Program Reviews

Going on the Bahamas Marine Biology trip was one of the most influential and important things I have ever done in my life. It was such a great experience to go on, and it seriously was a life changing event. Not only did it teach me about marine science which is something that I have always been passionate about. It made me come out of my shell, and made me realize that I want to pursue marine science in college. My instructors were great and they made me feel safe and were professional, while also acting as members of our group with their friendship. The island was beautiful filled with the clearest water. On our trip we filled glass bottles with the water from the beach and they looked drinkable. A little tip to future trip goers, when you ride in the blue open air trucks, unless you are holding on to lose articles of clothing, they WILL fall off. Hopefully you can convince your instructor to turn around or a super nice local will pick it up and speed to catch up to you just to give it back. I think that my favorite part of the whole experience was sitting on the top of the boat every day after our dives and eating oranges as we became close. By the end of our trip there were so many tears because I think we all realized how special this was. I hope that you will take this trip into consideration because it was so important to me.

I am going to start by saying how amazing of a program Broadreach is. They are one of a kind, mainly because of the qualities they obtain that other traveling programs do not. Broadreach has the close knit relationships between instructors and students that are present, non-stop activities that keep your days 100% glum free, accommodations like no other, and so much more. I could go on forever about the life changing program. Going into the trip, I was worried and overthinking everything. My flight was canceled out to St. Maarten and I had to fly out a day late. The instructors were so nice about it and welcomed me at the airport and even bought me Ting, a sparkling grapefruit drink in some of the islands. We rode the “Mega Dinghy” out to the boat in Grand Case. All of my friends were super excited to see me and I was beyond thrilled to finally meet them. This just goes to show the positive attitudes and openness that everyone has around you. Overall, I went home to a whole new perspective on how your life is your story and you can write it how you want. You have to live life to the fullest and never waste a day of learning and loving. Thank you, Broadreach, for exceeding my expectations and for helping me have the best experience of my life.

This course was absolutely life changing, through the mindfulness excercises it provided me with a door to my inner self and also a time to reflect on prior and future actions. Besides that and the amazing food, housing, and tent life, the occasional whale sighting and intense scenery truly put this trip over the top. The highlight of the trip for me though was being able to spend time at the research station and present our science projects to true marine biologists. I highly recommend this trip to anyone with an interest in Marine Biology, a want to learn about an amazing native culture, or just want to see some amazing vistas.

Incredible! A group of very different teens coming together in paradise on gorgeous boats learning to accept each other's differences and work together! Every activity is well thought out, executed perfectly, and so fun and memorable, from diving at night with sharks to building trails atop Mount Scenery in Saba! The staff are all well educated, fun, and understanding. They cultivate the perfect balance of leadership - allowing the crew to find our own way but stepping in when we need support. The close, shared living quarters allow you to become so close with the other students and create friendships that last way beyond the trip! Everyone accepts each other for who they are and encourage one another to be themselves. You come away from the trip with so many new skills, experiences, and a more understanding outlook on life.

I had no idea what I was getting myself into when I decided to enroll on this trip. I read the itinerary and the course syllabus, but nothing on the website or in the informational brochures could give justice to the indescribable experience I had on this trip. The students I along with our adult leaders began a family in those three weeks. On day three our bond was secured with a track into dark, spectacular Mayan caves where we first began to work as a team and trust each other after we blindly guided each other around stalagmite and stalactite structures just waiting there to inpale one of us. This trust and friendship was there throughout this trip and really helped us succeed in our WFR course which was the most intense part of the trip. Spending hours at night studying and practicing our skills was worth it when collectively we all passed the practical and received all As on the written portion. I have never had so much fun taking vitals, playing unconius or "spine safe" carrying a guy almost twice my weight. This course was challenging but to this day I still get excited to share my certifications and demonstrate my skills. Following our course volunteering in the hospital, nursing home and vitals clinic was unforgettable. We truly made a change in someone else lives. But most of all this experience changed mine. Not only were these 3 weeks fun, but they were unforgettable.

