This eco-adventure will give REEF members a chance to experience many alluring facets of Costa Rica, including abundant marine life, vibrant tropical rainforests and active volancoes. The trip includes a unique itinerary featuring diving or snorkeling to conduct REEF surveys, as well as land tours in two diverse regions of the country - Guanacaste and Arenal. This weeklong family-friendly excursion also includes a wildlife boat tour, volcano hike, Hanging Bridges guided walk, and even a chocolate tour and tortilla making lesson!
This will be REEF's second trip to Cayman Brac, one of the Sister Islands of the Cayman Islands. Smaller and less developed than Grand Cayman, Brac offers a slow paced island getaway. Participants will help build REEF's fish survey database in this less-dived area by participating in a week of citizen science-based fish surveys! The dive staff at Brac Reef Beach Resort will take excellent care of the group and are known for providing a high level of service.
Expand your knowledge of fish id at this lovely seaside resort in the heart of beautiful St. Lucia. The entire region is a protected marine area and excellent, easily accessible beach diving is available directly in front of the resort. When not diving or snorkeling, guests can enjoy many other activities including sea kayaking, jungle biking, yoga and sailing. Anse Chastanet is an environmentally-conscious, luxury resort with plenty of amenities and delicious food, making it a great destination for REEF surveyors of all levels.
Participants on our inaugral Maldives Field Survey Trip will have the opportunity to conduct some of the very first fish surveys in REEF's newest region, the Eastern Indian Ocean! This itinerary will feature diving around the northwest and central islands, which typically have excellent visibility and colorful reef life. Maldivian waters support the world's largest known year-round population of reef manta rays, but this destination offers the chance to see many ocean creatures, both large and small.
Join REEF's annual trip to Cozumel for a wonderful week of camaraderie, diving and citizen science! Enjoy the fabulous diving in crystal clear waters that have been protected as a marine park for nearly 20 years. Many great fish finds await, including the endemic Splendid Toadfish, found only in this area. When not diving, you will enjoy all the wonderful food and culture that Mexico has to offer, as well as daily seminars by Cozumel local and long-time REEF Expert, Tracey Griffin. Reserve your spot today - this popular trip always sells out early.
This special Lionfish Research Trip is part of REEF’s ongoing effort to monitor the establishment and consequences of invasive lionfish on native fish populations and reef ecosystems. The trip includes a unique research itinerary aboard the Turks and Caicos Explorer II to visit remote areas of the Bahamas including Mayaguana, Plana Cays, Crooked Island, Salina Point, and Castle Island. Trip participants will also have the chance to be trained in lionfish collection, handling and dissection of specimens to document prey.
With its large variety of dive sites, Grenada is known as the dive capital of the Eastern Caribbean. Colorful reefs and spectacular shipwrecks filled with fish life will thrill all types of divers. Conditions are typically excellent both above and below the water, with dive visibility normally between 50-100 feet. Grenada is also home to a world-famous underwater sculpture park and has plenty of land-based activities to enjoy during surface intervals, including hiking, visiting beautiful Grand Anse Beach, river tubing and touring historic sites.
REEF's fourth Field Survey to Fiji is sure to be a fantastic 10 days of diving, camaraderie, surveying, and fun! Central Fiji is known as a hotspot for diving, due to a combination of unique characteristics, including nutrient-rich runoff, deep-ocean upwelling, tidal and wind-driven currents and numerous barrier islands to offer protection. The South Pacific is a highly diverse region with massive schools of pelagics such as Bigeye Trevally, Scad, and Barracuda; Gray Reef and Whitetip Reef Sharks, and unusual creatures like the Leaf Scorpionfish and Hairy Ghost Pipefish.
REEF continues to expand the Volunteer Fish Survey Project throughout the Central Indo-Pacific (CIP) reigon with our first-ever Field Survey to Thailand! Known as the "Land of Smiles", Thailand is only 8 degrees north of the Equator and is home to some of the most species-rich waters and reefs in the world. Our special 10-day charter aboard the Thailand Aggressor is not available during any other time of year. The boat will follow its North Andaman Sea itinerary, with chances to dive sites in areas such as the famous Richelieu Rock and Similan Islands.
REEF's first Field Survey to the Philippines was in April 2016, and we loved the area so much we have decided to return! Surveyors on our 2016 trip recorded an astounding 885 species throughout the two-week trip, including some previously unidentified fish! REEF surveyors joining the second Field Survey to the Philippines will be treated to an educational adventure led by REEF Board of Trustees members, Ned and Anna DeLoach, who are known for their engaging stories and talks on fish behavior.