Caribbean Reef Conservation
Belize

This award winning project is focused on conserving the environment and contributing to ongoing marine research, working alongside the Belizean government to monitor and protect the reef ecosystem at the tip of Belize Barrier Reef in the Caribbean.

You will be involved in marine conservation work whilst learning to dive, improving your dive skills or simply exploring the reef with the research team!

You’ll have a unique opportunity to live on a private tropical island during the week (5 days / 4 nights each week) and get to enjoy the coastal village of Placencia at the weekend. You’ll join a small friendly team and it is a great way to experience and help save the marine life in the Caribbean.

You can be contributing and participating in the following areas:

• Invasive Lionfish – spearing Lionfish to remove this destructive invasive species that is destroying native coral reef ecosystems
• Marine Conservation Education – learn about coral reefs and marine animals and discover how we can protect our oceans and reefs from climate change
• Biodiversity Identification Dives – ID dives (fish, sea turtles, sharks, invertebrates, coral) to increase knowledge and understanding of reef ecosystems
• Beach Clean-ups – weekly beach and island rubbish removal from islands in the Belize Barrier Reef 

Dive Courses

All levels of diver are welcome as training is provided while you are at the project. You need to be an Open Water diver to participate in the conservation work so you will complete this course first if you haven't dived before. It is a great location for beginners as there is good visibility and no strong currents.

If you are a beginner doing your PADI Open Water Course, there is a limited amount of conservation work included during your first week, so if possible we would recommend booking for 2 weeks or longer to get more involved with the conservation programme.

While on the island you can also choose to develop your dive skills by taking additional PADI dives and courses:

• Specialty Courses – Invasive Lionfish, Coral Reef Conservation, Fish Identification, Shark Conservation, Underwater Naturalist, Deep Diver, Underwater Navigator, Underwater Photographer
• Advanced Open Water
• Rescue Diver
• Dive Master

Itinerary and typical day

On the first Sunday that you arrive into Placencia you can explore the village restaurants and beach before meeting the team on Monday morning and travelling over to the island together by boat. Once on the island you will have an orientation and certified divers will do an initial refresher dive.

From Monday to Friday morning you will be living on the island and going out daily for research and conservation dives. There are normally around 10-12 dives each week in small groups and also one night dive for Advanced divers.

For a detailed itinerary, please see:

• Week 1 schedule
• Week 2 schedule (additional weeks are similar to week 2)

On Friday morning you will travel back to Placencia where you can spend your free time over the weekend.

Other volunteers

There are usually 6-18 volunteers (with a maximum of 20), numbers vary throughout the year.

Duke of Edinburgh’s (DofE) award

This placement has been approved by the DofE as meeting the requirements for the Residential section of the Gold Award.

Local support

Volunteers are supported by the island dive team including PADI dive instructors.

“Coral reefs are home to 25% of all marine fish and the scientific community recognizes the need to work with non-scientists. Volunteers help us monitor and maintain the health of the reef and its inhabitants” Anthony, Project Director

During the week (Monday - Thursday) volunteers live on a private tropical island. Volunteers will either stay in the project house in a shared room or in a small private cabanas overlooking the sea. If you would prefer to stay in your own room you can request to stay in a cabana. All rooms are simple but comfortable and have fans.

The bathroom facilities are shared and there are communal areas to relax, eat and socialise in. No internet access is available on the island.

Weekend accommodation (Friday-Sunday) is not included but there are a number of options in the popular coastal village of Placencia.

Meals 

All meals are provided for you whilst you are on the island, which is a mostly plant based diet with protein sourced from the ocean (invasive lionfish). Here are typical examples of the food you may have: 

• Before first dive of the day - tea, coffee, biscuits, fruit
• Breakfast – toast, eggs, omelette, beans and fry jack (Belizean doughnut) 
• Lunch – pasta, rice and beans, tortillas, fried fish, salads 
• Dinner – traditional Belizean meals of burrito, rice and beans, ceviche, curries, pasta 

Vegetarian and vegan options can be provided. Those with gluten allergies can also be catered for.  

