Discover a new world by helping to conserve the diverse underwater ecosystem of the Belize Barrier Reef from your home base on a private island!
Program Highlights:
Program Schedule:
Arrival Day, Sunday: Arrive at Placencia Airport (PLJ) on Sunday. Volunteers must arrange for their own hotel accommodations for this night (not included in the program fee).
Day 1, Monday: On Monday morning, volunteers will travel by boat to the island, where they will settle in and have an orientation before their first dive in the afternoon. Non-divers will begin their PADI Open Water training.
Days 2-4, Tuesday-Thursday: Volunteers will begin each morning at 6:30 AM with a morning snack of coffee and fruit. The first dive will be at 7:00 AM followed by a hearty breakfast at 8:00 AM. A second dive will be at 11:00 AM followed by lunch served at 1:00 PM. The third dive of the day is at 3:00 PM, followed by dinner at 7:00 PM and free time afterwards. Student-divers will continue with their training and complete their certification by Wednesday evening. Newly scuba certified volunteers will take part in all conservation dives on Thursday and Friday.
Day 5, Friday: All divers will take part in one morning dive, and return to the mainland at 10:30 AM.
Days 6-7, Saturday-Sunday: Weekends are free for volunteers to explore Belize. Weekend hotel accommodations are at volunteers’ own expense. For an additional fee, volunteers can join an array of tours. For those departing, Saturday is departure day from Placencia Airport.
Remaining Weeks: For those staying longer than one week, there will be another boat transfer from the mainland back to the island on Monday morning. The schedule will repeat itself with volunteer work Monday-Friday and weekends on the mainland.
What’s Included
What’s not Included
Belize lies on the eastern coast of Central America and comprises a mainland plus a variety of cays. The Belize Barrier Reef is one of the largest coral reef systems in the world, second only to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, making it a popular diving destination.
Most of this project takes place on a beautiful, private island which is 25 miles from the mainland. Relax in a hammock and explore the tropical Belizean waters surrounding the island! This 1.5 acre island is home to bright, colorful beach cabanas and alluring palm trees and is a secluded paradise for volunteers.
On Fridays and Saturdays, volunteers will return to the mainland. Accommodations are at the tip of the peninsula in a quaint town named Placencia, once called Punta Placencia, or Pleasant Point. Placencia has become a popular beach resort destination, desired for its sparkling beaches.
Coral reefs provide various marine animals with food, protection and shelter, but because of various factors, these delicate ecosystems are under threat. Volunteers will use their diving skills to contribute to the preservation of these ecosystems and will gain experience and knowledge that they can pass on to others. In this way, volunteers continue to leave a positive impact, even after they have left the project.
As a volunteer on this project, you will engage in various marine preservation tasks. These range from survey dives to identification dives and may include whale shark photography. Volunteers will take part in the eradication of the invasive Lionfish species, the data collection of various native species and the assessment of the local coral reef.
Volunteers can choose how much they want to get involved. All dives are voluntary, so you can choose to relax in our hammocks with a good book, fish from the island, or do a bit of sea kayaking or stand up paddle boarding or immerse yourself in conservation volunteering. The choice is yours!
Invasive Lionfish species tasks: Lionfish are originally from the Indio-Pacific Ocean, but were accidentally released into foreign waters. The lionfish population feeds on key marine life, wreaking havoc on the indigenous Belize Barrier Reef ecosystems. They can lay twenty thousand eggs every four days, which is causing a nearly uncontrollable invasion. Volunteers on this project will partake in the eradication of this devastating, non-indigenous species by assisting with the following tasks :
Native species tasks:
Marine Conservation Education:
During the volunteer week, the program offers multiple presentations on practical marine conservation. Learn about protecting coral reefs, identifying marine species, and the effects of plastic pollution.
Weekly Beach cleanup tasks:
Please note: Specific tasks may vary and are subject to change.
2022 Program Accomplishments
Although the pandemic hampered our conservation efforts, thanks to our 2022 volunteers, we still made a difference! We are proud to share the 2022 marine conservation achievement numbers:
Please note this project’s minimum requirements:
During free time on mainland Belize, volunteers can explore all that Belize offers! For an additional fee, volunteers can visit any of the following destinations and more!
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary
Also known as the first jaguar preserve, this wildlife sanctuary is a must-see for wildlife enthusiasts!
Tikal Mayan Ruins
History lovers must visit Guatemala for the day to explore these ancient Mayan temples and ruins, including the Lost World Pyramid and the Temple of the Grand Jaguar.
Monkey River Nature Tour
Enjoy a boat tour of the Monkey River! Enjoy a pleasant boat ride while being on the lookout for howler monkeys.
Cave Tubing and Zip Lining at Jaguar Paw
Adventure seekers will get a thrill out of a day trip to Jaguar Paw to take a jungle hike, tube through dark caves and zip lining through the Belizean rainforest.
Bocawina Zip Line & Waterfall Rappelling
Adventure can be taken up a notch at Bocawina Zip Line and Waterfall Rappelling. Fly on the largest zipline in Belize and/or repel down the 500-foot Antelope Falls or the smaller Bocawina Falls.
Select PADI Certifications are available for an additional fee:
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