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Our trips are one-of-a-kind, life changing adventures. But don’t just take our word for it.

The trip was wonderful, the diving was awesome, the instructors were ...: “The trip was wonderful, the diving was awesome, the instructors were smart, nice and helpful, and the other kids were all friendly. The process was also very smooth from my perspective. The Broadreach team was always responsive and helpful. Great job! The leaders on Johanna's boat were amazing. Johanna had only wonderful things to say about them. I hope you hire them again next year. They did everything right!”— Christine A from New York, NY
Chance of a lifetime. If you love sharks you will be stunned beyond belief. ...: “Chance of a lifetime. If you love sharks you will be stunned beyond belief. The experiences can be life changing and you will never forget this trip.”— Mathew A (age 17)
Shark Studies was a great trip. I was expecting to see a few sharks but ...: “Shark Studies was a great trip. I was expecting to see a few sharks but instead I saw at least fifty everyday if not more. The village stay was great and the locals were loads of fun. If you are interested in sharks I would highly recommend this trip.”— Forrest F (age 19)
This was a very valuable experience for Mary Morgan. She matured socially, ...: “This was a very valuable experience for Mary Morgan. She matured socially, having to get to know well 11 strangers. She also developed a heightened sense of conservation and an appreciation for the Fijian culture. She liked the local dive operators very much and the village people. She was absolutely thrilled with the quality of the diving. She is normally shy and quiet, but she was absolutely energized by the dives, especially the wreck dives. This trip had the right balance of safety and excitement. It required her to be tough and didn't coddle her, but she also felt comfortable and secure.”— James R from Atlanta, GA
Diving with sharks was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. ...: “Diving with sharks was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. The homestay experience taught me a lot about myself. Overall, an incredible trip. I can't wait to come back next year.”— Will R (age 16)
This trip was amazing to discover the Fijian culture, language, and the ...: “This trip was amazing to discover the Fijian culture, language, and the diving. You feel so welcome and the second you land in Fiji making the trip have so much more flow. The village, and everything, was fabulous.”— Tessa P (age 17)
The exoticness and magic of Fiji brought to the trip something a little ...: “The exoticness and magic of Fiji brought to the trip something a little extra- and shark diving was incredible. You get to do something most people never, ever will, and that’s irreplaceable. ”— Audria D (age 19)
This trip was amazing. Everything was great, but I especially loved the ...: “This trip was amazing. Everything was great, but I especially loved the village stay in Beqa and the academics. Learning new things was one reason the trip was so worthwhile.”— Jo H (age 16)
We are all so sad to leave, yet smile when we reflect on all of the fun ...: “We are all so sad to leave, yet smile when we reflect on all of the fun times we have had here. From our first shark and coral dives to whitewater kayaking, we have all had the time of our lives. Learning about sharks, their ecosystems and conservation, has increased our knowledge of these mysterious marine animals within such a short period of time.”— Stephanie H from Los Angeles, CA
Once again, Merry had an amazing summer with Broadreach. The diving surpassed ...: “Once again, Merry had an amazing summer with Broadreach. The diving surpassed her expectations, the academics were rewarding and the trip leaders were superior. Every aspect of the process from the sign-up to the trip execution was well thought out and planned. My daughter has seen the world, made amazing friends, experienced different cultures, and developed a passion for SCUBA diving with a first rate operation. I would certainly recommend your programs. I am once again amazed that Merry returned home from her "best summer yet". That is always her quote after her trips, and each year her experience seems to outdo the last.”— Cheryl A from Delray Beach, FL
Justin had a wonderful time on the trip. He enjoyed the diving, living ...: “Justin had a wonderful time on the trip. He enjoyed the diving, living arrangements, and the course study. I think the way the program was arranged gave him a nice variety of experiences and allowed for a great deal of independence and personal growth. I would definately recommend Broadreach and the shark study program. ”— Cindy G
This is a first-class experientially based program for teens that helps ...: “This is a first-class experientially based program for teens that helps them become better stewards of the earth, themselves, and each other. Our daughter can't stop talking about it!”— Linda S from Tampa, FL
We were so impressed by the social, educational and personal growth our ...: “We were so impressed by the social, educational and personal growth our daughter gained in such a short time that has sustained itself in the months since her return. I have seen a new passion for the oceans and for cultures past and present that has enriched her appreciation of others. ”— Charlotte Y from Dedham, MA
I highly recommend the Broadreach programs to any family. There was not ...: “I highly recommend the Broadreach programs to any family. There was not one time when I felt Broadreach did not perform at its best. Safety and security are always top concerns. My son participated in a Broadreach program for the second year in a row and would do it again. We are definitely going to "spread the word" about your awesome programs!”— Christina A from Hilton Head Island, SC

