Belize Barrier Reef
Belize is a small Central American country known for its incredible coral reefs, beautiful beaches, dense rainforests, and unique cultures like the Maya and Garifuna. This English-speaking country is home to the largest part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the world's second longest (after the Great Barrier Reef). The intense blue of Belize's coastal waters and its abundant ocean wildlife, including sea turtles, manatees, dolphins, and more, draw travelers to this country.
ST. George's Caye Research Station
SEE Turtles works with EcoMar to offer volunteer trips to Belize to study sea turtles, manatees, and dolphins. St. George's Caye is a small island less than 10 miles from Belize City and one mile from the Belize Barrier Reef. There are no stores and or restaurants on the island, nor is there public electricity or water services. The seclusion afforded at St George's Caye and its close proximity to tropical marine ecosystems and mainland Belize, make it a perfect location to focus on research.
Belize barrier reef
The Belize Barrier Reef is a series of coral reefs along the entire coast of the country, part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. Roughly 1/3 of the Mesoamerican reef can be found in Belize, nearly 200 miles long and covers 370 square miles. The reef is hugely important to the country, being the number one tourist attraction, the source of seafood for many fishermen, and they provide habitat for an extraordinary diversity of marine life. The reef includes seven marine reserves, many cayes, and has more than 100 coral species, 500 species of fish, and many wild animals.
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Photo credits: Oceanic Society, Linda Searle / EcoMar