Choose Your Adventure
Carriacou, Caribbean.
Where It All Started
Carriacou is a small island in the Grenadines — the kind of place where everyone on the boat knows everyone on the dock. This is where Reef Buddy began, and it's still where our longest-running data sits: our surveys have fed into wider Caribbean reef research, including contributions to Jeremy Jackson's long-term coral reef study.
The Caribbean's reefs have had a harder few decades than most — bleaching events and coral decline have hit this region especially hard. That's not a reason to look away from it. It's the reason the work here matters as much as it does. Every survey, every restoration dive, every hour spent on invasive lionfish removal is pushing against a trend, not just observing one.
You'll be based at Hotel Laurenas, close to the water, with the kind of easy island rhythm that makes a long stay feel less like a program and more like a season of your life.
Dauin, Philippines
The Reef That Changes Every Dive
Dauin sits inside the Coral Triangle — the single richest stretch of marine biodiversity on Earth — but what actually put it on the map is the sand. Dauin's volcanic black sand creates a nutrient-rich substrate that makes this coastline second only to Lembeh globally for macro life diversity: frogfish, pygmy seahorses, and enough strange, wonderful critters that no two dives ever look the same.
Widen the lens a little and it gets better — Apo Island, Siquijor, and Sumilon are all a short boat ride away, giving volunteers access to some of the best reef biodiversity anywhere in the Philippines, not just muck diving.
There's something else going on here too, and we don't fully understand it yet. Dauin sits within a recognized but still-unexplained pocket where reefs seem to resist bleaching far better than you'd expect during major bleaching events elsewhere. Alongside Silliman University's Marine Research Department, we're monitoring reef health here using data protocols that let it be compared against reef sites worldwide — helping build the picture of what's actually protecting this coastline, and what that might mean for reefs everywhere else.
This is Reef Buddy's newer chapter — younger program, same standards, same people who started this in the Caribbean. What's different is the reef itself, and how much there still is to learn here.
You'll be based at Sierra Resort, right on the water, with the dive centre a short walk from your room.
Choose Carriacou if...
You want a coastline with history behind it — years of data, a settled routine, a program that's been part of this island since the beginning.
You're drawn to a coast that needs fighting for — the Caribbean's reefs have taken real damage, and this stretch of water is measurably pushing back against that.
You want a coast that's easy to reach — shorter flights from the US, simpler travel days.
You want a small-island coast — the kind where you'll know most of the harbour by week two, not just the dive sites.
You want your work to feed into research that spans the whole Caribbean coastline, not just one bay.
Which Coast Suits You?
Choose Dauin if...
You want the richest coastline on the planet — the Coral Triangle isn't a marketing phrase, it's what's actually offshore here.
You want a coast built on black volcanic sand — the nutrient-rich seabed that makes this stretch of water second only to Lembeh globally for macro life.
You want a coast with range — Apo Island, Siquijor, and Sumilon sit a short boat ride from shore, each with its own reef character.
You want a coast still holding secrets — Dauin sits in a still-unexplained pocket of bleaching resistance we actively monitor with Silliman University.
You want a coast still being written — same standards, same roots, but a shoreline where there's more room to make a visible mark.
Need More Information?
Reach out to our team and schedule a call. We're here to help you find the perfect fit for your adventure.
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