Volunteer for sea turtle conservation in Belize with renowned marine biologist Dr. Rachel Graham on a 5-day expedition to remote Ranguana Caye.

Idyllic Ranguana Caye is a remote private island paradise on Belize’s southern barrier reef, within the Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes Marine Reserve. Its waters host crucial populations of sea turtles, along with Caribbean reef and nurse sharks, rays, and large predatory fish such as snappers and groupers.

Led by Dr. Rachel Graham, MarAlliance’s founder and executive director, and Kirah Forman-Castillo, who has led sea turtle conservation efforts in Belize, you’ll join a long-standing conservation project carried out with traditional fishers. Together, you’ll collect invaluable data on the populations, abundance, density, and habitat preferences of sea turtles and other marine species. This research helps evaluate how well protected areas and Belize’s gillnet ban are supporting marine rewilding across the southern seas.

Each evening, our research team shares findings from the field through presentations and discussions.

Join us on this unparalleled expedition, where each moment promises discovery, adventure, and a profound connection with the mesmerizing world beneath the waves.

• In-water Visual Transect: Transects are a non-invasive method for assessing the diversity and relative abundance of marine megafauna. Each transect involves four swimmers positioned in the water and spaced 15 meters apart. Transects are 1km in length, and throughout the transect, each swimmer is responsible for recording species, quantity, distance estimation, and size estimation for the sharks, rays, turtles, and piscivorous fish they see within their area. You will learn species identification and size estimation techniques to accurately record data. Following fieldwork, you can help to transcribe data to provide indices of species diversity, abundance, demographics, and size frequencies according to the different habitats sampled.

• Baited Remote Underwater Videos (BRUVs): BRUVs are structures made out of PVC pipe or metal that contain a GoPro camera and an extended arm with a bait cage. BRUVs are deployed at various sites for at least 60 minutes at a time in order to record species that are attracted to the bait. These videos are later analyzed to record the species and relative number of individuals and assess diversity and relative abundance.

• Sea Turtle Monitoring and Tagging: We’ll monitor nesting female sea turtles on the beach and may capture and tag turtles in the water to estimate population size. For each turtle, the team takes body measurements, attaches an ID tag so the animal can be recognized in future captures or sightings, and collects a small tissue sample for DNA and contaminant analysis. You’ll help record environmental data and learn safe, proper techniques for handling, tagging, and releasing sea turtles.

• Arrive at Philip Goldson International Airport, Belize City

• Tropic Air Flight to Placencia, Belize

• Upon arrival in Placencia, you will be greeted by a MarAlliance team member who will coordinate your transportation to Ranguana Villa for your first night's stay.

Afternoon & Evening

• Settle into the villa and join the group for pre-dinner snacks, drinks, and a brief orientation on the upcoming marine monitoring activities.

• Group dinner with Dr Rachel Graham to kick off the week.

Morning

• 8:00 AM: Breakfast at the villa followed by a taxi transfer to the dock.

• 9:00 AM: Depart from the dock for a boat transfer to Ranguana Caye (approximately 1 hour and 15 minutes)

Afternoon & Evening

• Settle into your accommodations and meet the team over pre-dinner snacks and drinks.

• Orientation and training sessions on land and in the water on the upcoming activities, covering marine monitoring plans, size and distance estimation skills, and snorkeling preparations.

• Group dinner

• Join a nesting sea turtle patrol on the beach

Morning

• Start with an early breakfast before transferring to the field sites. Mornings are dedicated to activities like size estimation and snorkeling, introduced through brief overview sessions.

Afternoon

• Participate in rotating fieldwork activities, including in-water surveys for sharks, rays, and turtles.

• Go out on the boats to deploy Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) surveys and look for male sea turtles.

• Enjoy lunch at the Caye or in the field, providing a chance to relax and recharge.

Evening

• Return to base to review data, share insights over dinner, and join a nesting turtle patrol on the beach.

Morning

• Start with an early breakfast before transferring to the field sites. Mornings are dedicated to activities like size estimation and snorkeling, introduced through brief overview sessions.

Afternoon

• Participate in rotating fieldwork activities, including in-water surveys for sharks, rays, and turtles.

• Go out on the boats and deploy Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) surveys and look for sea turtles.

• Enjoy lunch at the Caye or in the field, providing a chance to relax and recharge.

Evening

• Return to base to review data, share insights over dinner, and attend expert presentations or group discussions.

• Breakfast at Billy's Bar

• Boat transfer back to Placencia.

• Ground transfer from Placencia dock to Placencia Airport for your Tropic Air Flight to Belize City. Please arrive at Philip Goldson International Airport at least 3 hours before your international flight home.

From her early days growing up by the sea in Tunisia, Dr. Rachel Graham was drawn to research, conservation, and development across Latin America, Africa, and Micronesia. For over 30 years, she has worked with the private sector and organizations such as the United Nations, University of York, Smithsonian Institution, and Wildlife Conservation Society. In 2014, Rachel founded the international NGO MarAlliance to promote inclusive, grassroots science and marine conservation.

For over two decades, Rachel has lived in Belize and worked with fishers and partners in several countries to identify threats, research needs, and conservation opportunities for threatened marine wildlife and their critical habitats. Her work has driven megafauna research and conservation worldwide, and she actively serves on the IUCN Shark Specialist Group, co-founding several National Shark Advisory Committees to advance policy reform for elasmobranchs.

In recognition of her contributions, Rachel received the Whitley Fund for Nature Gold Award in 2011 and the Pew Marine Fellowship in 2021 for her shark research and conservation work. Rachel holds a BSc in Zoology from Oxford, an MSc from Edinburgh, and a PhD from the University of York, UK. She is especially proud of her two sons, who share her passion for fishing and marine conservation.

Growing up in a fishing family, Kirah developed a deep love for the sea early on. Her commitment to marine science was sparked while volunteering at Half Moon Caye, where working with researchers on spawning aggregations affirmed her career path. While completing her Bachelor’s in Biology at the University of Belize, she began her role as a biologist, overseeing monitoring efforts at Lighthouse Reef Atoll. She later joined the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, one of Belize’s most visited MPAs, where she spent 17 years advancing from biologist to program supervisor.

During her tenure at Hol Chan, Kirah obtained a Master’s in Protected Areas Management and Eco-Regional Development from the University of International Cooperation in Costa Rica. Passionate about sea turtle conservation, she has led Belize’s sea turtle preservation efforts. Today, she serves as MarAlliance’s National Coordinator for Belize, working alongside Dr. Rachel Graham and the Belize team to support the conservation of marine megafauna and their coastal communities.