I wasn’t sure if moving from the city to a remote island would work out for me. I’ve always loved traveling, adventure, and new experiences, but living on an island as a volunteer for months felt a little unsettling at first. Yet, the moment my eyes met the horizon and I felt the sea breeze chilling my skin, I knew deep down that I would be just fine there. I came to the island as a Khmer teacher, helping both locals and foreign staff with daily Khmer words and essential phrases to make their work smoother with Cambodian workers. Soon, I became more involved and started working as an interpreter during diving courses for new trainees. Through this, I learned a great deal about marine ecology, the threats facing the ocean, and the efforts being made to protect it. Looking back on the past two months, I feel deeply grateful, for the people I met, the lessons I learned, and the experiences I carried with me from this island life.

I feel like the one month and one week I spent volunteering with MCC flew by in two days. Scuba diving every day and working on projects with a high level of scientific rigour were the things that stimulated me the most during this experience, as was living with the locals and learning about their culture. It was a very enriching experience that I would highly recommend to anyone.

I loved my experience with MCC. I was able to discover the marine world of Cambodia and take part in a large number of projects. It was really interesting to see and learn scientific methods for observing marine species. I truly felt like I was contributing to something meaningful. I particularly enjoyed the seahorse and block surveys while diving, since there were so many parameters to identify and data to collect. The staff were always available to explain their work and their projects, which was very enriching. I learned an incredible amount, and it made me want to work in environmental protection. I felt well integrated, both with the Khmer and the Westerners. There was a really good atmosphere that I appreciated. The living conditions were great, at first, it felt a bit strange to shower in such conditions, but you get used to it very quickly.

During my time volunteering with MCC, I had so many opportunities to go on dives, refine my skills, and spot the cute cryptic critters I adore. I really enjoyed accompanying the lead researcher of the seagrass and seahorse projects, putting into practice some surveying techniques underwater. It was cool to see how much of a difference the protected area is making to the health of the seagrass meadows. The staff were super knowledgeable and friendly and being surrounded by such passionate people made my stay an absolute pleasure. I left feeling inspired to carry this experience back home to Australia, and of course, I’ll never forget all the super yummy food!

My 3-month volunteering journey with Marine Conservation Cambodia is valuable and full of new exciting experiences. I've never had a background in conservation, let alone knowledge of marine life. It's incredibly refreshing to see myself progress from knowing nothing about marine species to someone who can actually identify dolphin swim styles. It's truly humbling to have learned so much about marine Cambodia ecosystems in such a short time.
I joined the marine mammal projects, and I can honestly say I learned far more than I expected. Not only did I learn how to conduct dolphin surveys, but I also picked up skills like snorkeling, diving, spotting seahorses, and identifying their species.
Seeing the passion and dedication of the MCC team was truly inspiring. The diversity of activities, combined with the warmth and kindness of the people, made my time at Koh Ach Seh truly special. The marine life was absolutely stunning, and it was inspiring to see how MCC's work is making a tangible difference.
If you're looking to make a real difference and learn about the incredible marine life of Cambodia, I can't recommend this experience enough.

During my stay I was working and helping out in a lot of projects making for a fun and varied experience. Besides my work as a volunteer I also managed to do my Rescue Diver as well as my Divemaster improving my diving skills further. In general I had a great life on the Island starting with the nice and welcoming atmosphere and nice people, the good food and ending with all the interesting projects you can partake in.
And with the warm weather year-round, you can always jump into the water for a swim or snorkel, enjoying the beautiful reef and exploring the fascinating seagrass meadows.

I worked as a volunteer with MCC from September 2023 to August 2024 and my personal experience was only positive. I learned a lot about Marine Conservation but also Marine life. Thanks to the amazing team on the island, it was also easy to get used to all the challenges for example living in the jungle or only being able to leave the island on certain days. As a big fan of diving and the ocean, my needs were met. Diving was a huge part in the daily work activities therefore I enjoyed each day. Due to living with the people you work with I also had the chance to be part of a great family. I feel also extremely lucky to have lived and learned so much about the Khmer culture and also be a part of their life. Of course there were also hard days, due to the weather there is often a change of plans or the work that had to be done couldn’t have been made. As well as the language barrier and the cultural differences it is of course a challenge to unterstand everything. But it just makes it all an adventure!
My time at MCC has marked me a lot and I will always cherish it.