Shark and Ray Conservation in Belize

How can we keep shark and ray populations strong? Find answers while exploring some of the world’s most beautiful reefs.

Within this well-protected marine reserve, many animals that are rare in fished areas thrive, including groupers, snappers, many species of coral, and sea turtles. But how well do these protected areas safeguard sharks and rays? How long will it take for decimated shark populations to recover with these protections? Join this one of a kind study to help researchers collect data on the integral role sharks and rays play within their ecosystems and the best way to conserve them.

With help from Earthwatchers, Dr. Demian Chapman and his team have already accomplished a lot for the sharks and rays of Belize. They've teamed up with fishermen and the government to strengthen shark fishing regulations (shark fins are a prized soup ingredient in some parts of the world), secured protected status for all rays nationwide, and helped increase and improve protected areas for sharks.

These wins have taken their research into an exciting new phase. Join in groundbreaking efforts to monitor shark and ray populations in and around three protected areas, working with shark fishermen employed to tag sharks instead of landing them! Your participation will provide key scientific information need for conservation and it will also directly save thousands of sharks every year by providing an alternative livelihood for shark fishers. Teams will also help track the species of sharks that fisherman catch using fin samples, and will also document the species of rays that populate the waters. Your work will help protect the coral reefs of Belize and the captivating predators that call them home.

From a boat under the Caribbean sky, your team will deploy baited remote underwater video cameras (BRUVs) to learn what’s happening in the water. Teams will catch sharks and rays and apply tags that will allow researchers to track their movements in relation to protected area boundaries– a critical part of assessing how well the protected areas are working. Help save some of the world’s most fascinating creatures, while visiting some of the most beautiful reefs on Earth.

For more information or to book contact our office (03) 9016 7590 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Reviews

From $3,150 USD
Duration: 8 days

Sign up for our newsletter


About Us

T (03) 9016 7590
E
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Earthwatch Institute Australia is a registered charity. Donations of $2 or more are tax-deductible.

ABN 25 875 253 851

Earthwatch Australia acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples of this nation. We acknowledge the traditional custodians of the lands on which our company is located and where we conduct our business. We pay our respects to ancestors and Elders, past and present.

Earthwatch Australia is committed to honouring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ unique cultural and spiritual relationships to the land, waters and seas and their rich contribution to Australian and global society. We recognise that sovereignty over these lands and waters was never ceded

© 2023 Earthwatch Institute. All rights reserved.