Scuba Package includes:

• 5 days/4 nights Scuba Vacation on Private Island (See Video)
• 3 Meals Daily During Dive Week
• 3 Daily Dives (Fri. 1 Dive)
• Airport Pickup & Drop off
• For Beginners: PADI Open Water Certification ($550 Value)
• Pre-tripHotel in Placencia (Sunday Night)
• Post-tripHotel in Placencia (Friday Night)

• Price includes all island transfers, Monday till Friday while on the island,
  meals, accommodation, conservation training, diving equipment (please see below) and all the diving and snorkeling. We can supply BCD’s, regulators, and fins. We do not supply masks, booties, wetsuits (we do have some in stock, check with us if you cannot bring your own wetsuit) dive computers or watches. Anyone wishing to participate in night dives MUST bring their own dive torch!
• Divers planning certification courses need to bring the PADI manual for the planned
  Divers doing the PADI Open Water course must also bring log books and electronic recreational dive planners. See here for manual.

Not Included:

• Round trip air flight from Belize International Airport to Placencia
• We suggestTropic Air. Flights approx. $233 USD round trip from Belize to Placencia.

• Insurance: Divers Alert Network; is a popular choice amongst divers, they offer comprehensive dive insurance at reasonable rates. Please bring a copy of your insurance documents with you for ReefCI to file.
• Please also be aware that we are working in the Sapodilla Cayes, which is a Marine Reserve Park. The Belizean Department of Fisheries charge a marine park fee of $25 USD per week to help maintain the National Marine Park.

Daily Scuba Itinerary:

Sunday: Arrival

• Placencia Airport Pickup
• Dropoff at your weekend hotel

Monday

• 9 AM: Leave Placencia, island orientation, refresher/recreational/lionfish dives
• Island Orientation & Private Cabana Assignment
• Lunch
• Dive Kit Allocation & First Dive
• (New Divers: First Theory Session – First Water Session)

Tuesday–Thursday

• Tuesday: Fish Day – fish I.D., commercial fish surveys and lionfish spearing
• Wednesday: Coral and Invertebrates Day – Coral and invert I.D., coral watch surveys, and
  lionfish spearing
• Thursday: Commercial species survey, Lionfish spearing, ReefCI check survey
• Friday: Survey dives, return to mainland

Friday

• 8 AM: Breakfast
• 9 AM: Final Dive
• 12 PM: Depart for Mainland
• Drop-off at Hotel

Sample Day

• 6 AM: Dining area opens (example: fruit, biscuits, tea & coffee)
• 7:30 AM: First Daily Dive (Deep Dive)
• 9 AM: Return to Island
• Quick Shower, Full Breakfast (example: eggs, pancakes, sausages, bacon beans, juice & coffee)
• 11:30 AM: Dive 2
• 1 PM: Lunch (example: burritos, chicken salad, quesadillas, sandwiches & nachos)
• 3 PM: Dive 3
• 6 PM: Drinks, Watch Sunset & Dinner (example: lionfish, lobster (in season) fish steaks, garlic shrimp, spaghetti bolognese, et al.)

The above itinerary is to ensure that people get the most out of the trip. However, it is also based upon flexibility and can be adapted according to individual requirements. The survey dives will be dependent upon the individual’s buoyancy control. Itineraries are subject to the length of the trip. In terms of the survey work, each day will differ but you could be working in the following
areas:

• Lionfish population monitoring and control
• Queen Conch surveys
• Lobster surveys
• Commercial fish surveys
• Reef health surveys – ReefCI check & Coral watch
• Whale shark monitoring
• Coral reef bio-diversity

Trips on the weekends to the jaguar sanctuary, jungle, caves, waterfalls, ziplining/rappelling, Mayan ruins, etc. can be arranged. Belize has so much to offer!

Optional Day Information (if applicable)

Accommodations:

During the week your accommodation will be on the island where you will have the option of either the main house or beachside cabanas. In the main lodge there are double rooms suitable for couples, twin rooms and family rooms suitable for groups of friends or families. The cabana bathroom facilities are shared (pedal-toilets) though the rooms in the house are all en-suite. There is a friendly communal area with colorful underwater murals on the walls. There are plenty of hammocks around the island to relax in.
A generator is kept in its own room to reduce noise pollution. It is run all night on the island allowing guests to charge their laptops, iPhones, iPods and cameras etc. and use a fan if the sea breeze is not enough. This generator is turned on in the evening so during the day electricity is limited.
Internet is available during the mornings, evenings and often between dives.

