Shark Conservation in Belize
About this Adventure
Fact File:
Duration: 8 days
Cost: $2595 USD
Help to protect nature’s most feared animals.
Shark populations around the world are collapsing. With this scheme you can volunteer to help establish protected areas for them to swim freely along Belize’s Mesoamerican Reef.
Hmmm. This was always going to be a difficult one. Are sharks nature’s most beautiful predators, or are they terrifying, cold blooded killers? A bit of both I suppose, and I certainly won’t be getting into an underwater cage to see them up close. Anyway, a lot of people love sharks, and it is indisputable that they are becoming increasingly endangered by the changing world.
The Belize coast was once a haven to sharks because of the large and glorious reef, the second largest on earth in fact, but an increase in shark fishing has caused the population to collapse. If you join the conservation team you will be joining a decade long fight to ensure the shark’s protection. On the project jobs for volunteers range from collecting reef data, gathering information on the local Belizean and tourist perception of sharks, to deploying underwater cameras and taking snorkel surveys to help select suitable video sites and collect data. The wide array of shark species in the area, Caribbean reef, nurse, great hammerhead, lemon, night and tiger, can only add to the excitement of the trip. You’ll even assist scientists in the capture measurement, tissue sampling, tagging and safe release of the marine predators.
For more information on this adventure and others please visit Earthwatch . All meals and accommodation will be covered by Earthwatch. This adventure is currently priced at £1,520 for an 8 day trip, although that is the minimum contribution. The next adventures take place in May, June or July of this year.
