Diving and Marine Conservation Trip

Reef Conservation International empowers you to take an active hands-on role in directly protecting and conserving our coral reefs and marine animals that we love via our marine conservation projects and environmental education and awareness program.  Join us and make a difference all while having a great vacation/holiday!

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

Invasive Species Control: You can save coral reef ecosystems by spearfishing the invasive lionfish!  Lionfish are an invasive species that threaten native reef fishes and corals.  It’s fun and a win for the environment!   Watch this short YouTube video to experience  Invasive Species Removal with ReefCI.

Sea Turtle Conservation: Protect endangered sea turtles through nest preparation & monitoring, hatchling rescue & release, habitat restoration, data collection, and education. Baby sea turtles are sooo cute!  Sea turtle conservation activities are only available April thru November.  Click here to see our detailed sea turtle program description and itinerary.  Watch this short YouTube video to experience Sea Turtle Conservation with ReefCI.

Marine Conservation Education: Learn about coral reefs and marine animals and discover how we can protect our reefs and animals that call the ocean home through our educational presentations.  Presentations are very informative and for the nerd in all of us😊

Biodiversity Identification Dives: Participate in our identification dives (reef fish, sea turtles, sharks, invertebrates, coral) to increase your knowledge and understanding of reef ecosystems.  Be more than just a scuba diver, embrace the awesomeness of mother nature’s diversity and get to know ocean creatures!

Whale Shark Diving:  Dive or snorkel with the largest fish in the ocean!  Watch this short YouTube video, Whale Sharking with ReefCI to see it in action.   Please note, we do not guarantee whale shark sightings but if you are lucky enough to dive with one – it is magical!!

Beach Clean-ups: Weekly beach and island trash/plastic removal on islands of the Belize Barrier Reef.  Feel good by doing good!

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. Check out our video library to see all our videos to get an overall feel of what you can expect!

Our island is located on the second largest reef system in the world – the Belize Barrier Reef. Our reef is home to vibrant corals and countless species of colorful reef fish.  Dolphins, sea turtles, sharks, spotted eagle rays, barracudas, and groupers are very common too.  Several times a year we will spot giant manta rays as well as whale sharks – the largest fish in the world!  Whale sharks and manta rays are rare, but if you are lucky enough to dive with one – it is magical!!

• 5 days/4 nights on a private island in the Caribbean off the coast of Belize
• 3 meals daily during dive week
• 12-13 dives per week
• At least one night dive a week
• Training for conservation work and participation in our conservation projects
• Island boat transfers to and from island
• Accommodations while on the island (Monday thru Friday)

• Flights to Placencia, Belize
• Wetsuit, fins, booties, dive mask (must bring your own)
• Scuba regulator & BCD not included (rental fee is 45 USD per week).  No charge if you bring your own scuba regulator & BCD.
• Sapodilla Caye Marine Park Fees: 35 USD per week
• Optional alcohol and soda/pop while on the island (2-5 USD per drink)
• Optional PADI certification courses you would like to take while on the island

All new arrivals to the island will complete week 1 schedule while on the island.  Those who are with us as rollovers (volunteers with us multiple weeks in a row) will be on our cycle two, three, and four schedules.  Please click on the links below to see each detailed weekly schedule that includes dives, conservation presentation topics, and meals.

• Marine Conservation Education Program
• Week 1 Schedule/Itinerary
• Cycle 2 Schedule/Itinerary
• Cycle 3 Schedule/Itinerary
• Cycle 4 Schedule/Itinerary

Our island is located on the second largest reef system in the world – the Belize Barrier Reef. Our reef is home to vibrant corals and countless species of colorful reef fish.  Dolphins, sea turtles, sharks, spotted eagle rays, barracudas, and groupers are very common too.  Several times a year we will spot giant manta rays as well as whale sharks – the largest fish in the world!  Whale sharks and manta rays are rare, but if you are lucky enough to dive with one – it is magical!!  Check out our video library to see all our videos to get an overall feel of what you can expect!

In short, Belize is world-renowned for its fantastic diving and marine life!  Visibility in Belize can reach depths of more than 30 meters (100 feet).  Don’t take our word for it – join us and come see for yourself!

We attract a vast cross section of demographics from diverse ages, backgrounds, and nationalities. We have singles, students, working professionals, families, couples, and retirees that come to our island! People coming on this type of volunteer experience all have a shared passion for diving and ocean conservation, which makes for great group dynamics. We give the general diver a unique opportunity to learn about and help conserve the marine environment while having a fun volunteer experience. Our trips are for both experienced and non-experienced divers and those wishing to become certified divers. Everyone contributes regardless of their background or experience.

Our volunteers can choose how much they wish to get involved.  Some people want to do as much conservation diving and learning as possible, while others wish to combine the conservation dives with a bit of relaxation and island time.  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/stand up paddle boarding or immerse yourself in conservation volunteering.  The choice is yours!

Please check out our Google reviews to see what former reefci volunteers have said about their experience!

Our marine conservation 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.  Click here to learn more about taking a dive certification course with ReefCI and find the answers to our frequently asked diving questions.

• Stand Up Paddle Boarding
• Kayaking
• Snorkeling
• Fishing from the island
• Conservation help (dissections, data collection)
• Volleyball and badminton
• Great food and lots of hammock time!
• Further your dive course training with us with optional PADI courses

Our conservation dive trips are Monday thru Friday – we depart for our island at 9:30am on Monday from Placencia, Belize and return to the mainland (Placencia) on Friday anywhere from 10am-12pm.  You will need to schedule your arrival and departure in and out of Placencia, Belize either on a Saturday or Sunday. Please see the Getting Here document which provides the best travel options to Placencia, Belize.

All volunteers will need to book somewhere to stay in Placencia, Belize upon arrival and departure on the weekends.  Those staying multiple weeks will need weekend accommodations on the mainland Friday night thru Sunday night in between their weeks with us on the island.  So, with ReefCI you get the best of both worlds.  Monday thru Friday on a private Caribbean island partaking in diving and marine conservation with ReefCI and your weekends on the mainland exploring all Belize has to offer.  Click here for weekend accommodations – there are recommendations for all budget levels.  Weekend accommodations are not included in the price of your trip.  Cost ranges anywhere from 15 USD to 150 USD a night depending on your hotel preferences.

Besides the incredible diving and conservation experience with ReefCI, Belize has so much to explore on the weekends! From ancient ruins, jungles and nature expeditions, spelunking, repelling, ziplining, cave and river tubing, to cultural tours; there is something for everyone.  You are guaranteed a trip of a lifetime in Belize!  Please click here to see what Belize has to offer on the weekends.

ReefCI is a registered NGO in Belize and a registered 501(c)(3) non-profit in the USA. Our work is funded through environmentally minded eco-volunteers, like yourself, who come to our unique island in Belize to assist in our marine conservation projects and protect the underwater world we love. Without your help and funding, ReefCI would not be possible. Our volunteers truly are the change they wish to see in the world. Join us and make a difference!

We are open year-round and on all holidays. The typical stay with us is anywhere from 1 week to 8 weeks. Our island is a small picture-perfect Caribbean gem and our maximum number of volunteers our island can hold per week is only 20. Our groups are always small, friendly, and of like-minded people who love the ocean and conservation, which makes for great group dynamics. But space is limited and we often reach capacity, especially during our busy season of March – August, so don’t wait too long to reserve your spot.

The minimum age to come is 13 if with an adult. Minimum age to come solo is 16. Anyone under 13 is prohibited from the island. Our trips are not kid friendly and are geared towards scuba divers or those who want to be scuba certified with us on the island.