Arborek Island · Raja Ampat · Indonesia
A programme that changes the reef.
A UK not-for-profit on a Papuan island in the heart of the Coral Triangle. You arrive unable to dive. You leave as a citizen scientist.
However long you can give us, there's a place for you. All expeditions include all survey and fun dives, science training, food, accommodation, and full support from our on site team; full PADI dive training for non divers is included on every length except our shortest, 2–3 week option. The longer you stay, the further your money goes, and the deeper your involvement gets.
2–4 Week Expeditions
Our shortest option, for those with limited time available, but who still want to contribute to our marine conservation and science research projects. What you get is a focused taste of the varies projects. In your first few days you'll get targeted lectures, likely covering coral ecology and bleaching, Manta Ray ID and Crown of Thorns Starfish, giving you what you need to get straight onto survey dives. From there you'll join the survey team, get involved in marine debris clean ups, and pitch in on whatever community projects are running that week. It's a great fit if your annual leave is tight but you still want real hands on involvement.
£1,495 – £1,895
Apply for 2–4 weeks4–6 Week Expeditions
This is our recommended length of stay, as during a 4-6 week stay everything really clicks. Your first one to two weeks cover dive training (if needed), with reef check science training following straight on, so it's really from week three or four onwards that you get stuck into full survey diving. Alongside your training you'll get lectures covering coral ecology and bleaching, Crown of Thorns Starfish, and manta ray identification. Expect to complete your PADI Open Water and Advanced Open Water (if needed) pass your reef ID science tests, and join the survey team for coral reef monitoring, marine debris clean ups, and hands on community projects like teaching English. You'll leave having made a genuine, measurable contribution to most of our marine conservation & science research projects.
£1,895 – £2,350
Apply for 4–6 weeks6–8 Week Expeditions
This is the sweet spot for most volunteers. With training out of the way early on, you get 4–5 solid weeks of full survey diving, data collection and community involvement: enough time to really see a project through, build relationships in the village, and watch your dive skills and species ID knowledge sharpen with every dive. It's also long enough to take on an extra PADI qualification, like Rescue Diver, alongside your survey work. If you're already a qualified diver, this length also gives you enough time to complete the Divemaster course (7–8 weeks minimum for qualified divers).
£2,350 – £2,750
Apply for 6–8 weeks8-12+ Week Expeditions
For volunteers who want to go all in. Eight to twelve weeks or even more, means you become a genuine fixture of the project: taking on more responsibility in survey teams, getting properly embedded in community projects and reef restoration nursery work, and having time to pursue the full PADI Divemaster pathway, even from scratch if you're joining as a non diver (we require a minimum 12 week stay for this route). This is the length for anyone considering a future in marine conservation, or the diving industry as a divemaster or dive instructor. You'll leave with a CV full of hands on in-field experience, not just a stamp in your logbook.
£2,750 – £3,550
Apply for 8–12 weeksFull week by week pricing (2–12 weeks) is available on request. The longer you stay, the lower your per week rate drops, from £748/week at 2 weeks down to £296/week at 12 weeks.
What an expedition costs
Every length from two to twelve weeks, exactly as Barefoot quotes it.
| Weeks | Total | Per week |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | £1,495 | £748 |
| 3 | £1,695 | £565 |
| 4 | £1,895 | £474 |
| 5 | £2,150 | £430 |
| 6 | £2,350 | £392 |
| 7 | £2,550 | £364 |
| 8 | £2,750 | £344 |
| 9 | £2,950 | £328 |
| 10 | £3,150 | £315 |
| 11 | £3,350 | £305 |
| 12 | £3,550 | £296 |
Per-week figures are the total divided by the number of weeks.
Staying longer than twelve weeks? Add £200 per extra week.
What is taken care of, and what is not
Included
- accommodation
- three meals a day
- all dive training up to Advanced Open Water
- tanks/weights/air
- science training
- all survey and fun dives (up to 12/week when possible)
- a free EFR training (PADI course fees still apply)
- transfers from Sorong ferry port to basecamp
- 24hr field support
- and full community project involvement
Not included
- flights
- in transit accommodation
- visas
- park/tourism fees
- insurance
- PADI manuals/certification
- personal dive gear
- extra courses
- and personal spending money
Not for the essentials, but budget for the odd treat. On site, expect to spend around 500,000 to 750,000 IDR a week (roughly £25 to £38) depending on how much beer, soft drinks, and snacks from the village shop you get through, plus laundry (around 100,000 IDR a load). Before you arrive, also budget roughly £185 for in transit costs (transfers, meals and a night's hotel in Sorong). See the Dive Training section for optional course pricing.
Deposit & cancellation
A £200 deposit is required to secure your place and is not refundable in all circumstances. Cancel within 4 weeks of your start date and there's no refund; earlier cancellations are handled case by case. Once you've joined the project, there's no refund for leaving early. We strongly recommend trip cancellation insurance. Please read our full Terms & Conditions, especially the cancellation section, before booking.
Full detail in the terms and conditions.