Noah’s Ark program.Our eco-tourists are also encouraged to explore the other islands of the Seychelles and support local tourism when they can. There are multiple ferries to Praslin and La Digue over the weekends, allowing volunteers and eco-tourists to take day trips to the islands during their down time. The Vallee de Mai, a world heritage site, is located on Praslin and features the beautiful and famous Coco de Mer palm.
Popular similar holidays
Praslin and Denis Island holiday in the Seychelles
From £5700 11 days including UK flights
Snorkel, wander & unwind on remote tropical islands
Seychelles island hopping holiday
From £3470 14 days including UK flights
More then just a beach: culture, heritage, wildlife and more
Seychelles small ship cruise, 7 days
From £2043 - £2478 7 days excluding flights
Explore paradise with an intimate small ship cruise