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Journals

Check out
alumni journals
and college essays
from this program!

Katie Howe

As I slowly descended into the surprisingly chilly shark-infested Fijian water for the first time, I realized that everyone who said I was crazy was right. Parents, teachers, friends, and family ...

As I slowly descended into the surprisingly chilly shark-infested Fijian water for the first time, I realized that everyone who said I was crazy was right. Parents, teachers, friends, and family all told me I was absolutely insane to fly halfway around the world and jump into the water with creatures known only to cause destruction and fear.

As I was deciding what to do for the summer of 2007, I remembered my trip to the Caribbean the previous summer where I learned to scuba dive. I knew I wanted to scuba dive again, but this time I wanted to add a bit of excitement; that’s where the sharks came into the scene. It took a lot for me to convince my parents to let me go on this specific trip. Since I had done a fun trip the previous year, my parents expected me to do a fun, yet educational, trip in 2007. There were many other options for me, such as sea turtle rescue in Costa Rica, shipwreck archeology in Bermuda, or dolphin studies in Belize. All of these programs seemed exciting and they were all educational; however, I knew this would be my last summer trip, so it had to be one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I received the paperwork in the mail, filled it out, mailed it back, and impatiently waited for the other sets of paperwork to arrive. In the meantime I made trips to doctors’ offices for prescriptions and vaccinations, and multiple outdoor stores to find proper luggage and clothing. In no time at all, I was waving goodbye to my parents as I walked through airport security by myself.

I hit the maximum depth, which was one hundred feet, grabbed some coral to stabilize myself on the right side of the feeder, and immediately saw the chum blood diffusing out of the barrel and through the water. Within seconds, I saw my first shark; a ten-foot long pregnant bull shark named Grandma. I felt like I was watching a movie; I could not believe there was this massive, supposedly terrifying creature, less than ten feet away from my face, but I felt no fear. The grace this “man-eater” had was hypnotizing. Grandma circled the arena, a depressed open area where the sharks would be fed, while the observers sat on a coral shelf about ten feet away from the feeder. After several passes through the arena, Grandma finally became comfortable around us and she approached the feeder, which was holding a large tuna’s head. Her mouth opened as she approached the feeder, and for a split second I thought she was going to eat the feeder himself. Grandma quickly cut to the side as the feeder threw the fish head up a bit, and she swallowed it whole. Within minutes, there were more sharks; nurse sharks and bull sharks, all coming for a free lunch. After about half an hour, the group ascended to thirty feet where we could observe smaller sharks: gray reef sharks, black-tip reef sharks, and white-tip reef sharks. We kneeled behind a coral wall which was about five feet away from the feeder. The reef sharks were friskier than the bull sharks; they darted here and there, they nibbled at the feeder, and they swam inches away from our faces.

On the last dive of the trip, a fourteen-foot tiger shark, the garbage can of the sea and one of the most dangerous sharks in the world, circled us for just about the whole dive. Everything became quiet; the noises were drowned out by everyone’s concentration on this beautiful, majestic, graceful misunderstood “man eater.” We were told never to let it out of our sight. Everywhere it went we saw it; over our heads, up the reef, to the far left, and to the far right, until it gradually vanished into the blue sea.

