2025 Fordham Preparatory Belize Conservation Expedition
Program Blog
Latest Updates
Blog 7: Seeulata Belize
We started off our last full day here in Belize with breakfast at 7:30 where we had pancakes, sausage and fruit. We then set out on an hour long bus ride to the start of our cave tubing experience. After gearing up, we carried our tubes on a 30 minute hike while it was raining, crossing rivers and walking through muddy water. Once we reached the start of the river, we got in our groups and our journey began. We started with an introduction of the stalagmites and stalactites on the roof of the cave. The tour guides turned out the headlamps and showed us the figures that some of the rocks can form. After that, we got out of tubes and got to jump off a ledge into the dark waters. After some pictures and a treacherous walk back to the tubes, we continued our tour. We then reached a point where the cave ended and went through some rapids in the jungle. After changing and getting back to the bus, we stopped for an amazing lunch at the Teaky Tavern. Some of us tried a unique juice called Soursop. We enjoyed a usual meal of stewed chicken with rice and beans. After coming back to the hotel, we had free time until dinner where some of us packed for our travel day tomorrow. We then enjoyed our final dinner in Belize at the hotel. After dinner we wrote time capsules to our future selves that we will be receiving in three years.
This global Ed trip has truly been an unbelievable experience in so many ways. From St. George’s Caye to St. Ignacio, we have made so many memories and shared so many great moments. Big thanks to our friends at ECOMAR, our Walking Tree leaders, and our Fordham Prep chaperones for keeping the vibes so high and being incredible role models. I’m sure that we all agree that we have made so so many new friendships and memories that will last for a lifetime.
Blog 6: Still Having a Blast!
Another early day had us waking up at 7 for breakfast. We had fry jacks, sausage, eggs, and fruit which was delicious as always. We had some time after breakfast to pack and get ready for the long day ahead of us filled with visiting ruins and swimming.
The bus ride to the Mayan ruins was about 2 hours, and many of us spent our time sleeping. We stopped at a ghost town on the way to stretch our legs or use the bathroom if needed. The roads were very bumpy and dirty, so many thanks to our drivers. Once we arrived at the ruins it was a small hike and then we were able to climb the canaa pyramid which is around 160 feet tall. After our descent a few of us had a little snack of termites. Afterwards, we moved to different site that was all about astrology and we got to climb up some more pyramids to take pictures. We left to go eat lunch which was chicken, beans, and rice. We got back on the bus to head to the river to swim. There were natural water slides which were very fun although they were bumpy because of some rocks. Despite the challenges, we loved the river and we all got to swim and enjoy ourselves. We changed and got back on the bus to head back to the hotel. Again, many of us were sleeping on the way back before we stopped to refuel on snacks.
We had a little bit of time before dinner so we chilled out. Dinner was delicious as always where we had a choice of a quesadilla, chicken pesto pasta, or beef stir fry. We had plenty of time after dinner to hang out and play cards. The vibes are very high and we are all having a blast.
Blog 5: The end of an era, but a start to new beginning!
After waking up and eating a delicious breakfast (as always), it was time to hop in a boat with our snorkel gear for one last dance, this time, with sharks…. (now that’s one way to end with a bang) so after driving out to what seemed like the middle of no where out at Hol Chan by Shark Ray Ally, It was finally time to put all of our practice to use and see THE REAL DEAL. From Sting Rays with some of the most abstract colors I’ve ever seen, to sharks that moved ever so swiftly up and around us, to even seeing a turtle elegantly gliding under us, I couldn’t tell you the coolest thing we saw down there. It was a truly beautiful display of marine life, And although it might have been a little scary at times, no one failed to appreciate what they were experiencing in that very moment.
So cool, we saw some big fishies and got really tired so you think that we would go home to relax for a little right? WRONG!! After saying goodbye to the sharks and fueling up with some ham and cheese sandwiches, we set sail for Caye Caulker! An incredible island that was actually split in half by a hurricane, now where that split is lies many shops and resorts. There we all saw some nice views, loaded up on souvenirs and snacks, some of us even got some freshly grilled lobsters and best of all BELIZEAN ICE CREAM! And so after exploring everything from the bottom of the ocean to the split of Caye Caulker, it was now finally time to return To St George’s Caye.
