Scuba Diving for gap year and career break divers

Overview

The main focus of the placement is to join in with the conservation projects through survey dives and coral reef check dives. By doing these you will help to develop an understanding of the complex ecosystem of the area in order to maximize conservation efforts and maintain the long term general health of the coral reef. You can do fun pre-breakfast and night dives most days. Many divers also get the chance to swim with whale sharks during their time on Hunting Caye.

Divers will be involved in enjoyable work such as lobster, conch, fish, coral reef and invertebrate surveys. Divers to do as much diving as possible and the survey dives are fun!

Intensive coral reef survey work is available to those who request it and for those on longer-term trips and benefit from so much more! The project work currently includes working on:

• spawning fish aggregations (which attract the whale sharks)
• lobster and conch surveys
• indicator fish surveys
• water quality assessment
• plankton study
• habitat study
• social-economic impact on the reef
• pollution assessment
• nursery habitats
• turtle monitoring
• sea grass studies

Divers will be satisfied that they are contributing to a programme that brings about immediate results. Data is also sent to international organisations for long term scientific global monitoring.

You may get the opportunity to swim with the whale sharks during the months of March through to June. It is, however, possible to sight and swim with the Whale Sharks throughout the year.

Itinerary

During the week, you will stay on a small secluded Caribbean island, which has a large living area, a restaurant and bar as well as stunningly beautiful white sandy beaches. The island is an idyllic 5 acre coral caye, so if you've ever wanted to experience your own secluded Caribbean island, this is it!!

Diving here is structured, but relaxed, and not regimented. There are no other dive boats in the area. There are opportunities to do a mix of fun dives, fantastic wall dives, reef check survey dives and commercial species dives.

At the weekend, you will leave the island and return to the mainland town of Punta Gorda, a chance for you to have some Internet catch up time and eat out. It is also a great chance to sample laid back Belizean village life or stay in a jungle lodge.

You may also be lucky enough to encounter pelagics (the big open ocean stuff!) like the Whale Shark, the world’s biggest fish, growing up to 8 metres in length. Grey Reef sharks are also regularly spotted (but don’t worry, none of these sharks like humans!).

Reef Surveys

Reef Check is a global methodology used to monitor the health of the coral reefs in a number of countries. There are three main categories fish, invertebrates and substrates. For each category there are a number of key indicator species that directly relate to the health of the coral reef systems.

Within the Sapodilla Cays there are six study sites where Reef Check surveys are conducted. Each is strategically placed in different locations covering the whole marine reserve in order to gain a good spatial resolution of results.

What will you be doing?
The Team Scientist or Team Leader lays the 100m transect line. There are 3 buddy teams, one for fish, one for invertebrates and one for substrates. The fish survey is conducted first in order that the fish do not get disturbed prior to the survey. One buddy times whilst the other counts the indicator fish in 5 metre cube areas for 1.5 minutes. This is then repeated along the line. The next team surveys invertebrates with one buddy on each side of the line. They count the invertebrates inside a 2.5 metre width on each side of the transect line. This requires looking under rocks and ledges and into holes in order to find the species. The 3rd team counts the substrates. One buddy has a plumb line with a small weight on the end, the diver drops the line onto markings at each 50cm (.05m) interval and gives a hand sign to their buddy who then records the data onto a slate. The Team Scientist conducts a site description which includes any coral damage, anchor damage, disease etc. Some of the fascinating marine life you will encounter along the way includes whale sharks, turtles and lobsters.

Lobster Surveys

The Caribbean Spiny Lobster is a high commercial value species throughout the Caribbean. Over the past few decades the populations have been seriously depleted due to an increase in over fishing. In many countries in the Caribbean there are now open and closed seasons.

Diving with lobsters enables you to contribute towards the marine conservation of the area, as you will be involved in the surveys. The primary reason for surveying the continental shelf is to gain the male to female ratios. There are a number of specific locations where female lobsters gather in order to release their eggs. These biologically important locations require protection in order to sustain the lobster populations.

