Programme Overview
Immerse yourself in the Ankay Conservation Experience. Each stay is fully personalized and all-inclusive—accommodation, meals, transportation, equipment, training, and extensive diving—so you can arrive, settle in, and focus entirely on learning, exploring, and enjoying the experience.
Whether you are an experienced diver or completely new to diving, our diving and ecological monitoring program will transform the way you understand the underwater world.
Join us in our mission to protect the ocean through knowledge and action.
About the Organization
Our mission is to empower people through hands-on citizen science and education, building meaningful awareness of coral reef health while contributing reliable monitoring data. Through collaboration and community engagement, we support long-term reef conservation across the region.
We are guided by our core values: Bliss, Awareness, and Excellence.
About the Programme
Ankay Conservation’s fish (vertebrate) monitoring program is designed to provide a broad understanding of the abundance, diversity, and distribution of reef fish communities at a regional scale, while also generating site-specific datasets across different depths.
Participants are trained by a PADI Instructor, progressing to at least PADI Open Water certification, with a strong focus on the diving skills essential for scientific surveys—particularly buoyancy control, awareness, and precise observation.
What Can Volunteers Expect?
During your stay, you will be trained by a Conservation Instructor in fish monitoring techniques. You will gain access to extensive theoretical content covering reef ecology, fish identification, and our data collection methodology, while quickly transitioning into the water to develop practical survey skills.
In practical terms, your role as a volunteer is to survey the abundance of key reef fish species, contributing directly to long-term monitoring efforts and regional datasets.
What Do We Expect from Volunteers?
Volunteers are expected to:
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Attend all theoretical training sessions
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Study independently when necessary to strengthen species identification skills
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Complete fish surveys once training is completed
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Rinse, store, and care for dive equipment each afternoon
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Accurately enter survey data into our monitoring spreadsheets
Do Volunteers Need Special Equipment?
If you have your own dive equipment, you are welcome to bring it. However, all required dive equipment is available on-site.
Location
Our center is located on Solarte Island, part of the Bocas del Toro Archipelago in Panama. Surrounded by lush jungle and just 80 meters from the ocean, the site offers a unique blend of immersion in nature and comfort.
We are only a 10-minute boat ride from the main island (Isla Colón), where you’ll find a wide range of restaurants, supermarkets, and nightlife—offering the perfect balance between tranquility and accessibility.
In December 2019, Bocas del Toro was designated a Hope Spot by Mission Blue. The region supports exceptional marine biodiversity, including sharks, sea turtles, bottlenose dolphins, over 120 sponge species, three species of mangroves, and a rich diversity of Caribbean reef fish and corals.
Duration
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Certified divers (Open Water or higher): minimum stay of 2 weeks
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Non-certified divers: a 3-week program is recommended to allow time for training, experience-building, and meaningful contribution
With prior coordination, 2-week customized programs can be arranged for non-certified divers.
