Belize Barrier Reef Marine Conservation Trip 2024

Lilly Zielinski-Hoyos Start Date: Feb 14, 2024 - End Date: Jun 13, 2024

My Travel Story

by: Lilly Zielinski-Hoyos Start Date: Feb 14, 2024 - End Date: Jun 13, 2024
Hello, my name is Lilly and I will be travelling to Belize in March 2024 to hunt a non-native very invasive species in the Belize Barrier reef. Originating in the Indo-Pacific area, lionfish have spread to the Caribbean, devastating the local marine environments. The population of vital reef fish has drastically decreased due to their ravenous appetite and lack of natural predators, endangering the wellbeing and biodiversity of our oceans. I aim to contribute to the ongoing conservation efforts and protect the native Belize marine life. To make this mission a reality, I am reaching out to you for support. My goal is to raise €4,000 to cover the costs of:
Training and certification
Essential diving equipment 
Travel expenses to Belize, including accommodation and transportation.
Educational outreach initiatives to raise awareness about lionfish and their impact.
Insurance of many kinds

To help you can:
Donate: Whatever your financial contribution, it will have a big impact on this mission. We are getting closer to saving our oceans with every donation.
Share: Spread the word about this campaign on social media, email, or any other platforms. The more people who know about our cause, the greater our collective impact.
Educate: Come with me in spreading the word about the invasion of lionfish. Disseminate knowledge about our marine ecosystems' vulnerability and the significance of doing so.

In return I promise to upload pictures (when I have wifi) to show you just the impact lionfish have and to show you me taking part in the hunting of this harmful species.

Together, we can make a difference and safeguard the breathtaking beauty of our oceans. Let's empower the ocean guardians of Belize and beyond!

Thank you for being a vital part of this important journey.

With gratitude,

Lilly
Email: isalillyzh@gmail.com

Updates

3

  • Week 1 Of 2!

    Week 1 of 2!
    Day 1 - I arrived at the boat dock at 9:30 and it was about an hour ride to the island. Once we got to the island we helped unload the boats and then got our room assignments, I was in this shack with just a bed and a fan which was quite nice and quiet. After that we got briefed on the week and what we would be doing and then got all of our gear ready! After that we had some delicious lunch and then chilled out until about 15:00 when we went on our first dive which was just a shore dive. We didn’t see much but we recapped what we had done in our dive training so they knew what levels we were at. Then we had dinner and went to bed.

    Day 2 - My alarm went off at 6:30am and I got out of bed and had a coffee but at 7:00 it was time for our lionfish spearing masterclass and then off to kill them. My first dive I managed to kill 5 lionfish! Once we got back I learned how to filet them and then we had breakfast. After breakfast we had another lionfish hunting dive where I caught so many lionfish I lost count (I believe it was around 8!). We then had lunch (which was not lionfish yet). After lunch we had our third dive of the day where I caught 3 lionfish and saw a nurse shark (which are super cute). The nurse shark followed us around for a bit because it wanted our lionfish. After that we had dinner and chilled out for a bit. I was so tired I went to bed at 20:00!

    Day 3 - This day the lionfish were a little more skittish so I only caught 2 on our first dive but saw a really big beautiful sting ray which was just chilling in the sand. After breakfast we actually did a snorkel in a shipwreck instead of a dive and after that we went to an island to do a beach cleanup which was really insightful and fun. For lunch we finally got to eat what we had been hunting for so long (which was delicious by the way). After lunch for our final dive we did some more lionfish hunting and saw lots of schools of fish and even a school of squid. We had dinner and then played lots of taco cat goat cheese pizza (I had only ever played this with my little cousins) which was SUPER competitive but also very very fun.

    Day 4 - Again, up bright and early for our 7am dive where the lionfish were less skittish and I caught 3. For breakfast we had a delicious omelet/scrambled egg hybrid. After breakfast we dove again and caught a few lionfish but saw some cool things like a green moray eel and some queen angelfish (my favourite fish). We then had lunch and the others went for the penultimate dive of week 1, however, I ended up busting my toe open on some rocks on the island and had to stay behind. In the evening we played lots of games and had the most amazing buffet with food including lionfish ceviche, shrimp tempura, teriyaki chicken, rice with ginger and so much more.

    Day 5 (final day) - We all woke up and had our morning coffee at 6:30 and at 6:45 everyone went for a dive but I stayed behind because my toe was still bothering me. After that we had a quick breakfast and then hopped on the boat and rode back to the mainland (Placencia) where I will be spending the weekend. On Monday I go back up to the island for one more week of diving.

    I had the most amazing time with some wonderful food, company and dives. There was no service on the island so I spent my free time reading and playing games with the other people there. This experience was truly invaluable and I can’t wait to do it all again next week.

  • Arriving In Belize

    Arriving In Belize
    Hello again,

    I have just arrived in Placencia, Belize and I embark tomorrow on my trip with IVHQ and ReefCI. Attached is a picture I took from the plane this afternoon. I take a boat at 9:30 am from one of the docks near my hotel and I am super excited. While you guys wait for pictures and updates, here are some cool lionfish facts:
    1. Lionfish have voracious appetites (their nickname is “the Hoover vacuums of the sea”). In densely invaded areas, lionfish can consume 460,000 prey fish per acre per year, including ecologically and economically important fish like grouper and snapper. In some places they’ve reduced the native prey population by 90%.
    2. One lionfish can produce up to two million eggs in one year
    3. There are 12 species of Lionfish, and 2 species, the red lionfish and the common lionfish are currently classified as invasive species.
    4. The 13 long fins that extend from the spine of the lionfish are venomous and used to deter predators. After being punctured by a venomous spine, the acetylcholine (a neurotransmitter) present in lionfish venom causes changes in heart rate, muscle spasms, and dizziness.
    5. A lionfish’s stomach can expand up to 30 times its regular size.
    6. When prey is lacking, lionfish have also been found eating members of their own species.
    7. They are not aggressive and usually avoid potential predators. Once they’re content with where they are, they don’t bother to travel.
    8. The reproduction of lionfish increases in warm waters, while those who stay in colder water reproduce only three to four times a year.
    9. One of the weirdest methods of population control is training sharks to kill and eat lionfish. Sharks do not seem to take damage from the venomous spines of lionfish, and some viewed this as an opportunity to alleviate the problem regarding this invasive species.
    10. It is legal in the U.S. to own a lionfish as a pet, however, it is illegal to release a lionfish into the wild!

    I hope you learned something new from these cool facts and see you in 5 days with some cool pictures and more updates!