Belize: Ocean Wildlife Volunteer Program

• Work with local scientists to collect data on sea turtles, dolphins, and manatees through boat-based surveys.
• Explore the protected reefs of Hol Chan Marine Reserve to learn how they promote healthy and abundant marine communities.
• Stay by the beach at the St. George’s Caye Research Station.

Join us for an exciting volunteer week on St. George’s Caye, Belize, a secluded island located just a mile from the Belize Barrier Reef, a globally important marine habitat. The surrounding area supports healthy coral reefs, endangered manatees and sea turtles, and Atlantic bottlenose dolphins, and is a nursery ground for queen conch. On this volunteer vacation, you will learn about and help study all of these iconic and ecologically important marine species. As a volunteer on this program, you’ll work with researchers from ECOMAR to collect data on coral reefs, sea turtles, queen conch, dolphins, and manatees along the reefs and seagrass beds of St. George’s Caye and in the many channels that make up the Drowned Cayes during daily excursions. Data collected during the program will be added to an annual report that will be shared with the St. George’s Caye Village Council and Fisheries Department. Educational evening presentations during the expedition will inform you about local research and conservation efforts. On the final day of the program we will visit Hol Chan Marine Reserve to explore the shallow patch reefs and to visually compare fish abundance between reefs inside and outside the marine reserve. Only snorkeling experience is needed to participate in this program. Volunteers will be trained in the use of survey equipment and in research techniques.