CCC Expedition life is fairly scheduled so its not your average holiday that's for sure and if you don't think you can take orders and become part of the team & community - family that exists onsite then its not for you. People that argue the rules all the time just don't get on. We had a few people that argued a lot about not being allowed out at night or into town when on days off but that was the rule when I stayed there so that was it ! I guess you just accepted it.

Monday- Friday: Mondays to Fridays, the focus is on research with a wake-up call for breakfast at 05.30hrs! Whilst a team of local and international staff are on-hand to provide guidance and oversee expedition activities, us Volunteers were expected to take an active part in managing all aspects of the expedition life, the beachouse, the scuba shack etc, including the more mundane chores such as helping keeping the expedition base clean and tidy, sorting out some of the meals, cleaning the loos & bedrooms, wasshing up etc. It was all on a rota!

All the pics are mine or I have permission to use them.

Coral Cay Honduras

Honduras is amazing and Roatan where CCC was based is a beautiful island. The flight from the main airport to the Island was a little daunting especially if you are traveling alone and dealing with Taxi's etc. I found the plane tiny & a bit like something from a LILT advert! Chickens in the aisle etc. But its all part of the experience and helps to develop a confidence in your ability to travel around the world and not get too hopelessly lost. Having travelled some of Asia I thought I would be confident but this made a real difference.

Once arrived and seen the amazing lagoon, gorgeous sea, awesome sunsets, sunrises and ocean you find words are simply not enough all that is left is to bag a place in a hammock and enjoy. There were always fights for the hammocks especially in the evenings.

We had some great parties at weekends and I logged some of my favourite dives! Weekends you get to dive for your own pleasure and it makes a change not having tape measures etc etc but it does mean you can relax and enjoy your dives all the more & do night dives too! Then of course the drink limit rule is lifted on saturday nights so you party party party.

In beachouse party saturdays was theme night & we went through so many possible themes it was amazing ! Things like Lord of the Rings, Super heroes, Weirdoes, Prom Night etc.

Long Weekend

Once you have been on site for a while you get a long weekend off to stay in the local town or nearby resort if you wish. This is partly to give you a break as while you are with CCC you are not normally permitted to leave the site. Its fun too and usually you have a crowd of you.

Leaving

Eventually when it comes to leaving you realise that you have become like a family. Surviving through diver training, cleaning the loo's and a variety of saturday night parties are all part of the adventure. I would recommend it to anyone! I had a great time, made some terrific friends one or two of whome I still contact. One in particular became a really good friend.

I loved the whole experience and would tell anyone who asked that if they get the opportunity to take a volunteer type holiday that they should definately give it a go. I think that expeditions like this are probably more fun than travelling alone and you get to do something new. I learnt a lot, got to dive twice a day every day apart from Sunday, met some amazing people and loved the marine studies that much I decided to go back to the Uk to study Marine Biology.

I had an email from Tom Williams who was in Roatan after I left and was there when CCC moved base from Beachouse in Sandy Bay to St Helena. Tom spent 7 months with CCC in Roatan and I am very envious ! Alex and Arlam were still cox of the boats and from what I understand the bunks etc were dismantled and moved so I expect St Helena site still has that great Beachouse feel to it.

Here are some of the pics Tom sent me of St Helena. (Thanks Tom)

Waste Management

On the right is a whale Shark - photographed by Tom Williams.

Pier where CCC boats launch from

Pier at sunset