1. What was the most memorable or exciting part of your holiday?

Over the course of a couple of weeks we'd spent hours on one of the research boats peering into the distance trying unsuccessfully to spot whale sharks and dolphins. Unexpectedly we came across a pod of over 50 spinner dolphins who surrounded us as we surfaced from a fish counting dive. Totally unforgettable!

2. What tips would you give other travellers booking this holiday?

The scheme does allow volunteers an opportunity to achieve the PADI and Advanced PADI qualification at a really good price - although these are done in super quick time so those with less experience may find they feel they're 'less useful' to the Researchers whilst they gain experience and confidence in the water. The Research Programme is interesting and varied and the Research team make a massive effort to help you understand their programmes and the particular issues that Utila and the Caribbean ecosystem is facing. Utila itself has undergone a lot of development in recent times and, particularly because of its Anglo-centric history, I would recommend topping or tailing your time on the scheme with an extended visit to mainland Honduras to get a more Central American flavour. Really good support from the UK office in terms of booking flights, accommodation and details on what to expect.

3. Did you feel that your holiday benefited local people, and minimized impacts on the environment?

The programme seems to be one of the only voices trying to influence the impact of tourist development on Utila - absolutely vital if they're to halt the destruction of the coral and fish life that the average tourist comes to look at! As the programme also provides most of the meals they seemed to take care in making sure there wasn't a lot of waste by-products. Utilians themselves seem to be currently riding the short term profit wave of this tourist development and so the programme employs, at a fair rate, migrant Hondurans to clean and cook for the volunteers. Lovely kind ladies who seemed very keen to pick up English language tips and are provided with a better standard of accommodation than others in similar employ on the island.

4. Finally, how would you rate your holiday overall?

Very enjoyable.