GoEco > Europe > Spain > Marine Conservation in Barcelona

Spain – Marine Conservation in Barcelona

Fast Facts

Scuba dive into the beautiful waters of the Spanish Mediterranean to help clean up pollutants that threaten local marine life. Experience Barcelona’s unique culture and spend your days diving and protecting nature in one of the world’s most beautiful places.

As an ocean conservation volunteer, you will learn and improve your scuba diving skills while being actively involved in restoring the natural state of the marine ecosystem of the Mediterranean Sea.

Program Highlights:

Become part of a worldwide movement of passionate people dealing with the global challenge of litter and the impact human development is having on the marine environment
Scuba dive in the Mediterranean sea while protecting the local environment from pollution
Meet other like-minded volunteers from all over the world
Discover Barcelona, one of the most vibrant cities in the world.
Learn about the Marine ecosystem and how you can protect it
Raise awareness within the community in the marine preservation
cause

Schedule at a Glance (Recommended minimum of 2 weeks):

Day 1 – Arrival Day – Sunday: Pickup at Barcelona International Airport “El Prat” and transfer to accommodations.
Day 2 – Monday: Orientation session, including an introduction to Spain, volunteer experience overview, safety guidelines and city tour.
Day 3-6, Tue-Fri: Scuba lessons and certification occurs in the mornings from 09:00am until 02:00 pm. Learn from professionals how to scuba dive and clean the ocean floor of debris. Learn the basics of underwater exploration and get certified. During the week in the afternoons you’ll have free time to relax or explore the beautiful city of Barcelona.
Day 7-8, Sat-Sun: Free weekend. Explore Barcelona, take Spanish lessons, or enroll in other activities we have programmed. Departure is on a Saturday.

Ongoing weeks: Each consecutive week provides more diving opportunities and the chance to further your diving certifications.

Location of the Project:Barcelona, Spain

Project length: Minimum 1 week – Maximum 12 weeks

Arrival Airport: Barcelona Airport (BCN), El Prat de Llobregat

Volunteer Work: Volunteers will scuba dive to help clean the seabed from pollution and debris and help protect Barcelona’s rich Mediterranean ecosystem.

Age: Minimum age of 18

Number of Volunteers: Maximum 12

Important Note: The MC in Barcelona includes internationally recognized CMAS (World Underwater Federation) diving certifications. There are 3 different levels according to the volunteer diving experience, from beginners to people with already some experience to advanced divers. All the diving and volunteer equipment is included.

What’s Included

Accommodations: Dormitories in a social hostel, 15 minutes from the city center. Optional private rooms for an extra fee and subject to availability.

Food: Breakfast and lunch

Airport Transfers: Airport pickup

Orientation: Training and introductions provided upon arrival

Support: Comprehensive and professional pre-departure travel guidance, 24/7 GoEco emergency hotline, experienced local field team.

What’s not Included

Flights, visas (if required), travel health insurance, budget for diners, personal expenses, daily transportation to/from the program on public transportation (budget 40 EUR for the month), Budget around 100-200 Euros per week for excursions in and around Barcelona

Location

Barcelona, Spain. The diving club is in Sant Adrià de Besòs, one of the most appreciated municipalities in Barcelona for its beaches and sporting events, mainly aquatic sports. Near the diving club, you can find some of the most famous Barcelona beaches, such as Platja del Fòrum or Platja del Camp de la Bota.

Volunteer Work

Volunteers’ daily tasks can vary depending on the time of the year, but can include:

Clean-up the seabed to reduce the marine debris—equipped with diving equipment and nets; logging information on items and trash collected;
Remove the marine living organisms from the trash collected and put it back in the sea;
Document and collect information about fauna, fish and invertebrate species in a monitored biodiverse area as part of a scientific research project;
Learning more about the marine ecosystem and how to protect it and collect and register information about the biodiversity in an ecosystem created with the natural colonization of a former dismantled thermal power plant.
If you volunteer in the Summer, you might also help in the summer camps for kids at risk of marginalization or with fewer opportunities through assisting with their dives or developing workshops about the sea and the environment.

Program achievements
138 kgs of trash collected last year
2021 goal: To collect 500 kgs

A typical weekday may look like this:

08:00-09:00 am | Breakfast at the volunteer’s accommodation
09:00-12:30 am | Take the metro to the project and do your first dive of the week. You will start by learning the fundamentals and after a couple of days you will start the eco-diving
01:30-02:00 pm | Take the metro back to the volunteer accommodation (about 1.5 hour commute).
02:00-02:30 pm | Lunchtime
02:30-07:00 pm | Relaxing & Travel time. Usually, the afternoons are free to travel around the city, learn Spanish, or relax. Sometimes, you can also dive during the afternoons depending on the specialties or certification you are doing. Your instructor will inform you about this on the first day.

Sample of Diving Plan – Depends on your diving level and the number of weeks you join.

Note: volunteers with no diving experience will learn to dive before engaging in any underwater conservation activities. The program fee covers the cost of the required online and in-person training, full scuba equipment, and volunteer supervision from an experienced dive instructor. All volunteers complete internationally recognized diving certifications (CMAS). Depending on the current diving experience and the length of the stay, the volunteer will complete a certification ranging from Open Water Diver to Advanced Open Water Diver and specialties such as Marine Ecology and Fish. The project works with a local diving school, therefore the volunteer will always be supervised by an experienced dive instructor.

*Participants that join for 1 week only get diving activities on Tues, Wed and Thur. (this is the schedule for the 1st week for 1 week bookings).

Living Arrangements

Internet icon Internet: Free Wi-Fi is available at the volunteer accommodation.

Laundry icon Laundry: There are laundry facilities available.

Accommodations icon Accommodations: As a volunteer, you will stay in a social hostel with a meaningful mission, located 15 minutes from the city center. Accommodation options include dormitories with gender separation and shared bathrooms. Bed sheets are provided, and volunteers can store their belongings safely in a lockable box. Private rooms are available upon request for an extra fee and subject to availability.

Food icon Food: The program provides two daily meals prepared by local chefs: breakfast and lunch. The food features fresh, locally sourced ingredients, allowing volunteers to savor a diverse range of traditional Catalan and Spanish dishes. We can accommodate most dietary restrictions or needs. Just mention this in your application form.

Requirements

Minimum 18 years old
GoEco interview
Basic level of English
Criminal background check
Your respiratory and circulatory systems must be in good health for diving
No other serious medical issues

Travel Highlights

Barcelona has some of the most incredible sites in the world. Gaudi’s world-famous architecture, unparalleled Catalonian cuisine, gorgeous beaches, and incredible local culture. The city is also a springboard for easily visiting the rest of Spain and Europe. We will provide you with excellent advice to discover Barcelona like a local! Weekday afternoons and weekends are free for exploring and relaxing.