Tag sharks and sea turtles with Dr. Rachel Graham on a 5-day citizen science expedition to Belize’s remote Lighthouse Reef Atoll.

Lighthouse Reef Atoll, Belize’s most secluded coral reef, is home to a rich diversity of marine megafauna: reef, lemon, and nurse sharks; occasional hammerheads; and hawksbill, loggerhead, and green sea turtles. These sentinel species are key indicators of ocean health.

As an Expeditioner, you won’t just observe. Working alongside Dr. Rachel Graham, MarAlliance’s founder and executive director, and our team of researchers and local fishers, you’ll join the Caribbean’s longest-running marine megafauna monitoring project. You’ll get hands-on experience using research tools to record, measure, tag, and track sharks, rays, and turtles, while supporting sustainable livelihoods for former shark and turtle fishers.

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

Immerse yourself in marine science and learn the following megafauna monitoring techniques:

• Species Identification of Sharks, Rays, Turtles, and Predatory Fish: Identifying marine megafauna by species is an important part of assessing biodiversity. You’ll learn to identify species during in-water visual transects and when analyzing Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) recordings.

• Sea Turtle Capture and Tagging: Help the team capture, measure, and tag hawksbill, loggerhead, and green sea turtles. You’ll learn to spot turtles that can be tagged, recognize turtles that have already been tagged, and you will help to measure size, sex (where possible), and conventionally tag turtles.

• 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 1 km 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 predatory 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 Video (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 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.

• Longline Capture and Tagging of Sharks and Rays: Scientific longlining is another method to assess shark and ray diversity and abundance, especially over long periods of time. This technique involves setting a line of 50 baited hooks in order to capture individuals and collect more specific measurements, tag the animal with a marker that will identify them in future captures or sightings, and collect a tissue sample for DNA and contaminant analysis. You will assist with baiting and setting the longline, collecting environmental data, and learning proper handling techniques for safely tagging and releasing sharks and rays.

Volunteers should be confident swimmers and comfortable snorkeling in open water, as in-water surveys involve swimming up to 1 km. Snorkel gear is provided, but we recommend bringing your own well-fitting mask, snorkel, and fins for the best experience. Our team will provide a check-out snorkel and support to build confidence before fieldwork begins.

Afternoon & Evening

• Enjoy a MarAlliance transfer from the airport to the hotel.

• Check in to The Great House Inn in Belize City for one night.

• Feel free to explore Belize City

• Meet the team and enjoy a welcome dinner.

• Early bedtime!

Morning

• 6:00 AM: MarAlliance will transport you from the Great House Inn to the boat dock.

• 6:30 AM: Take the charter boat for the 2-2.5-hour journey to Half Moon Caye.

• 7:30-8:30 AM: Enjoy fruits, pastries, and juice on the boat

• 9:30 AM: Arrive at Half Moon Caye and settle in. Your lodging on Half Moon Caye is in modest but comfortable glamping (Glamorous Camping) accommodations in simple but nicely laid-out large “yurt” style tents, sleeping two volunteers each. Guests will receive a quick tour of our base camp and be shown to their accommodations.

• 11:00 AM: Lunch and introductions on Half Moon Caye with the full MarAlliance team. Get to know your new teammates!

Afternoon

• Orientation. Learn the techniques you will be using over the next few days.

• Enjoy a fun snorkeling activity and a quick check-out snorkel to ensure everyone is comfortable in the water.

Evening

• Guests will get cleaned up. Outdoor shower facilities are available.

• Dinner with the team, where you will review the day's work, listen to presentations, and preview what is to come tomorrow.

Because many of our activities are dependent on the weather, we will review the weather and water conditions to plan activities for the week and let guests know which activities will take place during our morning briefings.

Morning

• Start with an early breakfast and our daily briefing before transferring to field sites.

Afternoon

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

Participate in the rotating fieldwork activities, including:

• In-water surveys for sharks, rays, and turtles.

• Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) surveys.

• Longline capture and tagging of sharks and rays.

• Sea turtle monitoring and tagging.

Evening

In the evening, we return to base to review data, share insights over dinner, and attend expert presentations or discussions.

Morning

• Start with an early breakfast and our daily briefing before transferring to field sites.

Afternoon

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

Participate in rotating fieldwork activities, including:

• In-water surveys for sharks, rays, and turtles.

• Baited Remote Underwater Video (BRUV) surveys.

• Shark monitoring to collect biological data.

• Sea turtle monitoring and tagging.

Evening

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

Morning

• 8:00 AM: Breakfast.

• 8:30 AM: After breakfast, pack up your gear, conduct some fieldwork, or review some of your data and findings with the team.

• 9:30 AM: Board the boat for the return trip from Half Moon Caye to Belize City.

Afternoon

• We will dock and will transfer to either the Wyndham Grand Resort or the Biltmore in Belize City for an early check-in so that you can shower and get lunch.

• Guests may choose to catch the shuttle to the airport (included) or spend the night at the hotel.

Evening

• For guests who stay, enjoy dinner at the hotel, visit the shops nearby, and rest up for your flight home. Airport transfers are included.

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.