Tropical Marine Ecology and Conservation

I loved everything that Belize had to offer. The community, island, and connections that you make all resonate with you. It's a once in a lifetime experience you will surely never forget. I'd do it over and over again.

This trip exposed me to more than I ever could have learned in a classroom. I inevitably met friends I'll have for the rest of my life, and learned so much about myself in the time I was here. I realized how important conservation is for not only animals/marine life, but also human civilization.

I loved the Wildlife Belize program and how it expended my knowledge of wildlife and made me want to pursue my career in wildlife. This course was so much fun and you meet amazing people. Our guide made the experience so much better and brought so much knowledge.

I had so much fun on this trip! I've always had a passion for wildlife and this trip helped me learn a lot of new things about conversation and the different animals that call Belize home. Ialso really enjoyed the spay/neuter clinic because it gave me more experience within the veterinary field and helped me confirm the path of wildlife vet is for me.

This program is an opportunity for the books! Staff, locals, experiences, and all are incredible. It exceeded my expectations and allowed me to face my fears doing certain activities like cliff jumping whilst cave tubing. It also included an incredibly influential opportunity to volunteer at the spay and neuter clinic for locals to be able to afford prioritizing their pets' health. I loved everything and would gladly do it again.

Dr Ken and Maureen were the best. They made me feel so comfortable and were very helpful. My favorite part was the buddy snorkels during the day and also the night snorkel! I'm not sure if I wanted to be snorkeling every single day but still loved it.

I loved the Tropical Ecology and Conservation program. My favorite activity was night snorkeling. All my staff did a great job checking in on us and the staff who greeted us at the airport even texted me a few times during the program to see how I was doing!

I had a great time! My favorite part was snorkeling at the channel because it was a unique environment with the shallow coral and the deep channel. I loved swimming through the arch and seeing a turtle!

I had a great experience! Our hosts were wonderful and so welcoming. My favorite part was snorkeling the reefs and getting to know Dr Ken and our leaders. They were incredible in all aspects. 10/10 on everything

The communication at the beginning of the course was quite off between CELA and TREC. The error in communication had the trip off to a rough start, but upon arriving at Trec, Dr. Ken and his wife, Maurine, were very accommodating. Dr. Ken was a wonderful teacher and is very passionate about what he does. The worst part was that the rooms did not have air conditioning.

Taking this class was such a life changing experience for me. Our professor, Ed Boles, was such a great addition to the class. He was extremely knowledgeable and well-versed in the subject matter. The location could not be beat. Tobacco Caye was a dream to stay at, and the reefs of Belize are breathtaking!

I had an absolute blast on this trip. It was everything that I hoped it would be and more. The only thing I could have changed would be less free time in San Ignacio. It would have been nice to have a few activities planned for our last 4 days in Belize. Other than that, AMAZING!

This class was so amazing!! I cannot even describe how much I loved it! We got to learn and explore the rainforest, the ocean, and even some rivers. Such an amazing experience and I would recommend it!

This course was a wonderful course! We saw so many parts of Belize and learned so much from Ed. He is a wonderful instructor. It would have been better if we did more at the end of our course. We were just kind of put in San Ignacio to figure things out on our own. Maybe just adding a TA would help.

We had such a good time travelling throughout Belize while studying Marine Ecology and Conservation. Although there were some negatives about the trip, overall the stay was wonderful. Almost everyone we met were very helpful and kind and the places we stayed were significantly nice. Just be prepared for cold showers!!

This trip has been one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I have only been out of the country one time and that was across the Arizona border to Mexico. The work we did in the field was amazing and made me feel like I have learned many different things that will continually benefit me later in life. Ed Boles was an amazing professor who really got involved with his students and made sure they were understanding the material, while also making sure we had a good time with the material.

the field experience is unparalleled and the being completely immersed in the culture only adds to the experience. this class has the perfect balance of lecture discussion, field work, and down time. the subject matter is extremely engaging and professor boles is extremely knowledgable and experienced in the field.

This class was amazing! I learned so much and had a great time exploring the country with fellow students and a teacher who knows so much about Belize. I know this class will have a major impact on my life in one way or another and I'm excited to see how. We had a great amount of immersion in the culture and environment of Belize by staying in multiple places. We stayed in the jungle, on the cayes, and in San Ignacio, all of which gave us the opportunity to meet the local people and experience their way of living. The course itself was extremely hands on and gave us experience working with what we were learning about in ways that you most likely wouldn't have at your home school. The class was small, giving us a lot of face time with the teacher as well making it easy for the class to bond. I would consider my fellow classmates to be friends that I will stay in touch with for a very long time. All in all, I'm not sure I could ever ask for a better experience and I'm so glad that I chose I.S.I.S. Belize to be my first study abroad program.

Overall I had a great experience. This course in particular was kind of slapped together at the last minute because not enough students applied for the original course so they had to restructure it for a smaller group. For that reason, it seemed a little unorganized which was worrisome at times. That being said, our teacher was fantastic and everything worked itself out. The snorkeling was amazing. The living conditions on the island were rustic to say the least but I had no serious problems with it. Program Administration: A better itinerary of activities would have been nice. No one was really sure of what the "game plan" was. A compiled and detailed itinerary would have been nice so that students would know what to expect.

This was a good course overall. It really helped me figure out what I want to do with my life. It was a stepping stone for me in the right direction. I learned a lot and would love to come back to Belize if I get the chance.

I enjoyed the class and the chance to study marine biology first hand. The course gave a good overview of topics, so you could pick which topic interests you most for future research. Academics: I would have liked the course to be slightly more research intensive, possibly including a group research project that could be including on a CV

I enjoyed the class and the chance to study marine biology first hand. The course gave a good overview of topics, so you could pick which topic interests you most for future research. Academics: I would have liked the course to be slightly more research intensive, possibly including a group research project that could be including on a CV

I recommend this course to students interested in fisheries/ wildlife because I encountered a wide diversity of animals (marine and terrestrial).