Drinking water is provided on the island. 

You will need to fly into Belize City (BZE) and then take a connecting flight to Placencia (PLJ).

You will stay overnight in Placencia, before being met by the team and transferred to the island by boat.

Location and free time

You will live on a small private Caribbean island from Monday to Thursday which is at the tip of the second largest barrier reef in the world. This is a true ‘castaway’ island and is extremely idyllic and an amazing ‘get away’ experience as only the project team and volunteers stay here. The island is part of the Sapodilla group of islands, located in the south of Belize. It is a World Heritage Site and a marine reserve situated around 40km from the mainland.

Whilst you are on the island you can spend your free time using the kayaks, snorkelling, playing volleyball, paddle-boarding or just soaking up the laid back Caribbean atmosphere in the hammocks!

Volunteers spend their weekends in Placencia, a coastal village located in southern Belize with 16 miles of sandy beaches so the weekends are a chance for you to relax on the beach or explore.

If you would like to explore Belize there are a huge variety of things to do in your weekends from Placencia including exploring caves and visiting waterfalls, Mayan ruins or chocolate making tours. Whilst travelling along the rivers by boat or canoe you can often spot howler monkeys swinging in the trees as well as a huge variety of bird life. These activities are best booked locally once you are at the project.

Dive conditions

Water temperature: 26-29°C

Visibility: 15-30m

Depth range: Usually 10-18m, sometimes up to 40m for Advanced divers. There are around 30 dive sites which you access by boat or from the shore.

Common marine life you will encounter includes: barracuda, butterfly fish, parrot fish, angel fish, dolphins, mackerel, lionfish, grunt, surgeon fish, moray eels, hawksbill turtles, sting rays, nurse sharks. If you’re very lucky you may see whale sharks, black tip sharks, manta rays, leatherback turtles and hammer headed sharks.

Climate

Belize has a tropical climate meaning that it’s generally hot and humid all year round. Temperatures usually between 15–35°C, averaging 26°C but due to the humidity (approximately 85%) it can feel much warmer. The cooler months are from December to February. The dry season with higher temperatures runs from March to July whilst August to November normally sees the heavier rains. 

Travelling in Belize before or after your placement

Belize is a tropical small country on the Caribbean coast nestled between Mexico and Guatemala. It has a relaxed vibe and is a great place to volunteer and explore the beautiful scenery and diverse nature.

With over 60% natural forest cover, and 40% of its land area under protection, Belize is one of the most pristine countries in the world. Popular activities in Belize include:

• Visiting the Maya ruins
• Exploring the jungles
• Diving the famous Blue Hole

For more information on Belize and some of the things we loved when we visited there please see our Belize country page. 

Toby - 2025

"I had Gemma as my co-ordinator and she was great, really helpful and always replied quickly. I had a great experience on the island in Belize."

Frances 

“This was an amazing opportunity to spend time on a tiny but beautiful island in the reef conservation area of Belize barrier reef. I felt incredibly lucky. The diving was great fun with nurse sharks, sting ray and unfortunately plenty of lion fish to spear. 

I am an advanced diver already but there is the opportunity to obtain your open water or further qualifications whilst you are there and where better to do this!”

Fred 

“If you wish to volunteer for any project, this is a great way to go. You are well prepared for your project and there are no surprises. The advanced information is spot on with regard to what you will accomplish and what is expected of you. 

Every aspect of the trip unfolded exactly as I expected. If I were looking to volunteer again with one of my grandchildren, this is the only way I would do it.

If you love to dive and want to contribute sign up and be prepared to have a great experience.”

Andrea 

“My volunteering experience was everything I had been hoping for and even more! I loved living on a tiny island and scuba diving all day in such a remote and beautiful place.

