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Day 1-7

See Belize from a whole different vantage point.

We start our adventure on the small limestone coral island of Caye Caulker just off Belize's barrier reef, the largest in the Western Hemisphere. Our sea kayaks provide a great vantage point for observing the island's natural habitat. Get up close and personal with the creatures that inhabit the mangroves, including upside-down jellyfish, sea hares, bat fish and sea horses. Initial group discussions focus on the history and ecological wonders of Belize, as well as the nature of the marine environment that directly surrounds us. Put on your mask and fins and slip into the turquoise blue water to cool off and explore the underwater world. Sharpen your scuba skills or complete your PADI Scuba Certification at incredible sites like Grouper Hole, Black Beauty and Triple Anchors.

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Day 8-15

Hit all the research hotspots.

Travel by boat to Blackbird Caye on the eastern side of Turneffe Atoll and settle into the comfortable beachfront cabanas at the Oceanic Society's Belize Field Station. Resident researchers teach us about dolphin physiology and behavior, as well as ongoing conservation efforts to protect these majestic creatures and their habitat. Learn the sampling techniques used by marine biologists to study the marine environment and dolphins such as transect sampling, fin identification, and environmental and behavioral monitoring. Head out in small groups on skiffs to some of the local dolphin hot spots. Keep your eyes peeled! Once you spot dolphins, the data collection begins. “Quick, take photos! What’s the water’s temperature? Log the GPS coordinates. Which behaviors are they exhibiting?” Snorkel and dive to explore some of the Caribbean’s best reefs. Swim alongside rock beauties, queen triggerfish and midnight parrotfish, and watch them cruise through mazes of vibrant coral heads and tube sponges on the Turneffe Atoll. Spotted eagle rays, morays, nurse sharks and hawksbill turtles await your discovery on Calabash Wall. Back on land relax with a game of beach volleyball. As night sets in, watch for the loggerhead turtles that return to Blackbird Caye every summer to lay eggs on the beach. Take a break from dolphin research to explore a World Heritage site – Lighthouse Atoll. Snorkel the Blue Hole, an awe-inspiring geological wonder home to southern, majestic eagle, and manta rays. On the nearby Half Moon Caye, work alongside Audubon Society rangers on service projects aimed at the continued preservation of Belize's oldest protected area.

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Day 16-21

Take your dolphin education to unexpected places.

Ready to take your dolphin education mobile? Hop aboard our traditional wooden Belizean sailboat, and watch for dolphins and other marine life as you sail and snorkel along the barrier reef and beautiful, uninhabited cayes. Camp on tranquil, white sand beaches and catch fresh fish or lobster for dinner. Discuss the environmental and human threats to dolphin populations in Belize and around the world, as well as what you can do to help. Your classroom is a bunch of Crazy Creeks lined up along clear blue water beneath swaying palm trees. Paradise! We finish our adventure with unforgettable memories, a hands-on understanding of dolphin ecology and the knowledge that the data we have gathered will help researchers protect these remarkable creatures.