Meals and Drinking Water:

All meals and drinking water are provided for you while you are at the island. There is an
honesty book system on the island, which has a small selection of sodas, beers, and rum drinks available at an additional cost. At weekends volunteers are responsible for their own meals.

We are Known for Our Great Food! Sample Island Menu:

Early morning fresh fruit, tea, coffee and biscuits.

Breakfast Fried jacks, sausages, scrambled eggs and refried beans or banana pancakes with ham and eggs.

Lunch Island chicken salad or chicken and veggie quesadilla’s or fresh fish burritos.

Dinner Lionfish fingers with cilantro, homemade garlic tartar sauce served with fresh salad and coconut rice or chicken curry with okra and yellow ginger rice or bbq whole fish with garlic mash and mixed veggies, or garlic lobster with cilantro mash and garlic zucchini.

Dessert Coconut tart or pineapple up-side-down cake or chocolate rum cake with a rum butter sauce.

All dietaries requirements are catered for.   We use freshly caught fish, lobster and conch (when in season) and island ingredients such as fresh coconut.

Beginner Divers

The PADI Open Water qualification is included so if you don’t have it on arrival it will take place during your first week on the island. The course generally takes a minimum of 3 days and guests have only Monday-Friday on the island so it will take up the majority of your first week on the project.
To complete your Open Water qualification you will need to bring the PADI Open Water manual with you, a logbook as well as a $50 USD administration fee paid in country upon completion.

Open Water Divers:

If you are already a diver, we offer a shallow, shore dive as a refresher for the first dive on Monday.
Your existing qualification will mean you can get straight on with the research work during week one.
If you would like to complete your Advanced Open Water course, so that you can get involved in deeper dives, you will need to pay an additional $100USD for the PADI Advanced course. You are advised to bring a PADI Advanced Open Water manual with you. We do have spare manuals for those who wish to wait and choose to do the course after talking to our Instructors upon arrival.

Advanced Divers:

Your experience will mean you are able to join the research immediately, though you are
welcome to have a refresher course on the first day. If you are interested in getting
further qualifications such as your Rescue Diver or Divemaster qualification you can also
do these for an additional cost. Let us know if this is something you are interested in and
we will be able to give you more details.

What to Bring:

• A re-usable water bottle – There is plenty of purified water available on the island to re-fill your bottle with.
• Towels (hand towel and a beach towel). We can provide towels however, it is very difficult to purchase high quality towels locally, and thus any towel donations would be greatly appreciated.
• Water resistant luggage is not mandatory but helpful, a dry bag or Ziploc bag, for all electronics and valuables.
• A large plastic garbage bag to transport wet items back to Placencia on Friday
• Swimwear, at least a couple of bikinis or shorts as you will be in the water most days.
• Shorts, at least a couple of pairs. Quick-drying materials recommended.
• Vest (tank) tops and t-shirts. Quick-drying materials recommended.
• Long pants/trousers.
• Thin long sleeved fleece for the evenings (only during winter months) and a lightweight waterproof shell/jacket (thicker for the boat during winter months) Keep this handy for the boat journey, just in case!
• Walking boots or trainers for jungle visits, walking, etc. Flip flops, sandals or crocs too.
• High factor (SPF) sunscreen and lip balm (especially for the boat rides), after-sun lotion.
• Sunglasses and a hat
• Mosquito repellent recommended with DEET (not available to buy in Belize)
• Something light to sleep in i.e. thin nightdress for women.
• Spray in hair conditioner to help conserve water
• Flashlight and/or Dive Torch with spare batteries.
• Swiss army knife (optional).
• Camera with spare batteries..
• Books, Kindles, Playing cards.
• Computers, iPods/iPads, musical devices for the evenings if you have any favorites, along with power adapters (US)
• Photocopy of your passport
We would appreciate it if you could use biodegradable and phosphate free shampoos and soaps on the island such as Dr. Bronner’s. It is not possible to buy these locally in Belize, so any donations at the end of our trip would be greatly appreciated. We would also appreciate biodegradable and phosphate free dish detergent.

What to Bring For Diving:

A full 3mm wetsuit is recommended; shorty wetsuits may be ok for some people. Water temp can get as low as 26ºC (78.5ºF) in the winter months.