The conservation work was fun and interesting and I learned a lot about coral reefs and the creatures living in them. During my 2 weeks’ stay we spotted several nurse sharks, turtles, octopuses, moray eels and an eagle ray.

The staff were amazing, I felt completely safe diving with them and enjoyed doing my Advanced Open Water certification. I also loved meeting so many like-minded people from all around the world and sharing this experience with them.”

Faye 

“It is a beautiful little island and after only four weeks it became a second home. I miss it already! Instructors Willy and Pete were amazing both on the island and under the water; 10 out of 10.

The diving was fantastic with wonderful coral and so much wildlife: turtles, sharks, rays, and much more. Hardly a day would go by without me suddenly squeaking underwater after sighting something spectacular.

I really felt I was helping the environment with every lionfish I speared because I was preventing the birth of potentially millions of harmful organisms." 

Lisa and Heath

"We enjoyed our diving so much, each dive was amazing. Every time I thought, "Wow, that was a once in a lifetime experience!", then we would go for our next dive and I would think the same thing! We enjoyed a dolphin swimming with us on our first open water dive!; observing a giant sea turtle lounging on a ledge for several minutes during our 2nd dive, spotting a sperm whale on the surface after our 3rd dive, having giant spotted eagle rays swim with us on almost every dive!; getting to spear lionfish, traveling over giant barrel sponges, getting to watch them filter feed using a non-toxic dye; seeing eels on several of our dives, barracuda, swimming with a whale shark; being up close and personal with the spiny lobster; doing a night dive and enjoying the bioluminescent fauna lighting up the sea, then surfacing to the stars lighting up the sky. It was an unbelievable experience.

The project team were great!!! They welcomed us with such personal hospitality. You usually go somewhere on a trip and really do not know anyone there except for who you came with. This is not the case with this reef conservation team. They were awesome!

The only surprise we had on our trip was how amazing the island is! Pictures can't show how beautiful and wonderful this little piece of heaven looks and makes you feel when you are there.

This was one of the best experiences we have ever had. Thank you to the project team for being so awesome.""

Greg

“My time in Belize was so amazing! It was the best experience of my life! The staff were so much fun and knowledgeable that I felt completely safe underwater the entire time. Everything about the island was perfect. They made sure I was well fed as a vegetarian, my cabana was great, we had island volley ball tournaments and lots of laughs about the differences of Canadian and British cultures.   The people I met – both staff and volunteers – were so great. I miss them so much already. Looking back I realize that what made the trip so special was every single detail was something new and exciting and something I experienced with great people. I’m so glad to have had the opportunity I did!   I honestly believe the whole experience was absolutely perfect and so much better than I could have expected. Very good is certainly an understatement!

The staff worked very closely with all of us individually to make sure we got the most out of our dives. Knowing I was down their with them made me feel 100% safe the entire time. I have never seen anything like the living environment of the reefs. The island was fantastic as well. Although very small, I much preferred my time there to five star resorts I have visited. The meals we were fed were excellent every day, and I was very impressed with how well I was accommodated as a vegetarian. While we were not diving, our time was spent lazily in the hammocks, playing island beach volley ball tournaments and snorkeling along the shore. Every single person I met was amazing. Both the volunteers and staff. I miss them so much already and I'm so glad to have had the opportunity to share all my experiences with them. Coming home was one of the hardest things I've had to do.

Volunteering abroad is the best way to make direct social or environmental change where the results of what you are doing are immediately visible. It is a way to take in new cultures and experiences while improving the issues of the area. I first discovered the Belize Reef Conservation through Pod. The Volunteering Guides I received included everything I needed to be prepared which optimized my experience.

Thank you so much for everything you have done for me for this volunteer trip. I wouldn’t have been nearly as prepared without your help and my experience couldn’t have been the same. I appreciate all your quick answers to my questions and communications with the project as well as booking my flights etc. I will definitely turn to Pod for future volunteering!"

