Thatch Caye Resort recently hosted a trip with 18 divers from British Columbia.  The trip was organized by Shaz and Wes Kozak, co-owners of Ocean Pro Divers.  

Shaz described the trip "as one of the best ever".  The group of 18 did 12 dives in 5 days and reported seeing eagle rays, turtles, nurse sharks, free swimming green moray eels, Caribbean sting rays and a huge variety of fish including parrots, grunts, triggers and more!  One diver commented, "the marine bio-diversity and health of the reef here is amazing!"

A highlight of the trip was lion fish hunting.  Lion fish are beautiful creatures, however they are an invasive species in the Caribbean and, if not controlled, can do significant damage to the reef.  As a skilled predator, lion fish can eat almost all other fish species.  The good news is they are slow, easy to catch and very tasty!

The group took part in specialized lion fish cull training based on materials provided by REEF (Reef Environmental Education Foundation) and then collected lion fish on each of their dives. The catch was brought back to the kitchen, and chef Alberto turned them into a lovely post dive snack.  Those fish that weren't brought back to the island, were shared with the local marine life - who also seemed to enjoy the treat

The story of the group's dive trip was recently published on the Dive News Network - Read the Dive News Network Story here.

Ocean Pro Divers is a 20 year old PADI 5-star IDC located in south Surrey, British Columbia. Its skilled instructors teach open-water through instructor level. It conducts a large active local diving program and traveling program. They feature two tropical trips per year with one Belize trip per year.  For more information about Ocean Pro Divers – see them online at www.oceanprodivers.com.