My whole trip, especially my last dive with the tiger shark, made me realize how poorly sharks have been portrayed over the years. Movies like Jaws and Deep Blue Sea have given sharks a bad and unrealistic image. My respect for other cultures, my tolerance for other people, my scuba experience, and my knowledge of myself, sharks, and other marine life have all been expanded by this Fijian experience and I hope to continue to advance this knowledge even more in the future.

-Katie Howe

Claudia Villar

Leaving my world far above me, I entered into theirs. As the water engulfed me I descended 100 feet below the ocean surface, seeking respite from the stormy skies and enormous waves above. Along ...

Leaving my world far above me, I entered into theirs. As the water engulfed me I descended 100 feet below the ocean surface, seeking respite from the stormy skies and enormous waves above. Along with fifteen other scuba divers participating in this unique marine biology Academic Treks course, I settled behind a wall of coral, admiring the arena stretching before me. This was the first of many dives I completed last July, in one of the world’s most renowned adventure ecotourism spots: Shark Reef Marine Reserve, Pacific Harbor, Fiji.

When I told my friends and family my plans for the summer, they were shocked. “You mean you’re going to swim with sharks without a cage?! Haven’t you seen Jaws?!” After a life-changing experience studying dolphins in Belize the summer before, I was motivated to continue learning about marine ecosystems, and particularly to challenge the misguided view of sharks as horrific human predators. But entering the water for the first time, I admit, I was scared. Ten-foot, quarter-ton bodies of muscle began to slowly circle: bull sharks. My fear vanished as I watched local Fijians interact with these graceful creatures, so well adapted for the vast blue realm that is their home. These are the sharks described as unpredictable, aggressive, and most likely to attack a human. And yet I never could have anticipated how comfortable I felt as they swam within ten feet of my gaping eyes. Back in the classroom, we learned how exaggerated the danger sharks pose to humans really is; bad publicity breeds misunderstanding, and misunderstanding breeds fear. Consider this: while fifty people worldwide may get bitten by sharks every year, fewer than ten of which cause fatalities, in an average year in New York City more than 1600 people report having been bitten by people!

Sharks are just one of many animals I have been compelled to protect since I was a child. In preschool, I was asked what I wanted to be when I grew up; I said a lion. I vividly remember saving worms washed out onto the sidewalk after a heavy rain. I still run to catch and release roaches and wasps in my apartment before someone steps on them. Some find my hyper-consciousness about the environment annoying–– I scold my friends for using paper towels instead of sponges, or for not recycling plastic bottles–– but I cannot bear to see such waste. I am also driven to learn more about how to preserve global ecosystems, and have been thrilled to learn directly from people of local cultures, who often have a remarkable awareness and connection to nature. This was true in Fiji, where I learned infinitely more from the Fijian guides on the dive boat than I could have ever learned from a textbook. They taught me that contrary to popular belief, sharks are not human hunting machines, but are crucial to the preservation of their lifestyle as well as to the global fishing economy.

Always eager to learn more about the natural world, I have found my inherent adventurousness extremely useful. Whether it be diving with sharks halfway across the world, eating live termites off a tree in the Belizean rainforest, living for two weeks with a Costa Rican family in a tiny village of 400 people, or jumping with Fijian locals off thirty foot cliffs into the river below, I am willing to throw myself entirely into my quest to discover ways for humans and nature to coexist. I love to climb trees, to see the world through the eyes of a squirrel. I love to do gymnastic flips, to taste what it feels like to fly. I am overcome by an insatiable desire for knowledge and adventure, and every experience leaves me wanting more.

Click here to read more Alumni Journals & College Essays from this trip!

In the News

Spot On Magazine

In groups of 10 to 14, they travel to countries like the Bahamas or Australia and spend up to a month enjoying water sports, exploring nature or doing community service.

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Sport Diver Magazine

Got an adventurous teen who's too old to want mom and dad around for their entire summer vacation? Pack 'em off to Broadreach. Last year we here at Sport Diver did...