Kasia

"My volunteering adventure with Pod Volunteer was one of the most rewarding experiences in my life. The time on the the island helped me improve my diving skills. I also learn a lot about the Marine Conservation in Belize and challenges its employees are facing everyday. I also appreciated the hands on experience, how to conduct underwater research and reduce amount of lion fishes.

The employees of Pod Volunteer went out of their ways to make our stay unique and enjoyable. The key to making my experience unforgettable were the other volunteers I met on the island. It was incredible, how these people from around the world, created a warm and curious community working hand in hand underwater, discussing social and environmental issues and enjoying time together. I hope some of these friendships from the island will become friendships for life!

Erin

“I learned a lot about the coral reef ecology in Belize, both through the diving excursions and pre-dive presentations. I really enjoyed practicing my fish identification skills and the island atmosphere was very fun as well as relaxing. I met a lot of really interesting people with a variety of passions and it was great to all intersect on the same conservation project ????

What did you find most rewarding? My favorite part was translating the lessons we had on land into real observations under water!

What did you find most challenging? Diving takes a lot of energy!”

Marcus

“It was a fantastic project and communication through Pod was excellent. This project exceeded expectations, the tiny island really is paradise. There was something amazing to see on every dive! The main emphasis is on the Lionfish programme which is extremely important in conserving the reef! However there was also dives for fish and coral identification as well as conch surveys. The level of teaching there to beginner divers was very good with a lot of emphasis on buoyancy. On the weekends it's free time and I would highly advise going on a tour, I found the monkey river tour was well worth it to see howler monkeys, crocodiles, manatees and more!

Overall I found the project rewarding and relaxing as lots of diving meant lots of hammock and volleyball time to remove excess nitrogen."

Dayne, Trin & Maya - family trip

"Sometimes I look at experiences and descriptions of projects online and imagine they have done some work in glamorizing or overselling their product. Then, one visits and it doesn't live up to the hype. However, with this project it was definitely not the case. My expectations were very high going in and they were definitely exceeded. The work, food and accommodations were all well beyond what I had anticipated.

What did you find most rewarding?
The most rewarding was being able to learn so much about scuba and all the ocean life. Spearing the lionfish, dissecting them and eating them was also a highlight. The staff in the island were also very rewarding to get to know.

Do it! It is surprisingly tiring but will be an unforgettable vacation. Your money is being put toward a great project and cause. My wife, daughter and I all had a great time."

Edward

"The quality of dive instructing was absolutely fantastic. All of the dive team really really helped us to understand what was involved and learn to dive safely. The atmosphere in which we learnt was relaxed yet structured and supportive.

The entire team were some of the nicest people I've met, who all gave you their full time & attention and with whom you could always ensure a laugh (and a couple of games of volleyball).

I liked that safety was always paramount at the project which was very reassuring as a novice diver. When it was too choppy to go out on the edge of the reef the safety of divers was never compromised and so where possible, we always found a safe place to dive nearer to the caye.

Get up early morning for tea/coffee and fruit around 6-6.30. Go diving around 7am. Come back and have a cooked breakfast. Next learn some fish identification/how to conduct lobster surveys/how to spear lionfish/lionfish dissection/various other reef conservation activities. Around late morning go on another dive. Come back for lunch around 1pm. Then more conservation educational activities. Then another dive around 3/4pm before coming back and dinner around 7pm. Evenings would involve reading, filling out your dive journal, study for your dive certification, a game of volleyball or just hanging out with other volunteers and staff.

What did you find most rewarding? The sense of achievement in learning to dive and feeling like I was having a direct impact on the preservation of such an important ecological area.

What advice would you give others considering doing this placement? Go for it! Be prepared for the possibility of a wet crossing when going to the island on the boat. Bring a couple of books so you have something to do in the rare quieter moments.

Why do you think others should volunteer abroad? The sense of assurance and well-being that it brings knowing that you are having a direct positive impact on the life of the planet and others less fortunate than yourself.