• A dive mask and snorkel
• PADI certification cards and Log Book (if applicable) People wishing to learn to dive need to purchase the PADI Open Water manual, Recreational Dive Planner and logbook. padi.com
• Divers planning courses need to bring the PADI manual for the planned course and whenever possible work through the knowledge reviews.
• Those wishing to do night dives MUST bring a dive light/torch.
• We do not supply dive computers or dive watches however it is not necessary to have one.

Extras:

It is very difficult for us to get supplies, we would sincerely appreciate your donations of spare items you could bring should you have them available and have space in your luggage:
• Graphite pencils for underwater use
• Towels & bed linen, again it is very difficult to purchase high quality towels & bed linen in Placencia so any donations will be greatly appreciated
• Dive slates
• Any dive equipment i.e. BCD’s, regulators, wetsuits, fins, masks, torches, etc.
• Batteries
• Recent dive magazines or fashion magazines
• Reusable Shopping Bags
• Fishing lures
• Torches (dive lights)
• Games for the evening
• Medications (e.g., Sinutabs, anti-histamine, etc.)
• Toiletries
• Tea bags
• Chocolate!!

• English and Dijon Mustard

Transportation

Do not purchase you air to Belize until we confirm your reservation and speak with our host who will help with your reservations.

Air Travel/Baggage Allowance:

Most airlines will only allow 1 or 2 items of luggage on the plane and 1 carry on item. Check the baggage allowance with the airline carrier prior to departure. Providing your international carrier has no problem with your luggage, it will be no problem for Tropic Air, our recommended airline for in country air travel to Placencia.
Airport security: In recent years security checks have been stepped up in major international airports. Bear this in mind when packing any electrical appliances in your luggage. You will probably be asked to remove batteries and hand them over to security staff before your flight. Sharp objects, such as knives and scissors, should be packed in your main luggage, as most carriers will not allow them inside the aircraft cabin. Allow extra time to check in where possible. In most international airports the minimum check in time is 2 to 3 hours prior to departure.
U.S. Airports: Be aware that security is extremely tight at most USA major airports. If you are connecting from a non-US country, expect a line for immigration. After the overnight stay in North America, check-in the next day can be extremely slow. Allow 3 hours if possible.
Belize City: The internal flights are small propeller planes that fly regularly. The typical
itinerary for Tropic Air is as follows:

Belize International Airport to Placencia:

10:00am arrive 10:30am
11:00am arrive 11:30am
12:25pm arrive 12:55pm
12:45pm arrive 01:20pm
1:40pm arrive 02:15pm
2:45pm arrive 3:20pm
3:40pm arrive 4:10pm
4:45pm arrive 5:20pm
5:00pm arrive 5:30pm

We Book Your Local Flight from Belize to Placencia:

Once you have your International flights, email them to us and we will book your internal flights with Tropic Air. Bring your confirmation with you and after you clear customs, go to the Tropic Air desk. You can pay upon check-in and they do accept credit cards. If you have to wait at Belize International for a connecting flight, there is a bar upstairs and another one in the departure lounge. The current cost of the flight is $233.75 USD round trip, and it is great fun. The plane flies along the coastline where you can see the reef and coral cays on one side and the jungle on the other. Have your camera ready!

When you arrive:

Our staff, taxi, or hotel representative will be there to meet you at Placencia airstrip. Once in Placencia, Belize, on Monday morning please make your way to the Hokey Pokey Water Taxi dock in Placencia to depart for the ReefCI island. Our boat will pick you up from there at approximately 9:00-9.30am. Alternatively, if you are staying at Sailfish Hotel in Placencia, on Monday morning our boat will pick you up directly from Sailfish at approximately 9:00-9.30am.

If your flight is early or delayed, please contact our in-country Director of Marine Science and Operations Manager, Frank Hachmann, at (+501) 664-3507 or (+501) 605-2312 or by email at frank@reefci.com.

Be prepared for the boat ride out to the island. It takes circa 1-2 hours to get out to the island and sometimes the sea can get choppy. Make sure you apply a high factor sun tan lotion prior to the trip. Your luggage will be stored in the hold of the boat, so make sure your waterproofs are out of your main luggage and easy to get to. To help us keep our boat light, it would be very helpful if you can pack a light bag and leave any heavy boots or un-needed items for storage at your mainland hotel or with our staff to securely store until your return on Friday.