Waking up on Franks Caye, you could be forgiven for thinking you are still asleep, and that the white sand, palm trees, & solitary jetty stretching out into a perfect azure blue sea is all just a lovely dream……..

Franks Caye is one of the numerous coral cayes off the coast of Belize in Central America, and is home to 'Reef Conservation International' (ReefCI), a marine conservation project based in southern Belize, close to the Guatemalan border. The island is well out of the reach of mobile phone reception; there is no TV, & electricity is provided by a erratic generator. In fact there is nothing but you & your companions from ReefCI; Edgar who looks after the island; the sea & the coral reef with all its wonders…… Accommodation consists of several wooden cabanas (each with obligatory veranda & hammock); there is a central eating area, and a turtle nesting site at one end of the island (out of bounds during nesting season). ReefCI also has a large house in Punta Gorda on the mainland that guests can use as a base at weekends.

So, if the prospect appeals to you of living for a week or more on a remote coral island, doing nothing except diving, sunbathing, eating wonderful food that you didn't have to cook yourself; sampling the excellent '1 Barrel' local rum while lazing in a hammock - and all this while doing your bit for the environment, then read on, because ReefCI is definitely for you…..

ReefCI is part of the ReefCheck global network, and is also working in partnership with a local group; TASTE-SCMR (Toledo Association of Sustainable Tourism and Empowerment - Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve). The survey dives, which guests undertake, involve collecting data on coral, fish & invertebrates, which is then submitted to Reef Check headquarters for inclusion in global coral reef status reports, and to TASTE-SCMR. ReefCI is also involved in training local youngsters to Dive Master level, which will give them an opportunity to become employed in the local tourist industry; a positive contribution in a country where employment is scarce.

The ethos of ReefCI, set up in 2004 by Polly Wood, is very different to many other groups that run marine conservation projects. In particular, the guests do as many or as few survey dives as they wish, with the rest of the diving made up of fun dives. Staff, and in particular Polly herself, are welcoming, friendly and relaxed, Polly's view being that guests have paid to be there, and have come to relax and enjoy themselves on what may be their main holiday of the year, so why should they be subjected to a regimented timetable of survey dives? Having said that, I found myself on several mornings voluntarily getting up at least an hour earlier than I do when I'm going to work, simply in order to experience the sublime beauty of diving at dawn..….

ReefCI is also designed to appeal to as wide an age-range as possible, & in the short time it has been running, there have already been guests whose ages ranged from 22 to 60+. The idea is that everyone is welcome, but Polly was keen to avoid becoming labelled as a 'gap year' destination, with the emphasis far more on appealing to divers in the 30+ age range.

Even if you are not an experienced diver, there is the opportunity to complete your PADI Open Water or Advanced course in the crystal clear waters of the Caribbean. Steve from Doncaster, who arrived at the same time as we did, had only dived once before, but passed both his Open Water and Advanced PADI courses in his first two weeks there; stayed 3 months in Belize and is now close to getting his Dive master qualification. Passing a course however, means being obliged to undertake the infamous 'snorkel test' in front of the whole group; which involves drinking as much beer or rum as Polly can pour down your throat through a snorkel!

Franks Caye is situated within the Sapodilla Cayes reef system - one of a number of marine reserves off the coast of Belize. Whilst the diving may not be as spectacular as in some other parts of the world, contributing to the work that ReefCI is doing, and participating in the process of discovering new dive sites is satisfaction in itself (and the survey dives are fantastic for improving your buoyancy, believe me!). Moreover, apart from the usual Caribbean reef life, during the two weeks I spent there I saw giant manta rays and spotted eagle rays, and if you go at the right time of year, there is also the chance of seeing sharks and maybe even dolphins. Much of the reef is also very beautiful here, covered with a wide range of soft & hard corals, & numerous lovely purple barrel sponges.

Monday to Friday at ReefCI is spent on Franks Caye; a typical day might start with an optional – but highly recommended – dawn dive. There is nothing quite like slipping into the water with the pale orange Caribbean sun gently rising above the horizon, just in time to find the reef creatures waking up & going about their early morning business… then it’s back to Franks for steaming hot coffee and a slap-up breakfast. Next comes a bit of lazing in a hammock, or sunbathing on the jetty until it’s time for the next dive…… Lunch is often a relaxed two hour break between dives on one of the other cayes nearby; maybe Lime Caye, with its perfect powdery white sand beach; or Seal Caye, a tiny island with a beach made entirely from hundreds of conch shells and broken pieces of coral. In the afternoon, it’s more diving and more sunbathing / lazing (I think you’re beginning to get the picture!). There are often night dives in the evening, and although this means having to wait that little bit longer for that ice-cold beer or glass of rum, believe me it tastes even better after a dive…….

Weekends can be spent exploring Belize; for the hard-core diver there's the famous Blue Hole, & a wealth of diving along the barrier reef (the second biggest in the world after Australia). For those taking a break from diving, trips can be arranged to the jungle (the river-tubing in Cockscombe Sanctuary is highly recommended!); various Mayan ruins, or you can chill out in Placencia; a hippy-ish, laid-back beach hangout, where you can spend the weekend in a hammock at one of the beach bars, drinking rum punch or the local Belikin or Lighthouse beers.

Belize itself is a stunningly beautiful and remarkably unspoilt country (given the fact that it is a major tourist destination for the USA). The journey down to Punta Gorda from Belize City is by a small Cessna plane, providing breath-taking views of miles and miles of untouched jungle & mountains to the west, and the shimmering Caribbean sea with the silhouette of the Belize Barrier Reef on the other side. The coastline has few big hotels; almost no huge tourist developments or artificial beaches; just miles of mangrove swamps going right down to the shoreline. This is due largely to the conservation-conscious Belize government, which has been responsible for establishing many nature reserves; wildlife sanctuaries and Marine reserves. We can only hope that this attitude continues, and that Belize continues to attract tourists who appreciate the country for its natural beauty, without feeling the need to destroy it in order to make their holidays more comfortable.

Nestling between Mexico & Guatemala on the Caribbean coast, Belizean culture is an incredibly diverse ethnic mixture, which includes descendants of the original Maya Indians; Creoles (descendents of African slaves and British pirates); Mestizos (people of mixed Indian and Spanish heritage), and the Garifuna people in the south (of American Indian and African descent), to name just a few out of this fascinating mix. Belizeans are amongst the warmest, friendliest & most welcoming that I have met anywhere in the world, and combined with stunning scenery; beautiful coral reefs; delicious food; great rum, & the Caribbean sunshine, I defy anyone not to have a truly unforgettable experience in this unique country.