Internship Programmes – Maldives

Discover the world of sea turtle conservation through our immersive three- or six-month internship programmes in sea turtle biology and/or husbandry, or our nine-month internship programme in sea turtle conservation. All the internship programmes are based at one of our partner resorts and come with a stipend, domestic transfers, accommodation and meals. Join us to explore if a career in sea turtle conservation is right for you! 

Please note that you must be at least 18 years of age, have the legal right to live and work in the Maldives, and be fluent in Dhivehi and English to be considered for all internship programmes in the Maldives.

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Being a part of ORP has been such an incredible experience. I was entrusted with a lot of responsibilities that helped me grow. The Rescue Centre team was always there to answer every question and guide me through my time at the Rescue Centre. I spent an unforgettable five months with ORP, and I hope to work closely with them in the future.”

— Asha Ahmed, Former Rescue Centre Intern

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“To work on an island, dive with sea turtles, observe nesting turtles and hatchlings was a dream come true. I learned how to locate and excavate sea turtle nests, measure a sea turtle, and I even picked up life skills such as public speaking. My knowledge on sea turtle biology and research grew so much during my six month internship with ORP. This is only the beginning!”

— Sarah Ibrahim, Former Sea Turtle Biologist Intern, Current ORP Maldives Project Assistant

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“I had an amazing opportunity to work with ORP in three different areas: In Laamu, I focused on turtle photo identification, discovering their uniqueness and how to study the population. At the Baa rescue center, I gained hands-on experience caring for injured sea turtles, and in Noonu, I focused on nesting turtles. These experiences not only increased my turtle knowledge but also highlighted the importance of understanding and protecting ocean life.”

— Mohamed Athif Adam, Current ‘9-month’ Intern

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Sea Turtle Conservation Internship

Our 12-month educational Sea Turtle Conservation Internship Programme is an immersive journey in all things sea turtles. Designed to train and empower young Maldivians, this programme delivers hands-on experiences and comprehensive learning in sea turtle conservation practices, including research, rehabilitation and outreach.

The goal of the Sea Turtle Conservation Internship Programme is not only to identify future talent for ORP, but also to provide you with a firsthand professional experience of what it would be like to work in this field and equip you with the knowledge and skills you need to pursue a career in sea turtle conservation. You must be a certified open water SCUBA diver to be considered for this internship programme.

The sea turtle internship programme is divided into two phases, each lasting six months. During the first phase, the interns are based at our Marine Turtle Rescue Centre in Baa Atoll. They work under the guidance of ORP’s veterinary team and learn about sea turtle husbandry and rehabilitation, research, and the operations of a rescue centre. They also get a first row view of many novel practices in sea turtle medicine. 

The second phase of the programme focuses on research and educational outreach. The interns will be in the field (and in the water), working with our sea turtle biologist in Laamu Atoll. The sea turtle biologist will provide training in sea turtle research methods and data collection for population studies such as Photo-ID, nest monitoring and nest excavation, data processing and analysis, database management and report writing. The interns will also take part in educational and community outreach event planning and execution.

Each intern is expected to deliver a project whilst working with ORP. The project may be self-generated, based on an intern’s particular area of interest, or selected from a list provided. The project is an opportunity for the interns to apply their knowledge, solve problems, collaborate with others, and create something useful and impactful.

In addition to hand-on and in-field training, the intern programme includes tutorials and lessons in sea turtle biology, anatomy, ecology, threats to sea turtles, sea turtle conservation, data management, public speaking, social media and more.

Rescue Centre Internship Programme

The six-month Rescue Centre Internship Programme aims to provide the interns with skills in the areas of sea turtle care and husbandry, sea turtle research, and the wider field of sea turtle and ocean conservation through the work of ORP. With this programme, we hope to inspire more people to study marine and veterinary sciences in the Maldives.

As a Rescue Centre intern, you will be based at ORP’s Marine Turtle Rescue Centre at Coco Palm Dhuni Kolhi in Baa Atoll. You will work under the supervision of the veterinary team, consisting of the lead veterinary surgeon, a veterinary surgeon and an associate veterinary surgeon, and will collaborate with other ORP team members and volunteers as required.

