Whenever you book a scuba diving adventure, the money you spend supports the local community and sustainable tourism, and travelers who aspire to do more can take an active role in protecting the underwater environment. In Belize, Splash Dive Center and Reef Conservation International offer a variety of ocean conservation programs for visitors.
Splash Dive Center
Splash Dive Center, located in Placencia, offers daily Lionfish Safari Tours and beach clean-ups at Laughing Bird Caye. During the Lionfish Safari Tours, visitors actively hunt and remove invasive lionfish. The dive center also hosts an annual Lionfish Derby, where teams compete for prizes.
The Belize Barrier Reef is the largest barrier reef in the Northern Hemisphere and a UNSECO World Heritage Site. For good reason, the dive team at Splash is serious about protecting their country’s national treasure. All divers and snorkelers must follow the dive center’s code of conduct.
The dive shop also invests heavily in future underwater ambassadors. The Splash Kids Club provides scuba training to local children, and the dive shop’s “Adopt a New Tour Guide Program” helps local tour guides become certified divers — and even PADI Professionals.
“Many of our guests enjoy meeting our young Belizean divemasters-in-training and seeing firsthand how their dive trip is making a real difference,” said Splash Dive Center Founder and Co-Owner, Patty Ramirez.
“While Splash Dive Center may be one of the more premium dive operators in Placencia, diving with us goes beyond just the experience itself,” Ramirez added. “Our guests are directly contributing to changing the lives of young Belizeans, helping them become ambassadors for the ocean, stewards of Planet Earth and part of the PADI family. Through our programs, they gain the opportunity to become PADI Divemasters and Instructors — some of the most sought-after professionals in Belize’s dive industry.”
Reef Conservation International
Reef Conservation International (ReefCI) is a leading marine conservation organization in Belize. Since 2006, the nonprofit has been taking action to protect Belize’s reefs from plastic pollution and invasive species.
If you’re interested in helping out with an ocean conservation program in Belize, here are some of the opportunities available from ReefCI:
- Beach Clean-ups – Weekly clean-up efforts focus on removing trash and plastic from the islands of the Belize Barrier Reef.
- Biodiversity Identification Dives – Learn how to identify various fish, sea turtles and corals and expand your understanding of marine ecosystems.
- Invasive Species Control – Capture and remove invasive lionfish.
- Marine Conservation Education – Attend educational presentations and complete dives (where applicable) to earn PADI Specialty certifications such as:
- Sea Turtle Conservation – A seasonal program that runs from April through November.
“Our sea turtle program follows the ebbs and flows of the sea turtle life cycle,” said Anthony Saner, Director of ReefCI. “On our island, we average 10 nesting sites with about 100-120 eggs per nest resulting in 1200 baby sea turtles released every year. We couldn’t do it without the help of our volunteers!”
The Sea Turtle Conservation schedule is as follows:
- April and May – Prepare turtle nesting sites (no sea turtles present)
- May to September – Patrol nests and collect data
- July to November – Sea turtle babies hatch
- December to March – Program unavailable
Ready To Book a Dive Trip to Belize?
Connect with a local dive shop in Belize or contact a Scuba Travel Expert at PADI Travel®. Not ready to book? Click one of the links below to learn more about diving in Belize.