I have volunteered through Pod before and the variety of projects offered coupled with their impeccable service is second to none."

Betsy

“The Reef Conservation project was an incredible experience!! I felt so well looked after, as it was my first time diving. But also the project itself was really fun. It was great to learn so much about the ocean as well as dive. Feeling that you were contributing was great! Another thing I´d like to add too is that the food on the placement was SO good!! You can´t get enough of it.

What was a typical day at the Reef Conservation project? Wake up around 6, have tea/small snack and usually go for the first dive around 7:30. After that a huge and delicious breakfast, (around 9:30) after which there was either a briefing of the next dives of the day or just relax until the next dive, which was generally around 11:30. Lunch at 1:30 or so and then the last dive of the day was usually 3:30. After that it was just relaxing time and hanging out with people, playing volleyball... The days seem pretty simple, but there´s always new things happening on the dives and on land so it´s never a dull moment!

What did you find most rewarding? Doing the lion fish spearing and dissecting as that felt like a more direct contribution (that we could make) to the problems the coral reef in the Caribbean face. This because we´re doing something so concrete and also seeing a direct result of our actions with the knowledge that we are directly benefitting the health of the coral reef.

What did you find most challenging? First learning how to dive. It was really scary at first, and it took some tries to get over the initial panic I felt.

Why do you think others should volunteer abroad? Because it´ll be the best chance you have to not only contribute to the world around you and make a difference, but also to learn SO much about yourself. It´s really a good way to start traveling too, if you´ve never travelled much before or if you´re traveling alone."

Nick

"The Reef Conservation project was an extremely rewarding experience, not only was I able to gain my Open Water diving qualification in a relaxed and friendly environment, I was able to work first hand with a growing conservation project.

The project values the work of its volunteers and ensure everyone on the project is making a contribution. Finally I was lucky enough to meet and work with people from all over the world with very similar interests to myself; I would definitely recommend this project.

What was a typical day at the Reef Conservation project? Wake up at 06:30, first dive at 07:30 then breakfast, second dive at 11:30 then lunch following, third lunch at 15:00 then free time until dinner around 19:00. Free time on the island was taken up by either snorkelling around the island, playing volleyball with the other volunteers or reading books including those on Caribbean fish or invertebrates to improve your knowledge.

What did you find most rewarding? The lionfish spearing, lionfish are an invasive species that are disrupting the ecosystem at a fast rate. Reducing their populations can have a real positive influence that I felt proud to be contributing to.

Why do you think others should volunteer abroad? As well as boosting the CV it’s a fantastic opportunity to meet people from all over the world and get more connections. Finally it's a relatively cheap way of travelling and learning about different cultures.

Why did you choose Pod Volunteer and would you recommend us to a friend? Yes! It came up on my university's vacancies page and once I had read up on Pod Volunteer I was very eager to carry out a placement.

Thank you for everything you did during the build up and on the placement. Everything ran smoothly and I thoroughly enjoyed my placement.”

Emma

“I absolutely loved my placement. The diving was exceptional and staying on such a tiny island was a unique experience. I learned a huge amount about the ecosystem and thoroughly enjoyed the conservation aspect of the trip. The people were great - a nice mix of ages and nationalities but we were all united by our passion for diving and biology. Willie and Marco were fab - good fun, full of knowledge and experience they were both happy to share and very easy going. The staff on the island were also friendly and helpful."

David, Ellie, Sam and Christine - Family volunteer trip

“Our family had an amazing experience with Reef Conservation project in Belize. Spending 5 days on a remote island with a fun and engaging group of international travellers who were all committed to the conservation of the coral reef and the sport of scuba diving was unforgettable. The island was beautiful; the facilities sparse, but that's exactly as it should be. The experience took me out of my day-to-day life and "off the grid," allowing me to really appreciate the beauty of the water and the reef."