In between acting gigs, top Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio likes to devote his time caring for the environment, and this time, he is taking things one step further by investing on a multi-million dollar ecotourism resort off the coast of Belize.
DiCaprio actually bought the 104-acre lot Blackadore Caye over 10 years ago with a partner for $1.75 million. The actor fell in love with the country on the eastern coast of Central America and did not hesitate in investing in property there.
"It was like heaven on earth," he earlier told The New York Times. "And almost immediately, I found this opportunity to purchase an island there."
DiCaprio enlisted the help of Paul Scialla from the New York firm Delos for the dev elopement of the resort, which is expected to open sometime in 2018. He envisions sprawling villas with infinity pools on his resort and it will also boast of artificial reefs so that they will be able to protect marine life.
They also have plans of growing marine grass in a nursery in hopes of conserving the area, and they will also replant mangroves. DiCaprio said that they want to reverse environmental damage that has been brought about by overfishing, deforestation, and an eroding coastline.
"The focus is to do something that will change the world," he said. "I couldn't have gone to Belize and built on an island and done something like this, if it weren't for the idea it could be groundbreaking in the environmental movement."
While the resort's guests will enjoy the beauty of the resort and its natural surroundings, they will also be given an ecology orientation program. Plastic bottles will also be strictly prohibited in the island that is located about 45 minutes by boat from Belize City.
DiCaprio, who starred in blockbuster movies such as Titanic, Inception, Wolf of Wall Street, and Shutter Island has actually been appointed last year by the United Nations as their climate change envoy and he has plans on producing documentaries about the environment for Netflix.
Jason McLennan, the lead architect and designer said that their goal was to create something that was not "contrived," but rather highlight the rich history of the place and the Mayan culture while incorporating a modern approach.
Reports have it that some of the villas will be sold for a whopping $15 million. There are 68 guest villas in total.
