Croatia Expedition – Marine Only

Diving in one of the most beautiful parts of Europe
2 and 4 week projects available in 2024

Croatia & Silba

Duration

2-4 weeks

Interests

Marine

Opwall fee

From $2,000.00 ($200.00 deposit)

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Overview
Objectives
Skills you gain
Costs to Consider
Site Conditions

2024 Dates

2 weeks: 2 weeks marine only – 15 August – 28 August 2024
4 weeks: 4 weeks marine only – 1 August – 28 August 2024

Click Here for Expedition Dates

You will be based on the beautiful and peaceful Silba Island. You will start with some training, beginning with the opportunity to complete a PADI Open Water dive training course if you would like to learn and are not already qualified, followed by a compulsory Mediterranean ecology and survey techniques course, with two lectures and two practicals each day (either by diving or snorkelling). Those of you not completing dive training will spend their second week assisting with some of the research surveys on Mediterranean fish communities, the recovery of the Noble Pen (Pinna nobilis) mollusc populations, the impact of sea urchin populations and the role of seagrass meadows in supporting fish and invertebrate biodiversity.

Croatia Marine Research Objectives

Silba Island

Silba Island is in the northern Dalmatian archipelago and is a car and hotel free island. The island markets itself as a haven of tranquillity and much of the island is still covered by Mediterranean black oak and maquis. The objective for our partners on this island is to develop the first marine research centre for northern Dalmatia and they have a series of research projects on seagrass, sea urchins, protected species and fisheries, as well as marine plastics.

Attend lectures/workshops on biodiversity and conservation
PADI Open water dive qualification
Participate in Adriatic ecology course
Help in estimating the health of sea grass
Help in establishing No-take zones for fishing
Learn to estimate population of endemic and endangered Nobel shell
Learn to adapt to team work and experience its importance

Opwall fee
Cost of international flights into and out of Split or Zadar.
Cost of internal travel to and from the start and end point of the expedition, plus any hotels you might require. Standard package costs around £105 or $137.
Extra nights’ accommodation in Split or Zadar costs £110 or $143 (breakfast included).
Dive equipment rental – £50 or $75 per week for a full dive kit. If you only wish to snorkel and want to hire snorkel equipment, the cost is £25 or $38 per week. Please note that wetsuits cannot be provided – you should bring your own.
Park entrance fees – £26 or $33
PADI manual and PIC card (if you are completing your Open Water qualification) – £69 or $89 approx.
Vaccinations and prophylactic medicines – cost can vary depending on your healthcare provider.
All prices in GBP or USD unless specified.
ETIAS – please refer to our travel information for more detail

Most of our volunteers fundraise for their expedition costs. Find out more.

Climate
Croatia is hot during this time of the year! In both Krka and Silba the daytime temperature rarely drops below 30 degrees and can reach 40 degrees.

Fitness level required
Moderate. Whilst there are not many steep hikes in the forest, the hikes are still quite long and the temperature can make them tiring.

Creature comforts
In Silba it will be in dormitories with shared bathroom facilities and good phone signal.

Locations

Croatia
Silba

Croatia
Croatia is situated between the Balkans and central Europe with a long coastline on the Adriatic Sea. Encompassing more than a thousand islands it is also crossed by the Dinaric Alps and is geographically diverse, featuring craggy peaks, caverns, river canyons, waterfalls and picturesque lakes. The country covers an area of 56,600 square kilometres and has a population of more than 4.5 million. Croatia has a rich cultural legacy which is well in evidence in its largest and capital city, Zagreb, the historic coastal city of Dubrovnik and the Roman ruins of the ancient port city of Split. ...
Learn about Croatia
Silba
Silba Island is in the northern Dalmation archipelago and is a picturesque car and hotel free island. Covered by Mediterranean black oak and maquis, it has an area of only 15 km², and during the winter has just 250 inhabitants. However during the summer the population can rise to over 6000 inhabitants, and the island is becoming an increasingly popular tourist destination. The local population has a high dependency on the marine environment and surrounding marine ecosystem, but this ecosystem is facing increasing pressure from the rising numbers of tourists. Whilst on site students stay in a house which ...
Learn about Silba