Get in the Field Adventures Archives - Nature Trust of The Americas Inc.Nature Trust of The Americas Inc.

Get in the Water with MarAlliance

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YOU can advance tropical marine research

MarAlliance invites you to immerse yourself in once-in-a-lifetime experiences among the incredible waters off of Belize, Honduras, Mexico, Cabo Verde and Panama. You choose the adventure that speaks to your heart. Join the team of marine biologists, guides and fishers for an unforgettable experience helping to research critically endangered sharks, rays, turtles and other charismatic marine megafauna. You will be on the front line of marine megafauna monitoring and directly contribute to the conservation of these iconic species within ocean waters.

Dr. Rachel Graham and her team will train you to be directly involved in aspects of field work, depending on the adventure. These skills might include launching Baited Remote Underwater Videos (BRUVs), conducting in-water snorkel surveys, setting longlines with hands-on work to capture, measuring and tagging sharks, and mega-planktivore (whale shark & manta rays) monitoring, where you will swim with and witness satellite tagging of the biggest fish in the world!

The researchers at MarAlliance are excited to have the opportunity to share their findings with you and the field work will be complimented by presentations by our research team during the course of your time together.

Guanaja, Bay Islands, Honduras: March 14-April 21, 2020

Turneffe Atoll, Belize: March 28-April 4, 2020

Lighthouse Reef Atoll, Belize: May 9-16, 2020

Boavista, Cabo Verde: August 1-8 and August 15-22, 2020

Isla Mujeres, Mexico: July 15-18 and July 19-22, 2020

Coiba World Heritage Site, Panama (scuba divers only): September 12-20, 2020

Bocas del Toro, Panama: September 26- October 30

Informational PDF’s are coming soon. Please check back!

NTOTA is pleased to partner with MarAlliance to promote these adventures of a lifetime.

For more information, please e-mail Rebecca@ntota.org to be connected to Rachel Graham.

The Belizean Adventure

Tags: Belize, Central America No comments

Belize is a small country on the east coast Central America just south of Mexico, their main asset apart from the beautiful people are its varied ecosystems. The second largest coral reef in the world lies off its coast. The interior of the country is 75% untouched with wetlands, savannah and tropical forests that are home to a vast array of wildlife including 603 species of birds, the Keel-Billed Toucan being the national bird and 5 species of big cat including the Jaguar.

We wanted to introduce this jewel and immersive our guests into this unique environment while raising money for our causes. The country’s environment is under threat from a number of sources including climate change, rising seas and human destruction of ancient forest partly due to extensive beef farming. We believe the Belize story needs telling, so as a first step we organized a six day, immersive eco tour and raised $24,000 for our causes on the ground. Hopefully this will go some way to showing the participants and locals, there is more prosperity in protecting the jungle rather than cutting it down. Obviously this is a beginning, but “Great oaks from little acorns grow”.

DAY 1 - ARRIVAL
On arrival in Belize City, we transferred to the small town of San Ignacio and your first accommodation – Sweet Songs Jungle Lodge. Sitting on the banks of the Macal River, the lodge is surrounded by lush tropical vegetation and is the perfect place to settle in, acclimatize and explore.
DAY 2 - ON YOUR BIKE
Rise early and kayak downstream on the Macaw river and stop for a traditional Belize BBQ lunch After lunch pick up your bike and cycle up to visit a Cocoa Farm and the local women owned potteries

That afternoon, we arrived at the beautiful and secluded Eco Lodge, MET. we had some delicious homestyle cooking before spending the night in a native-style thatched cabana lit with gas lamps.
DAY 3 - EXPLORE
Today we did a horse back ride through lush foliage and rainforest habitats to a hidden riverine valley. Spotted the native birds and wildlife: howler monkeys, jaguars, puma, tapir and many more beautiful species call this valley a home. That evening we enjoyed a presentation from the students from Virginia Tech on the work the are doing Belize with the Jaguars.
DAY 4 - ON YOUR BIKE...AGAIN
After breakfast, we jumped back on the bikes and journeyed up the Mountain Pine Ridge. Explored the area including the 1000ft falls. We finished the ride by the Blue pools and took a refreshing dip in the network of lagoons, while keeping an eye out for unfriendly wildlife.

That afternoon, we arrived at Francis Ford Coppola’s Blancaneaux Lodge. After a rest and a session in the Waterfall Spa, we shared some sundowners from the top of the Pine Ridge, looking out for eagles, birds and other wildlife. That evening, dinner was served with delights from the private organic garden.
DAY 5 - INTO THE JUNGLE, CONNECTING WITH NATURE
The drive started early and took us deep into the Chiquibul National Park. First we took a boat ride up the Macal river, keeping an eye for the majestic scarlet macaw. After lunch, we traveled to Caracol – the most jaw-dropping of all ancient Maya archaeological sites.
DAY 6 - DEPARTURE
After a leisurely morning enjoying the lodge, we departed by private plane from Blancaneaux air strip to Belize City and the International Airport for flights home.

The trip was fantastic, many memories were created and many new friendships forged. The $24,000 we raised will be put to good use by our partners in Belize.

This experience can be replicated or modified, if you work for a corporate or any organization looking for a team building exercise, or a bunch of friends looking for a unique vacation, please contact us.