Belize

Belize

Formerly known as British Honduras

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Belize
Belize is a small English speaking country wedged between the borders of Mexico and Guatemala on the Caribbean Ocean. The main city is Belize City, which is in the northeastern part of the country just off the beach. The country is mostly jungle, with few roads and only one other city, Placencia. Belize is notable for the second largest barrier reef in the world, which makes for some very good diving. We flew in on Continental the one time we have been there.

Sergeants Cay
Sergeants Cay is a small (three palm trees) island about 20 miles off the Belize shore about halfway down the country. We have been to this island once, on a cruise aboard the Fantome. The snorkeling is pretty good there, but we had a bad experience. When snorkeling there is only one way off and back on the island. The coral is to close to the surface close to the island. At the end of the tour (the only way to snorkel here), the dive master took most of the divers ashore with out realizing there was a diver stranded in coral reef and having trouble with exhaustion. The snorkel tour was about an hour long. Several people attempting to help her were also left stranded. It took a while before they realized their mistake and came back for them.
Click on the icons below to see some pictures taken at Sergeants Cay, Belize

Sergeants Cay

Wayne

purple sponge

Placencia
Placencia is the only other city in Belize. We didn't actually see Placencia. The cruise aboard the Fantome anchored out of sight of shore. We understand there is only one road in town and people are considered very laid back.
From the ship, we opted to take a trip up Monkey River to do some jungle hiking and see some howler monkeys in their natural habitat. That trip started with a small boat ride through the mangrove swamps to the mouth of Monkey River. A small fishing village is nestled between the jungle and river where the river empties into the Caribbean. There were just six of us and the guide. We motored up river about three miles, seeing birds and iguanas. We then got out of the boat and sloshed through rain forest/swamp for about an hour, learning about local vegetation, snails, crabs and jaguars. Eventually we came upon a small troupe of howler monkeys high up in the trees. Don't stand directly under howler monkeys, they will defecate on you, and their aim is pretty good. Good thing Lance moves quickly. On the way back we saw a crocodile, then stopped at the fishing village and ate at Alice's Restaurant. Shelly and a couple of other people got some mosquito bites and Shelly got some bites from something called a 'noseem'. (you can't see them, only feel them). Still it was a pretty good trip. Click on the icons below to see some pictures taken along Monkey River and in the jungle

fishing village at the mouth of monkey river

crocodile

starting the jungle walk

Shelly

Lance and his lizard

howler monkey

Laughing Bird Cay
After the Monkey River trip we left the Fantome again and motored 10 miles east of our anchorage to Laughing Bird Cay. This was another nice little island, maybe fifteen palm trees. The snorkeling here was similar to the snorkeling at Sergeants Cay. One way in and out to deep water. We saw some pretty coral, fish and plants. Wayne went down and scared up a HUGE stingray out of the sand, and the dive master and his helper struggled to get a giant lobster to the surface. Wayne took pictures of it on the bottom as well.
The picture ("large lobster after a fight") of the lobster does not show its true size. The picture was taken with the lobster nearly pointed at the camera, foreshortening it quite a bit. Notice the divers arms are spread apart past should width and the lobster fills his hand. This thing was somewhere between 2 1/2 and 3 feet long. Click on the icons below to see some pictures taken at Laughing Bird Cay page

Laughing Bird Cay, Belize

2' yellow fin

large lobster under coral

large lobster after a fight

Goff's Cay
On the last day of our Fantome cruise, we dropped anchor at Goff's Cay, about 18 miles from Belize City. Again, this was a small island, about 7 palm trees, but had a large hut with a hard floor. We heard there was some good snorkeling at the end of the island we didn't go to. We decided to stay where the water was shallow with a sand bottom so Shelly could, for the first time, practice swimming under water with her snorkel. She did very well. After we got out of the water, a fellow cruiser went fishing and caught a 3 1/2 foot barracuda. The barracuda was served at the evening buffet on board. After eating lunch on the island, we went back to the ship were Wayne had a ball jumping ship. (several times)
Click on the icons below to see some pictures taken at Goffs Cay, Belize

Wayne demonstrating diving

Shelly learning to dive

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Last updated 11/03/99

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