And if you thought that that was enough to fill up a day, you would be INCREDIBLY incorrect. With a couple hours of free time until dinner, we made the most of it. Whilst some of us did choose to relax and take a nap, the rest of us chose run one of the most PASSIONATE pickup football games the island has ever seen, no one was left out, everyone from seniors to freshmen were playing. And if you weren’t doing that, you were playing cards or tossing around a volleyball, either way, having a blast until dinner came around, where we had amazing lemon pepper wings with a side of mash potatoes.
And if you thought that we were surely done now, you would be ABSOLUTELY correct because everyone slept like babies after the day we just had. The next morning: bittersweet, as we would be leaving the island that has treated us oh so good. And after one last delicious breakfast we set sail for mainland. What an amazing way to end our stay at Ecomar it was full of growth, exploration, conquering fears, and building connections. We are forever in their debt for the hospitality they showed us, still we left them all postcards as tokens of our appreciation.
And so after getting back to the mainland, next on the agenda before getting to the resort in San Ignacio: The Belize Zoo. Full of exciting exhibits like the jaguars, otters, and crocodiles, it was definitely a memorable day. It wasn’t a traditional zoo we would see back home, the animals had such big living spaces and so much room to move around in their natural habits. So much so that sometimes you would go to see an animal and take what seemed like eons trying to find them in their huge enclosures.
And so after a 2 hour commute and getting our fair share of the animals Belize had to offer, hungry was an understatement for the lot of us. Not to worry though because only 3 minutes away from the zoo was the restaurant we would be eating at. There we fueled up on some burgers, some of us rice with chicken and made our way to San Ignacio. There we got settled in, roamed around a little and enjoyed a dip in the pool. After that came the best part for some: A STEAMING HOT SHOWER right before dinner, which was pristine to say the least. And so with full bellies and a cold A.C. working all night, the night ended there.
Blog 4: Another Day Conchered
This morning at St George’s Caye, the early risers enjoyed some morning kayaking along with Ms. Lala and Mrs. Darcy, while some others watched the beautiful sunset on the front dock (with pictures that can be found on fp.globaled on instagram), and of course Mr. Reed and following enjoyed the daily morning run by the breezy beach. We all made sure to put on our sunscreen because this was the hottest day so far!
Breakfast was incredible as always with freshly baked Sunday buns with raisins and jam, sausage, eggs, beans, coffee, and pineapple juice. Right after breakfast the group watched an informative presentation about the fascinating conchs (pronounced conks) that are found scattered in the sea grass and reefs in the Caribbean waters. We split into two groups after breakfast with the first group practicing conch collection which would be put into use soon!
The first group went out to snorkel and look for the conchs among the sea grass. Conch is the second most fished commodity in Belize and so data collection of these shelled mollusks in order to keep the industry afloat is pivotal to many Belizeans. We were each assigned a role of either locating the conchs, diving to collect them, measuring them, recording the data, or putting them back on the sea floor. This exercise certainly improved group cohesion and was a great team building experience, along with being some well needed snorkeling practice. After the conch collection was done we had some time to explore the reefs once more spotting rays, crabs, lobsters, all kinds of fish and coral, and collecting some invasive lion fish.
While this was going on the second group went on a boat tour in a mangrove forest river with a Belize City local, Clayton, who quickly earned himself the nickname Aqua Man due to his extensive knowledge of wildlife and adept diving abilities. Here the group spotted numerous dolphins, manatees, colorful iguanas, and closeups of crocodiles. When both groups returned from their respective expeditions they enjoyed a lunch dually as delicious as breakfast: pulled pork burritos with beans and pico de gallo. After lunch the activities continued as both groups switched and took part in the experience that they hadn’t done yet.
Some free time was given after the return from the second round of activities which saw games of cards, volleyball, and many, many iguana sightings. You could guess how great dinner was after the free time with yellow rice, fried chicken, mixed vegetables, and cake for dessert. What followed dinner, though, was something truly special: karaoke on the front dock.