In addition to hand-on and in-field training, you will get tutorials and lessons in sea turtle biology, anatomy, threats to sea turtles, sea turtle conservation, public speaking, social media and more. Your daily work will include assisting the veterinary team with:

• triaging newly admitted patients
• diet preparation and turtle patient feeding
• routine health checks and care of turtle patients
• upkeep of turtle patient hygiene
• running and maintaining the Rescue Centre facilities and clinic
• releasing rehabilitated turtle patients
• arranging transport for injured sea turtles to the Rescue Centre
• organising volunteers and volunteer activities
• guiding visitors to the Rescue Centre
• local outreach activities

If you are lucky, you will also experience nesting and hatching events and help excavate hatched nests.

Each intern is expected to deliver a project whilst working with ORP. The project may be self-generated, based on an intern’s particular area of interest, or selected from a list provided. The project is an opportunity for the interns to apply their knowledge, solve problems, collaborate with others, and create something useful and impactful.

Sea Turtle Biologist Internship Programmes

Sea turtle Biologist Internship, Laamu

The six-month Sea Turtle Biologist Internship Programme in Laamu aims to provide the interns with skills in the areas of sea turtle research and the wider field of sea turtle and ocean conservation through the work of ORP. With this programme, we hope to inspire more people to study marine and conservation sciences in the Maldives, and actively participate in the conservation of sea turtles.

As a sea turtle biologist intern in Laamu, you will be based at Six Senses Laamu and work under the supervision of ORP’s sea turtle biologist and Maldives Underwater Initiative (MUI), and will collaborate with other ORP team members as required. You must be a certified open water SCUBA diver to be considered for this internship programme.

In addition to hand-on and in-field training, you will get tutorials and lessons in sea turtle biology, threats to sea turtles, sea turtle conservation, public speaking, social media, advanced open water SCUBA diving and more. Your daily work will include assisting the sea turtle biologist and the MUI team with:

• in-water surveys photographing sea turtles whilst snorkelling or diving
• maintaining and updating sea turtle encounter submissions in the database
• routine monitoring of the sea turtle nesting beaches
• nest watch activities
• nesting and hatching events
• nest excavations and relocations
• data collection and data entry from nesting and hatching events
• guest interactions and activities
• community outreach

Each intern is expected to deliver a project whilst working with ORP. The project may be self-generated, based on an intern’s particular area of interest, or selected from a list provided. The project is an opportunity for the interns to apply their knowledge, solve problems, collaborate with others, and create something useful and impactful.

Sea Turtle Biologist & Rehabilitation Centre Internship Programme Noonu or Raa

The six-month Sea Turtle Biologist Internship Programmes in Noonu and Raa aim to provide the interns with skills in the areas of sea turtle research, sea turtle husbandry, and the wider field of sea turtle and ocean conservation through the work of ORP. With this programme, we hope to inspire more people to study marine, conservation and veterinary sciences in the Maldives, and actively participate in the conservation of sea turtles.

As a sea turtle biologist intern in Noonu, you will be based at Soneva Jani. As a sea turtle biologist in Raa, you will be based at JOALI BEING. In both locations you will work under the supervision of ORP’s resident sea turtle biologist and veterinary team, and will collaborate with other ORP team members as required.

In addition to hand-on and in-field training, you will get tutorials and lessons in sea turtle biology, sea turtle anatomy, threats to sea turtles, sea turtle conservation, public speaking, social media, and more. Your daily work will include assisting the sea turtle biologist and the resort marine biology team with:

• nest watch activities
• nesting and hatching events
• nest excavations and relocations
• data collection and data entry from nesting and hatching events
• turtle patient feeding
• routine care of turtle patients
• running and maintaining the rehabilitation facilities
• releasing rehabilitated turtle patients
• guiding visitors to the rehabilitation centre
• in-water surveys photographing sea turtles whilst snorkelling or diving
• maintaining and updating sea turtle encounter submissions in the database
• routine monitoring of the sea turtle nesting beaches
• guest interactions
• community outreach

Each intern is expected to deliver a project whilst working with ORP. The project may be self-generated, based on an intern’s particular area of interest, or selected from a list provided. The project is an opportunity for the interns to apply their knowledge, solve problems, collaborate with others, and create something useful and impactful.