Thank You!

The Operation Wallacea trip to Honduras in the summer of 2024 was amazing.  I’m really glad I went, and very grateful to all those who sponsored me, donated money and supported my fundraising activities – Thank you!

The trip to Honduras started with a night in Miami and then a night in San Pedro Sula. Then we travelled in battered, old pick-up trucks to the base camp on the edge of the Cusuco National Park cloud forest, at the top of the mountain.  We jumped out and trekked for 5 hours, over challenging terrain, to complete the 5 km to the satellite camp (SAT camp). Then, we settled in at the camp and got to know our beautiful surroundings. For the next 4 days it was up at 5am and to bed at midnight. The surveys we did were absolutely amazing and incredibly informative.  We surveyed the plants, fungi, and wildlife, including safely catching birds and invertebrates. Some of the invertebrates were huge (up to 3 inches long) and many were sent to the Natural History Museum as specimens, while others were sent to a research facility in Belgium that specialises in beetles. During our visit the scientists discovered 2 new species, a new type of tree and a new fungi!

Alex O’Brien (@Whatalexseas)

Sleeping in the rainforest was extraordinary.  The sounds of the insects is incredibly loud.

After the 4 days in SAT camp we walked back 5 km to the base camp.  We spent another 4 long days running further surveys. At the end we had a photo competition and saw all the amazing pictures people had taken. We also pulled ourselves up into the canopy of a gigantic tree using ‘self-ascender’ ropes. The effort was worth it.  100 feet up a tree was a lot higher than it looked from the ground and it was lots of fun. The height provided fantastic views of the forest canopy and a very different perspective on a unique environment.

Next came a 2 hour coach trip to the coast, and then the roughest, wettest and bumpiest open ferry ride to Utila. Utila was amazing and very hot.

Photo by Dan Exton

At Utila we started the coral reef surveys on the Meso-American Reef.  The diving and the marine biology lessons were an amazing experience with the bonus of nice warm sea water. It was up at 5 every morning there as well.  After a long day, sleep was still almost impossible due to the festivals, with music going until five in the morning.

We saw a wide range of sea-life, including White Spotted Eagle Rays and clouds of jellyfish, which we swam through. We also saw an amazing range of Sergeant Major fish which all had fabulous markings.  After a week running surveys on the reef we returned to San Pedro Sula and then on to the UK via Miami.

All the team were amazing and we even had a quiz at the end of each week. As well as this, in-between surveys and in the evenings we would all play card games under the shelter together. It was a great teambuilding experience and a great way to make new friends. I’m so glad I went, as it was incredible in every way, although the toilet facilities were very basic! It was an amazing opportunity and I would highly recommend it to everyone.

Thank you to all of the school staff, the Operation Wallacea organisers, the researchers, scientists and everyone else involved.  Thank you, to everyone who supported my fundraising and enabled me to join this scientific research trip.

Title photo by Waldo Etherington