The entire group as well as the chaperones and Ecomar staff was graced with singing from animated ensembles, enchanting trios, alluring duos, and brave but boisterous solos comprised of students from all ages, the chaperones themselves, and a guest appearance with Mr. Reed. Shy and outspoken students alike became enthralled in the magic of the music in a night that won’t be forgotten for a long time on the Caye.
Tired from activities and singing their hearts out, the students were more than ready to go to bed in a breezy night beneath a full moon.
Blog 3: Don’t Stop Belizeing
We started the day early again and many watched the sunrise on the front dock. Others kayaked through the mangrove forest and visited a wrecked boat. Every morning local, Mr. Reed, leads a run around the island that is electric and a great start to your morning. The amazing cooks cheffed up some eggs, ham, and johnny cakes biscuits with jam.
After another fish recognition tutorial we set out in two different groups to go snorkeling. The freshman and sophomore group first traveled to a dense mangrove underwater forest where they saw unique life forms and fish. On the boat traveling to and from the area they also saw dolphins and manatees. During that adventure the juniors and seniors took the ocean highway to a coral reef. We saw hundreds of fish each one different than the other. We dove down deep checking all the coral for life. We saw a number of sting rays and fought the choppy waves that pushed us around the reef. The first group at the mangroves were hit hard with rain and wind from a storm on the way back. The second group just missed it and returned back. After returning back to camp we had another great meal of tostadas with chicken.
We then switched where the groups went and had similar experiences as the others. In our free time we played in a big circle for volleyball and ran some 1v1s in football. Before dinner we chilled around the island listening to reggae and looking for animals. We then enjoyed fresh pork chops with some banging potatoes. After counting our number of fish seen for the day we called it a day and went to bed.
Blog 2: An Unbelizeable Day
Our day started at 7:30am, but many of us woke up early out of excitement. A few of us stretched and went on a 1.5 mile run of the coast, others joined one of our instructors to kayak. After a great breakfast of scrambled eggs, fry jacks, and bacon we tested our snorkel gear and had a snorkel safety meeting before we left for our first activity of the day.
After breakfast we took off for our first adventure to test our snorkel gear. After a ten minute boat ride, we passed the break and were in the clear water. We swam and practiced our snorkel form and saw starfishes, lobsters and other small fish. After this we all felt ready for the real reefs and are excited for our big expeditions to come in the future. When we returned back to camp we had lunch and then began our next adventure of the day which was exploring the island. When walking down the beach we learned about the rich history of St. George’s Caye including the cemetery, the military background and past events that occurred here. After reaching the tip of the island we walked back while cleaning the beaches. We filled seventeen large bags of trash including bottles, plastics, shoes and many different things.
Upon returning back to camp some went out for a sunset kayak while others spend time on the dock swimming and talking. Before dinner we played football, soccer, and volleyball to pass the time. Dinner like all the meals was home cooked and delicious. Three amazing women cook all of our meals and had the upmost appreciation from everybody on the island.
The people that work and live on the island are so kind and welcoming. Today was an amazing day and we are all looking forward for the days to come.
Blog 1: From New York to Paradise
Today the group had an early 3am departure from New York to start their journey. After two planes rides and a long travel day they arrived around 2pm to Belize! After passing customs and immigration they were greeted by their guides and a wonderful 85 degree sunny afternoon.
The first stop was to the local scuba and snorkel shop to get fitted for their snorkel gear they will need for tomorrow and the next few days. We also stocked up on some snacks to take with us to the island of St George’s key which will be home for the next few days.
An amazing boat ride from Belize city, seagulls accompanied all of us while traveling over the Caribbean waters, at the distance massive cruise ships were spotted, it took about 30 minutes to get to St. George’s Caye. Upon arrival we were greeted by our host and got settled into our amazing cottage and Casita for our accommodations, and had a little time to check out the tropical paradise and hang out on the wooden dock, looking at the horizon and enjoying the fresh breeze.
Then we had an amazing dinner of local Belizean cuisine prepared by the kind local cooks, and after we had an orientation meeting to get familiar with the history of the island (a brief comprehensive archeological presentation) and to familiarize ourselves with the activities we are going to be participating in during our stay.
Everyone has been super nice and welcoming. After a long travel day we are getting ready for some much needed rest and excited for the adventures tomorrow…