Short dive break to Belize in Oct/Nov 2013

Introduction

If you’re looking for more than just a dive holiday for a two week break, then a Blue Ventures short break in Belize could be perfect for you!

Joining our team out on our beautiful remote dive camp in Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef (MAR), you will:

• Improve your dive skills;
• Learn about the marine environment;
• Contribute towards valuable research.

We have been working in northern Belize for the past two years and have been successfully monitoring the health of the Mesoamerican reef and building up a picture of what is going on under the water: something that has never been done before. 

If you join us for two weeks you can take part in this research, satisfied in the knowledge that your time has not only been spent exploring the reefs of the Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve, but also in collecting data that are used to contribute to local and regional scientific research.

Location

Click on the interactive map below to zoom in and out of the region. Our expedition divesite is located on Bacalar Chico:

View Blue Ventures in Belize in a larger map

What data will you collect and how?

You will collect data to help monitor four specific areas of reef health at several sites within the Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve:

• Coral cover
• Fleshy macroalgal cover
• Herbivorous fish abundance
• Commercial fish abundance

The data collected on these four indicators are then graded to give an indication of the overall health. The mean data value of each indicator is converted into a grade or condition from one (“critical”) to five (“very good”) depending upon specific data.

The data are collected using the following methods:

Point Intercept Transects (PITs)

• Five 30 m tape measures are laid haphazardly at the site, ensuring they are a minimum of two meters apart.
• At 25 cm intervals, the benthos directly below the tapes is recorded into one of twelve categories.

Belt Transects

• Eight 30 m [long] x 2 m [wide] belt transects are completed at each site, ensuring they are laid a minimum distance of five meters apart.
• Data are collected whilst the tape is being laid. One data collector records the abundance and size of fish within the survey area to family level. The second data collector records presence of invertebrates within the same belt.

How is the data I collect being used?

We work with Healthy Reefs for Healthy People which monitors 130 sites along the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef in Mexico, Belize and Honduras. We monitor 9 sites in total and the data collected by volunteers and field staff at our sites contributes to building up a clear picture of the health of the reef. 

The results from our work indicate which areas of the reef are critically damaged, highlighting the need for protecting those areas. Long-term monitoring will show if sites are improving or degrading, indicating if current management strategies are working or if they need adapting to meet changing conditions. This might be through the implementation of stricter protection, re-designation of zones within protected areas or the amendment and review of fishing restrictions and techniques country-wide, with the possibility of regional implications.

Our research

Check out our research publications, written by our field scientists, incorporating data collected by volunteers. 

What will I gain from a 2-week trip to Belize with Blue Ventures?

The advantages of joining us at our Bacalar Chico Dive camp - as opposed to a diving holiday - go far beyond the fact that it will completely change the way you view the underwater world.  If you are thinking about studying or working in marine biology then this is a great taster for what is involved and will give you a strong grounding in underwater identification and survey skills. 

If you are a SCUBA diver who wants to understand more about marine ecology, then this 2-week trip is a fantastic way to learn about marine species, contribute to a research project and make more of your time in the water. Also, if you haven't already, you will gain your PADI Advanced Open Water Diver certification (credits may also be transferred for American universities).

If all this wasn’t enough, it’s a great way to meet a diverse group of like-minded people from all over the world!

Above: Bacalar Chico Dive Camp

What happens before I arrive?

Before you head for Belize, we provide all volunteers with comprehensive pre-departure information which gives you information on travel, visas, what to pack, communication with home and all the other practicalities as well as a marine science training guide.  This will allow you to get a head start on learning the coral and fish species and get more from your time with us. 

We do require all participants to have at least their PADI Open Water (or equivalent) dive certification when joining the expedition and this can easily be completed at your local dive centre if you don’t already have it.

What is the schedule whilst I'm there?

The trip is 14 days including the arrival and departure days, and the pick-up and drop-off point is the town of San Pedro, which is about two hours by boat from Bacalar Chico Dive Camp.

What's included and what's not?

Included in the cost of your trip:

• Accommodation for the duration of your stay
• Three meals per day, including tea and coffee at breakfast and lunch, during the dates of the trip
• Transfers to dive camp from our meeting point in San Pedro
• Science training with our team
• PADI Advanced Open Water course
• PADI SCUBA tune-up course (including manual) with dive instructor on arrival
• SCUBA diving
• Use of our SCUBA diving equipment: buoyancy control device (BCD); breathing regulator; weight belt; weights and cylinder
• Comprehensive logistical support and pastoral care from our team of permanent staff
• Health and safety provision from our Expedition Manager and SCUBA Diving Manager

Not included in the cost:

• Flights (the nearest international airports are Belize City and Cancun, Mexico)
• Internal travel to San Pedro
• Personal diving equipment: wetsuit, mask, snorkel, fins, knife, dive watch or dive computer, delayed surface marker buoy (DSMB) and A4 dive slate and pencil
• Personal field equipment (e.g. sleeping bag, torch and mosquito net)
• Malaria prophylaxis and vaccinations - please contact your family doctor or local travel clinic for the latest information and prices
• Visa costs
• Travel insurance - comprehensive policies are recommended, prices vary depending on your home country
• Divers Alert Network (DAN) membership (which includes comprehensive dive insurance) available from £25 (depending on your region)
• SCUBA diving training manual if you are taking the PADI Advanced Open Water course
• Carbon offset payment - you can work this out on our flight calculator at www.bvco.org.uk
• Spending money for drinks, snacks and souvenirs
• Hotel accommodation before or after your expedition dates

Costs

• £1,150 for those with Advanced Open Water qualification or Higher
• £1,250 for those with Open Water

Dates

• Pick up - from San Pedro on 24^th October
• Drop off – to San Pedro on 6th November