2024 Westgate Belize Conservation Expedition

Program Blog

View Full Gallery

Latest Updates

Blog 8

We had an early breakfast at the hotel before loading up the bus for an hour and half drive into the broad leaf forest.  We parked at a ranger station, assembled our gear and began our 30 minute hike deeper into the jungle.  During our hike we carried our inner tubes and walked across the river three times.   Once we reached the mouth of the jaguar paw cave we cooled off in a pool while our three guides tied our tubes together.  We loaded up and headed into the cave.  Once inside our breath was stolen by the pure beauty,  we saw stalagmites, stalagmites, two species of bats and huge caverns.  Our biggest surprise came when we reached the largest cavern and our guides lead us across the rocks on foot, seeing quartz crystals up close,  seeing the sink holed where the ancient Mayans offered sacrifices to Xibalba, the god of the underworld.  We also saw pieces of pots the Mayans offered their sacrifices in.  Briggs even managed to find a new piece of pottery.  After we got back in our tubes we floated back down through the end of the cave and down the river to the edge of the ranger parking lot.  We stopped to for lunch of stewed chicken, coconut rice and beans and salad.  So yummy.  When we got back to the hotel we enjoyed resting and started packing before having our closing dinner at Lola’s.   This has been an amazing trip and seeing so many people step outside their comfort zones has been as amazing as the nature.

Blog 7

What a truly amazing day.  We started the day off with breakfast at the hotel.  We loaded the bus and took the short drive to an iguana conservative here in San Ignacio.  While there our guide Rodolfo taught us all about iguanas including letting us hold baby iguanas.  We then checked out the San Elena / San Ignacio weekly Saturday farmers market where people from all over the valley come to shop for everything you could imagine.  After a delicious lunch we went and explored the Cahal Peck Myan ruins which are super close to the hotel but tucked back into the broad leaf forest and can not be seen from the road.  They had a cool museum at the entrance and the tour was self guided allowing us to apply everything we learned yesterday about the Mayans.  We called it an early afternoon as the heat index topped at 120 degrees.  We regathered for a sushi and ramen dinner that was incredibly delicious.  Many of us grabbed ice cream too before heading to bed.
– Amy

Blog 6

The morning of the 16th we had breakfast at ecomar, said our goodbyes to the amazing team and packed up to leave the research station. We got back to belize city and took the 2 hour drive to the Belize Zoo. The zoo had lot tapir, iguana, and monkeys which were very fun to see. We also got to see pumas and jaguars all sorts of birds! after the zoo we had lunch nearby and headed to the hotel. When we arrived at the hotel we settled in, went for a swim and had dinner which AMAZING! The next day we woke up bright and early for an early breakfast so we could head out to see the amazing mayan ruins of Caracol we had a delicious lunch at the site and climbed lots of stairs. The guides walked us through the historical ruins and which was very insightful. We learned so much! After the ruins we went to take a refreshing dip in a river on the way back to the hotel. We had loads of fun then arrived back at the hotel. We had a laidback dinner of pizza and wings and spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing a hot day of walking! We had a great time! Exited to see the plan tomorrow! 

– Aileen  and Gaomi

Blog 5

Hol Chan, Whole Package

It was sunny in belize on our 5th day of our trip and our stay on Saint George’s Caye. The day was eventful, exciting, exhausting, and other words that begin with “E”. We started the morning with pancakes, scrambled eggs, ham, and fresh fruit. The perfect preparation for our exploration of the Hol Chan Marine Preserve. “Hol Chan” we learned is Mayan for “little channel”. About 4500 acres the channel was home to many creatures that through our video-graphic education we were able to identify. Notably we swam with many nursing sharks,  we witnessed cubera snapper snapping about, spotted eagle ray danced at the sea floor, and from a far watched the graceful glide of a baby sea turtle, among many many more. We snorkeled the area twice with a lunch in between and I don’t think any of us will undervalue what we were able to experience. After snorkeling we ventured off to Caye Caulker, a beautiful island with a gorgeous beachfront colorful commerce center. We relinquished ourselves of the heat by purchasing local vendor’s ice cream and chilled drinks before embarking once again to the island for our final night on this island. With Belize everyday has been a new exciting adventure, and I personally cannot wait to see what we discover next.

Signing Off,

Oliver S.

Blog 4

Our morning on day four of Belize started with banana muffins, fry-jacks, eggs, banana muffins, and an assortment of fresh fruit. After breakfast, we set out to go manatee watching, stopping in various places throughout the Belizean Cayes, sadly finding little, apart from some dolphins, before we ultimately set out towards  the mouth of the Belize River. From that spot alone our group had over 20 manatee sightings! After that excitement, followed by a few more dolphin sightings, we had a lunch of pulled pork tostadas and beef empinadas coupled with great sides and a wonderful juice. What followed was a relaxing afternoon, with some going snorkeling with others staying and reading or playing card games. The day ultimately came to an end with a wonderful dinner of fried chicken and fries, with the usual wonderful selection of fruits and juices and pineapple upside down cake, and closed with an informative presentation of the sea life of Belize to prepare us for our snorkel at Hol Chan. 

– Jack P.

Blog 3

Our morning began with a breakfast of johnnycakes, eggs, and papaya. After we ate, Linda gave us a brief presentation to prepare us for the day’s queen conch survey, and John took us on a walking tour of St. George’s Caye. After we had looked through the cemetery and met a very friendly dog, we departed for our conch survey. The windy conditions made it a little bit difficult, but we were mostly done by the time we headed out for lunch. We stopped for a picnic on Foreman’s Caye, which is home to the family of Victoria, one of our guides at Ecomar. After lunch (wraps and pasta salad) and meeting another very friendly dog, we returned to the conch nursery to complete the final survey. Once that was done, we came back to Ecomar to decompress and enjoy a quiet afternoon before a dinner of pork, mashed potatoes, and greens, with chocolate cake for dessert.   Once we had finished dinner, we took some time to reflect on the day before calling it an early night. 

– Ben

Blog 2

First Day in the Water 

Today was an exciting first day at Ecomar. The morning started with a group that went out kayaking where manatees and seas horses were spotted, alongside various fish. After breakfast concluded we learned about some of the local fish we could expect to see in the area. From there we got our snorkel gear and went out to a local sandbar where we had the chance to learn and experience snorkeling, for many people’s first time. After that we returned to the island for a quick lunch before heading out to the barrier reef where we were able to spot a large variety of ocean life, ranging from lobsters, sting rays, and an assortment of local fish too large to count. After concluding our last dive for the day a second group went out kayaking where we learned spotted an eagle ray and an assortment of local fish, as well as the mangroves that make the island. Concluding our day was a lesson on the history of the island Belize as a county. 

– Zack R

Blog 1

Welcome to Belize!

We’re at the terminal at 8:30 AM, waiting for this amazing experience that is about to start. The plane is here and we are sitting around and everybody is talking about all the animals they want to see and how excited everyone is for going snorkeling. We got food and are very excited for the trip. 

At 2:00 PM We got off the plane and it extremely humid but we made it to Belize. We understand we need to adjust to the weather and stuff, but holy moly it is humid but we are ready for this adventure 

After a short bus drive, we got our stuff for snorkeling. It was on the dock so we got onto the boat and headed to St. Georges Caye.

After 30m boat ride We made it! To the island that is, we took a look around, had a introduction meeting and got settled in our cabins, the light blue and white? Yes.

We had dinner around 8pm, it was bbq chicken, rice and beans etc. The humidity is quite high and everything feels sticky but after our first amazing  meal everything feels better. We are going bed now to rest and start our adventure tomorrow.

Top