Study Abroad - Tobacco Caye Marine Station

Water taxi from Dangriga

Arriving to Tobacco Caye

Taking part in the Intro to Snorkeling from Tobacco Caye involving snorkel skills assessment and guided snorkel

Snorkel amongst the mangrove props at Tobacco Range

Tobacco Caye Marine Station Carribow and Smithsonian

Take a tour around the Smithsonian Research Station

No visit to Tobacco Caye is complete without a night snorkel, where you can see octopus, green moray eels and this happy Ballonfish

Tobacco Caye Marine Station Group at Mangroves

Head out for a full day tour at Glovers Reef Atoll

Snorkel the wall at Glovers Reef and swim over the shelf which descends 3500ft

Collect data in the field across a wide variety of sites within the South Water Caye Marine Reserve and Glovers Reef Atoll.

Use our classroom space and lab equipment to work on independent projects.

Wave goodbye and head back to Dangriga

Tobacco Caye Marine Station Group Classes

Discover, Learn, Present and Share your time on Tobacco Caye.

A Typical 5 Day Itinerary

Day 1: Hop on the water taxi at Dangriga and spend a picturesque 30 minute boat ride traveling to Tobacco Caye. See the waves breaking on the Belize Barrier Reef and feel the excitement at arriving at Tobacco Caye. Settle in to your lodge and take a tour around the 4 acre island. After lunch attend the marine hazards lecture and pick up your snorkel gear. Enter a calm shallow patch right off of Tobacco Caye to practice and test snorkel skills. After passing the skills, take a guided snorkel over Tobacco Caye’s back reef. Get showered in time for dinner at the lodge. After a delicious meal attend the Intro to Marine Environment of Belize lecture led by the Station Manager.

Day 2: Get ready for a full day of snorkeling in a number of spots in the South Water Caye Marine Reserve. First we start our excursion by traveling to Bird Island which is one of the last remaining nesting spots in the Caribbean for the Magnificent Frigate Bird. Spot the Magnificent Frigate Birds, Brown Boobies and Double Crested Cormorants at this natural bird sanctuary. Next cruise through Tobacco Range trying to spot the elusive West Indian Manatee. Stop off to snorkel the red mangrove prop roots around the Range. Our next stop is a patch reef snorkel or a forereef snorkel if the weather is calm. Our lunch stop is on South Water Caye, enjoy a picnic lunch whilst relaxing on this charming island. After lunch we transfer a few minutes to the Smithsonian Research Institute to have a tour around their marine station and possibly have the chance to talk to researchers staying there. After an informative tour we do our last snorkel drop of the day at Carrie Bow Caye patch reef which can be seen from the Smithsonian. Once we have snorkelled this diverse site its time to head back to Tobacco Caye.

Day 3: After breakfast head out on a half day tour to Emily’s Reef. This pristine and unfrequented backreef and forereef site offers the chance to see lush corals and see the spur and groove formation of the forereef. Have lunch back at Tobacco Caye. Spend the afternoon getting involved in our reef cleaning project and learn about the impacts of plastic pollution in our oceans. After dinner, round off the day with a night snorkel to see species such as octopus and moray eels which are more active at night.

Day 5: Depart from Tobacco Caye by water taxi back to Dangriga after breakfast.

Day 4: Get ready for another full day of snorkeling! Today we travel 14 miles across the Caribbean Sea to Glovers Reef Atoll. This day is weather dependent due to the boat journey. Snorkel at a patch reef site first and then head to the wall which is usually the highlight of the day for many students. The wall has a 3500ft drop into the abyss and students can snorkel right over the top looking down the wall and into the deep blue. We will have lunch at the Wildlife Conservation Society base at North West Caye where you can visit their information point and walk their mangrove board walk visiting hermit crab alley! After lunch we have a further two snorkel drops within the atoll to really observe the difference between atoll and barrier reef environments.