EXPEDITION LIFE

ACCOMMODATION
You will stay in a typical Island house. The house is very comfortable with electricity, showers and walking distance to Utila town. You will live as a team with up to 8 others as well as your Project Leader. The houses are fully equipped with bathrooms, showers, flush toilets and excellent kitchen facilities.

FOOD
Your food will be from the local markets and shops in Utila, or eaten in a locally owned restaurant on the Cayes or in Utila Town. You will be expected to cook on a rotational basis with the other volunteers. As overfishing is a severe problem in the region, volunteers will not be eating the locally threatened species, such as lobster, conch and grouper.

Breakfast: cereals, tortillas, eggs, fruit.
Lunch: rice & beans, tortillas with vegetables or meat.
Dinner: large rice, pasta or potato based meal with vegetables and often meat.

A DAY IN THE LIFE
Monday to Friday of week one will be spent diving, week two will be spent learning about marine ecology and conducting conservation / community work. The group will be busy with educational workshops for the remaining four weeks or work on other projects aimed at practical conservation measures on the island.

After work, you are free to explore Utila and enjoy the laid-back 'island life' that has made this part of the world a must-see for backpackers, divers, eco-tourists and environmentalists alike.

Weekends
At the weekend, volunteers can make the most of the Caribbean experience! On Saturday, you can enjoy two fun dives (included in the project cost) at the numerous local dive sites - much needed 'fun dives' after a week of work. Saturday night is spent in one of Utila's many hot spots, dancing to reggaeton or island music.

Sundays are days off where volunteers can relax on the beach, dive more, snorkel or walk up pumpkin hill (the highest spot on Utila) for an amazing view of the island.

English is the main language spoken on the islands due to the colonial British period and Caiman Islands descent of many Utilans. The mainland however is typically Central-American and purely Spanish speaking. Yet there is a striking overlap between cultures and ways of life that many visitors to the Bay Islands do not perceive. La Ceiba provides a fantastic insight into those sometimes very subtle differences.

WHO ELSE IS GOING?
Diving and marine enthusiasts from all around the world! Your team will be 6-8 people of a variety of ages and backgrounds. Regardless of age, all volunteers have one thing in common – an enthusiasm for scuba diving, the dedication to spend time carrying out valuable educational work and learning about the marine environment. We all share the desire to make a positive impact on marine life and local communities in Utila.

During our project period in July we can expect fantastic conditions for diving, enjoying the sunshine and the occasional refreshing shower as the rainy season provides much needed water on the islands.

Water temperatures in this part of the Caribbean range between 27-30 degrees C, and visibility can reach up to 30 metres. These ideal diving conditions mean you will be amazed by what Utila's marine environment has to offer.