The lobster survey is conducted using the rover diver technique. We go down in groups of about 6 divers with the person at the bottom of the line at about 30m and the person at the top of the line on the top of the wall. 2 people carry slates and a measuring stick (the lobster molester!) We move along the wall at the same pace for about 100 metres. Each lobster has to be coaxed out of its hole using the stick. First
we ascertain what sex the lobster is, then we measure the total length and tail length and if the lobster is a female we look to see if it is carrying eggs. We do the same for about another 100m on the top of the wall with the deepest diver moving to the top of the line and the person who was on the top remaining where they were. Upon surfacing we note the gps co-ordinates so that we can ascertain the total area covered.

Conch Surveys

In order to monitor the migration patterns of these species, a number of plastic cable ties with individual numbers on have been placed around each conch, and every subsequent observation is recorded. This may indicate not only the migration patterns of conch between different depths it can also record the directional migration patterns associated with the anticlockwise currents.

Divers go down in buddy pairs to a sandy area where there is a fairly large conch population. One buddy has some calipers and a slate and the other a large measuring device and some tags. Divers record the lip thickness (this determines age and sexual maturity), size of spiral, size of conch, habitat, depth and tag
number. When the tagging project is completed, divers conduct a number of conch survey dives each week throughout the year where they locate the conch and note the number and location.

Turtle Surveys

During the months of June through to September, Hawksbill Turtles nest on Hunting Caye Island and they hatch from August through to December. The conservation team are working with the Belizean Department of Fisheries to help increase the turtle populations and the survival rates of the baby turtles.

Customers get the opportunity to work with the turtles. During the months of June till September you could be lucky enough to witness a turtle make her way to the nesting site or from the nest back to the ocean. They typically lay between 80 and 120 eggs.

Turtle conservation projects in the Caribbean are the ideal way to contribute toward eco-tourism in the area. Up to 120 baby turtles can hatch at one time and you can be there to help them make their way from the nest to the ocean……an incredibly moving experience watching the babies make their way into the world!

TOPPS Financial Protection

In the unlikely event of financial failure, subject to the terms and conditions of the Policy, UK customers’ prepayments for non flight inclusive packages will be reimbursed. topp is underwritten by Travel & General Insurance Company plc, authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. Protected by Total Payment Protection Policy (topp) under policy no GADL/topp/10/03.

Flights

Flights are not included and they need to be arranged by you. The best way to get to where you need to be is by getting an International flight to Belize City. From there you will need to get an internal flight to Punta Gorda.

Transfers

You are met at Punta Gorda Airstrip when you arrive and you are taken back there when you depart. Boat rides to and from the island are provided each week.

Accommodation

During the week you stay on a small secluded Caribbean island, which has a large living area, a restaurant and bar as well as stunningly beautiful white sandy beaches. The island is an idyllic 5 acre coral caye, so if you've ever wanted to experience your own secluded Caribbean island this is it!!

The accommodation is in a brand new building that was donated to the University of Belize for research and education purposes. The rooms are clean and comfortable, the building is run on solar power and all rooms have fans.

Meals - provided

The food is excellent with a mix of local and international dishes. You often eat fresh fish and seafood and vegetarians are catered for. It's great grub!

Requirements

1. Physically fit and active
2. Over 18's only

PADI Materials

All PADI materials have been included in this programme if you require diver training.

PADI Fees

PADI Fees are paid locally if you require PADI diver training.

Standard Prices

Start Dates - Custom dates

We are flexible with the start date. Have a look at flight prices and decide on a start date. You must arrive in Punta Gorda on a Saturday or Sunday so you can catch the boat to the island!

Bolt-ons

We only require individuals to have an Open Water qualification for this programme. If you are new to diving then this course is offered for free when you are there. If you wish to participate in more advanced research projects we strongly advise adding on the PADI Advanced Open Water Course. Other courses can be added on as you desire, however, please remember that the courses do take time and therefore reduce the amount of time you actually spend doing the marine conservation work.

Local payments

PADI fees for courses