Broadreach Marine Biology Adventures

This trip was life changing! Two summers ago I experienced this trip and had the best time of my life. Life on the boat was simple, but it was hard work. Ocean showers, scrubbing the deck and cooking canned food became a regular routine. But waking up on the deck and looking out to the crystal clear ocean, seeing stingrays and sea turtles during my wake up swim, diving with nurse sharks and endless coral reefs, make every ounce of work worth it. These are the things I live for and this trip with Broadreach showed me how hard work, friends and nature can really open you up to yourself and allow you to appreciate everything in life. I had a blast making new friends, seeing different islands, hiking a volcano, snorkeling (at least 5 times a day) and learning more than I ever would have in a classroom. Ive done multiple trips with Broadreach and the memories continue to make me smile!

Wish I could be on that boat again! Thanks Broadreach!

I participated in the Caribbean marine biology program this past summer and I am so glad I did! It is an amazing experience and I would definitely recommend it to everyone! While on the trip I received several SCUBA certifications, learned to sail, met awesome people and got to explore beautiful places all while earning school credit. Yes, every meal is cooked by the students on the boat and you have to clean up after yourself. We were assigned days to cook or clean and would switch everyday. If you do not live with your parents at home, it's kinda the same thing, just in PARADISE! You wake up everyday with the view everyone wishes they had, staring at beautiful water. I loved that we had class on the top of a mountain! We were right off of an island and we watched the sun begin to set before we returned to the boat. We got to cliff jump, hike, explore and participate in community service in the rainforest along with the botanical gardens. We had designated lecture time everyday and a few exams but even the lectures were fun. I never felt unsafe on this trip but I knew I could talk to the crew members if I did and if I wanted to call home they would let me use the phone. I was never uncomfortable or worried, Broadreach is an amazing program with amazing staff and I would do it all again tomorrow, worth every penny!

I would not change this experience for anything. I truly cannot imagine with summer without it. This, along with the program I did after it, were the best way I could have spent the summer before my junior year of college. It presented with me with opportunities, connections, and career possibilities I had no idea existed.

I think one of the best elements of the program is the connection between what we learn in our marine biology lectures, our dives, and our small sailing lessons. Not only did we learn about the creatures and the environment, we also learned about our personal and global impact on the water. Leaning about the destruction of the largest ecosystem on the planet and then being able to live out sustainable practices was an incredible experience. Broadreach give me the opportunity to explore the kind of life I wish to lead.

I just returned early from a Broadreach live-aboard program in the Caribbean. I came home because there were serious health and safety issues on the boat, it was filthy. Another girl left when I did because she contracted staph. It was a nightmare. They crowd too many people on their boats, not enough beds for every student! There is no generator on the boat, no a/c, very little refrigeration. Fresh water is rationed to the extreme- we were allowed only a 10- second shower a day, not in private, but on the deck using a hose that trickled water. We were unable to clean ourselves thoroughly. The students are responsible for cooking every meal and cleaning the entire filthy boat. We only had warm water to drink the entire time, nothing else. Only the crew had cold drinks. We were forced to share dive computers even though we pre-paid for rentals through Broadreach. They said they ran out. It is dangerous for more than one diver to rely on a single dive computer. I feel very fortunate that I was able to come home early. I spent my entire savings from my graduation money on this trip, over $6,000.00, and I am so upset that Broadreach is getting away with treating students this way.