In 2017, REEF is offering an Invasive Lionfish Research Trip, once again in partnership with the fabulous Go West Diving and Kura Hulanda Lodge.

Trip participants will have the opportunity to document the establishment and consequences of invasive lionfish as part of REEF's ongoing effort to minimize the Indo-Pacific predator's impact on native fish populations. Participants will gain hands-on epxerience in lionfish collection and dissections of specimens to document prey and will be led by REEF Director of Special Projects Lad Akins and REEF Board of Trustees member Peter Hughes. Those who also enjoy fish surveying will be delighted at the diversity of Curacao's reefs, and shore diving on Go West Diving's home reef, Alice in Wonderland, where many great fish finds await discovery. 

Dive boats at Go West.

Cost per person: $1,822 for double occupancy in a garden view room

What is included: Your package includes 7 nights of accommodation at the Kura Hulanda Lodge & Beach Club, 5 days of 2-tank boat dives with GO WEST Diving, unlimited shore diving, daily breakfast, taxes and service charges, roundtrip airport transfers, ground transportation for group activities, tanks and weights.

Additional fees: A REEF Program Fee of $300 per diver will be added to each package to cover the cost of the group leaders, seminar and survey materials. Lunch and dinner not included.

About the trip leaders: Lad Akins, REEF’s Director of Special Projects, and Peter Hughes, REEF Board of Trustees member, have been co-leading REEF's Lionfish Research Trips in Curacao for the past four years. To learn more, check out the REEF Trip Leader Bio page.

How to book: To reserve your space or find out more, e-mail us at trips@REEF.org, or call us at 305-588-5869. A $500 deposit will be collected at the time of booking. Visit our Trip Policies page for more information on deposit and payment schedules.

Airport/hotel transfer information: Participants fly into/out of Willemstad (CUR) Hato International Airport. From there, participants will be transported to Kura Hulanda Lodge & Beach Club, a 30 minute drive from the airport.

The beautiful grounds of the Kura Hulanda.

 Participate in lionfish research. Photo credit: Go West Diving.

The dock to the house reef at Go West, a fantastic fish survey site. Photo credit: Go West Diving.

GO WEST Diving Website