Coral reef conservation in Belize

Description of Coral reef conservation in Belize

Take an active, hands-on role in directly protecting and conserving our coral reefs that we love via our marine conservation projects and environmental education and awareness program. You will learn about the invasive lionfish that is destroying our native coral reefs and participate in our dives to spearfish and remove this incredibly destructive species. You will also learn all about coral reef ecosystems, tropical fish, sharks, manatees, dolphins, and many other species from tiny invertebrates to the largest fish in the ocean, the whale shark. You will participate in our marine conservation identification dives to discover the wonders of the marine world. We also cover many more topics from ocean acidification, to climate change, and discover things you can do to combat these issues. Join us and make a difference!

Each week/day will differ but you will be helping and participating in the following areas:

Eradicating invasive species from coral reefs: Invasive Lionfish population control and monitoring (spearing and dissecting lionfish).
Marine conservation education: Learning about coral reefs and marine animals and discover how we can protect our reefs from a warming planet.
Biodiversity (fish, invertebrates, and coral) identification dives to increase one’s knowledge and understanding of coral reef ecosystems.
Weekly beach and island trash/plastic removal on islands of the Belize Barrier Reef.
Depending on the season and length of stay you might not take part in all of these activities above but it is a good bet that you will experience most of them.

PADI Dive Courses Offered on the Island
Our volunteer trips are for both non-experienced and experienced divers. Not certified? No worries, many of our volunteers come to the island to learn to dive. Looking to further your dive credentials? Many of our volunteers come to our island to further their diving certification status. Regardless of your diving level, our island is a wonderful place to learn with calm, clear waters and little current. We swap the cold swimming pool and boring classroom at your local dive shop with the warm Caribbean Sea and a classroom under a palm tree!
We have many dive courses available to help you develop your scuba skills and marine conservation knowledge while on the island volunteering with us. Below is the price our program charges for each PADI certification course and approximately how long it will take you to complete the certification course on the island. Approximate time to complete the course is based on your aptitude, understanding, and your ability to complete the PADI requirements for the course.

PADI Certification Courses Offered on the Island
• Open Water Certification – $295 USD (3 days)*
• Advanced Open Water Certification – $295 USD (3 days)*
• Rescue Diver Certification – $350 USD (1 week)*
• Divemaster Certification – $775 USD (4 week minimum stay)*

PADI Specialty Certification Courses Offered on the Island (One must be open water certified before taking any PADI specialty courses)
PADI Specialties with a Marine Conservation Focus
• Coral Reef Conservation – $185 USD (1 day)
• Fish Identification – $185 USD (2 days)
• Invasive Lionfish – $185 USD (2 days)
• Shark Conservation – $185 USD (2 days)
• Underwater Naturalist – $185 USD (2 days)

PADI Specialties with a Diving Skills Focus
• Deep Diver – $185 USD (3 days)*
• Emergency First Response – $185 USD (1 day)*
• ReActivate Scuba Refresher Course – $125 USD (1 day)*
• Underwater Navigator – $185 USD (3 days)*
• Underwater Photographer – $250 USD (2 days)*

*Please Note: The PADI Open Water, Advanced, Rescue, Divemaster, Deep Diver, Emergency First Response, ReActivate Refresher, Underwater Navigator, and Underwater Photographer courses require the PADI eLearning prior to arrival. All other courses do NOT require the PADI eLearning prior to arrival. You must be a fully certified open water diver before taking any PADI specialty courses.

Departure information