A trip through the Caribbean islands sailing, diving, and bonding with your boat buds is far past the description of words. The dives were breath taking. Sailing was fun peaceful and educational. But by far, the greatest part of Broadreach's program is the atmosphere before, during, and after their programs. People asked me when I got home "What did you do this summer" and I was unable to explain my experiences. A trip to Broadreach is unlike any other, and is unforgettable.

This trip was awesome. Getting to live on a 50 foit sailboat with people that became your best friends was something that I'll always remember. Scuba diving, snorkeling, swimming, sailing, learning about marine biology and learning how to live on a boat were my favorite parts about the trip. No two days were alike, some days we would dive 3 or 4 times and other days we would sail to new islands. Generally though, we would wake up pretty early after sleeping under the stars, our daily cooks would have breakfast made and we would all sit down to eat together. Each day, new people cook the meals for everyone on the boat (which is actually a lot of fun!) and we pick meals out of a recipe book that they have on board. After breakfast, we'd all help clean up and do the dishes. Then we would do different things, we'd either have a marine bio lecture which were always really interesting, we'd dive, sometimes we would do some games or team building activities, sail or do other things! My favorite days of the trip were the free days that we had on most of the islands. Saba was my favorite island. It's a tiny island that's part of the Netherlands and it looks like something straight out of Jurassic park. It's known for having the tallest peak in the Netherlands, called mount scenery. On one of our free days, five of us chose to hike all the way to the top. It's over a thousand steps to the top and was definitely the hardest hike that I'd ever done but it was definitely worth it. The views from the cloud forest were the best I'd ever seen! Overall, diving over 20 times, living with a bunch of people that became really god friends and learning all about how to sail and about marine biology made this trip the best thing I did all summer. I would highly recommend it to anyone that likes trying new things, adventure and the ocean. This trip made my summer fantastic and it was definitely worth it.

I attatended the Caribbean marine biology voyage in the summer of 2016 at the age of 16, there were 13 of us on our boat (nala) and we called ourselves the nalaites. Together we supported eachother and blossomed together. We had some free time on Saint Eustatius so out skipper turned on some music and we threw a dance party and danced around the boat in conga lines after a while our skipper and another staff member built a rope swing off of the boat we all took turns swinging off of the boat and into the turquoise waters. When our arms were too sore to swing we went for an afternoon snorkel and found an amazing wall with thousands of young fish. In the 21 days that I spent in the Caribbean this is the memory that I will hold closest to my heart. If you have the chance to go on this trip please do if I could I would do it all again in a heart beat I learned so much and made a family that I know will always have my back.

Going into this trip, I had known that I wanted to study veterinary medicine in my future. I was unsure though of what branch of vet medicine I wanted to focus on. I remember before leaving for Puerto Rico, I thought, "Hey maybe this this trip will be able to help me decide," and it did just that and so much more. When we arrived in Puerto Rico, we dove into the world of manatee rehabilitation. While we were there, we got to shadow a veterinarian and learn all about manatees and marine medicine. During a routine exam, I was able to monitor a baby manatees vitals and keep record for later professional evaluation. I remember watching the baby's breath and being totally in the moment. Looking back on that exam later that night, I remember thinking to myself that this was something I never expected myself to do. I had never even realized that there is so many different ways I can be a part of veterinary medicine, and that exam opened the door for me. There is so much the world the offer and there is so much that I can learn from it, and I am so happy I was able to realize this through helping an animal.

I was awarded a grant by my school to go with Broadreach on their Marine Biology program. In short, it changed my life. Not only was the experience outstanding, but the people I met and the events were amazing. We spent all 12 days on the boat and became so close. The instructors were truly knowledgeable and there was no pressure at all when it came to diving. We became sufficient in diving over just the first few days and at each spot we increased in skill, leading up to the final 'dive' day where we were thrust against an overhang 120' above the seafloor. We combined our skills of buoyancy and breathing control to examine spectacular corals and marine life. On top of the diving, we were given intriguing lectures of the local marine life. We even helped with community service by developing trails for the people of Saba. All in all, this trip was the best experience in my life so far and fostered a love for sailing and diving as well as marine biology. If given the choice of Broadreach or another program, I can assure you that you will have no regrets choosing Broadreach and when you get back home, you will be looking for ways to get right back there.