So where do I start – first day and yet it feels like a week of adventure so far. To get to the island we took a speed boat, going full tilt through the waves clinging on and laughing. It was like a rollercoaster, although most fairground rides last less than two hours! We also had a special guest with us, Polly’s new dog who was also off to spend his very first night on the island. Bizarrely the only one on the boat who was sea sick was the dog!

I had read some reviews so already knew that the entire island is about the size of a football pitch – no kidding. But that only adds to the charm. Once we arrived, we were all shown to our cabanas which I for one was genuinely surprised and delighted by. Mine is right on the water front with a raised bed, table and curtain door with electricity too. I hadn’t expected it to be quite so comfortable and I’m imagining the sound of crashing waves lulling me to sleep tonight. We were also given a quick orientation of the island, complete with kit room, dining room, kitchen and roof top terrace to look at the stars. Then we had a light lunch, sorted out our kit and were off for the first dive…
I must admit, I was more scared about my first dive than excited about it. I hadn’t been diving for almost two years and wasn’t sure how easy it would come back. Happily for me, Polly took things really slowly, giving us all plenty of time to get down and ensuring we went at a gentle pace to ensure we had plenty of time to enjoy our first sight of the Belize coral reef. The visibility was not great, perhaps 5-6 metres, but for me that first dive was all reminding me just how amazing it is to get a glimpse of life under the water.
Laura and Polly are great cooks, so I can already tell that food isn’t going to be an issue here. Following a delicious dinner, we’ve had a presentation from Polly about the origins of Reef CI including some ID of the aquatic life we need to be looking out for. Now, if we could just train the dog to stay on his bed, that’d be the perfect end to the day!