About MBRC
The Marine Biology Research Camp was established in 1992. We have had 23 very successful summers working with schools across the country. It began with 1 week and 12 students and has grown to accommodate over 100 students during 6 weeks each summer. Our students are given the opportunity to learn about fish and coral found in the Caribbean, interact with dolphins everyday and learn the importance of marine conservation.
Greg Hidalgo, director of the camp, has always felt strongly about conservation. With over 33 years in the dive industry, Greg has relied on the ocean for work and for enjoyment. Through the years, he has watched our oceans struggle to survive the impact of humans. He felt that people should be educated about the environment so that they can make smarter decisions, reducing the harmful effects of people on our oceans. With that goal in mind, Greg set out to protect our oceans by educating students through the Marine Biology Research Camp.
About Roatan
Roatan, the largest of the Bay Islands, is 39 miles long and 2 miles wide with numerous coves, close-in fringing reefs, and 23 associated keys. Its heavily vegetated ribbed slopes rise and fall sharply from summits of nearly 800 feet to white sand beaches, mangrove stands, rocky shores, sandy grass beds and other habitats - all teeming with life and untrammeled by development that has overtaken much of the Caribbean.
Roatan Institute For Marine Sciences
The Marine Biology Research Camp works closely with the Roatan Institute for Marine Sciences (R.I.M.S.) Students will attend lectures at the facility lead by instructors who have been in the field for over a decade. Lectures teach the students about all of the different things they will see as they snorkel or scuba dive during their stay. Focus is placed on coral identification, fish identification, turtles, and dolphins. Through these lessons students gain a better understanding and appreciation of what they will experience in the water.
Dolphin Encounter
One of the most anticipated and exciting parts of the Marine Biology Research Camp are the dolphin encounters. Our students will interact with the dolphins at Anthony’s Key Resort everyday. Students participate in training sessions, snorkels, anatomy sessions and so much more!
The dolphin platform sessions are a very special part of the program. The students and dolphins of RIMS interact and develop trust in one another. It is on the platform that the dolphins teach the students a valuable lesson about the oceans. Each student walks away with a better understanding of the dolphin. They realize the need to protect them and the place that they live.
Roatan Marine Park
At MBRC, we dive mostly inside of a marine park. A marine park is similar to a national forest or animal reserve. It is a protected area of reef where fishing is heavily regulated and corals and wildlife are protected. The Roatan Marine park was established in 2005 by local people and businesses to ensure the safety of the reef in Roatan for future generations. The marine park has played a vital role in protecting the reef around the Bay Islands and operates solely on donations.
For more information about the marine park or to donate, please click here
