Manatee
We catch an early bus to Chetulum which will take about 2.5hrs, where we will have an 1.5hr wait before catching a boat to the island of Caye Caulker in our next country of Belize. We have voted to pay the additional USD10 to catch the boat which will save us 3hrs against a 2nd bus. Our bus is even more comfortable than the previous, with spacious seats and an onboard toilet and film (today it is Twilight.. in Spanish). At the port, we have to pay an exit fee of 294Pesos and then discover there is an additional port charge of 50Pesos.
Now, I’m not a boat person, but I spot immediately that this is not likely to be the most comfortable crossing. Most of us have to go inside the bowels where it feels like the boat jumps from rock to rock as it skims over the waves. Our lovely trolley dolly is camp as Christmas and nimbly moves down the cabin delivering home made Belizean cookies and small plastic cups of coke without spilling a drop. A real skill, the rest of us discover, as we take the cup and promptly bounce most of it over ourselves. He is anxious that we should enjoy our short trip but even the distraction of passing Leonardo di Caprio’s own Belizean island does not prevent one of group from having a panic attack & many of the others from feeling just a fraction queasy. I’m just grateful it’s not me!
1.5hrs later and we arrive at San Pedro, where we need to complete immigration and customs before taking another boat to our destination. With a half hour to spare we all head for the quay side bar to sip margueritas as the sun starts to dip behind the houses. Although our next boat is only short trip our skipper struggles to avoid grounding the boat as he navigates the narrow channel and several times the engines grind to a halt as we watch the sun slide over the horizon and imagine ourselves stranded overnight.
Nick is waiting with his trusty golf cart to take our luggage to Tom’s hotel, our home for the next couple of days. The island feels relaxed and welcoming as we wander down the unmade roads between the wooden shacks on stilts, painted in bright Caribbean colours of lemon, green, peach and pale blue. Tom’s hotel is right on the beach front, however, is not a quaint shack or beach hut but a concrete assembly of basic sweatboxes, with 2 toilets for 10 rooms. We try switching on the fan to move the air, but even the fan is hot and lethargic. I peel off my clothes and head for the shower, which is marginally cooler than the air. Back in the room, it’s impossible to get dry in the humidity. I towel myself down several times before giving up.
It’s a group dinner at Rose’ s tonight. Famous for their fresh grilled lobster, which is currently in season, most choose this for their main course and are not disappointed. After dinner, a few of us head up to the hotel roof to discuss the meaning of life over a few nightcaps before heading back to our personal saunas for the night. In the night I dream of my next holiday ....the Artic circle’s looking good from where I lie bathed in sweat!
Next morning we have the chance to cool off after breakfast. Most of us have opted for the snorkelling on Belize’s own ‘Great Barrier Reef’. Although I’m looking forward to the snorkelling part I am less than enthusiastic at the thought of spending 6 hours in the baking sun on a boat.
Captain Kevin & Able Seaman Robert, welcome us aboard the Ragga King. Kevin is like a Rasta Keith Lemmon on speed but he is passionate and knowledgeable about the reef and its wildlife. The trip will take us to the Coral Gardens where we will be able to see all the coral and lots of tropical fish, then we will head for Shark and Ray Alley, where we will be able to see.. well, the clue’s in the name, then the highlight will be Hoy Chan. We pull out of the harbour and as he head out to sea, we hoist the mainsail (or is it splice the mainbrace?). He lays a few ground rules. Don’t touch the coral or you will be keelhauled. Anyone seen with their legs anywhere other than parallel to the surface will be made to walk the plank. Anyone suspected of not enjoying themselves will be hung from the Crow’s Nest. I shiver me timbers. Although the trip is promoted as an opportunity to see turtles, we had heard a rumour that manatees (or sea-cows) had been spotted on the reef the previous day. These endangered and gracious animals are not common to the waters but are known to come here in the breeding season. Kevin is elusive and damning on the subject. Yes, they have been spotted but crazy tourists had got too close and scared them off. Even if we are lucky enough to spot them at a distance we should not expect to get close to them. Even we are lucky enough to get close anyone seen getting too close will be hung, drawn, quartered, keelhauled and fed to the sharks. No-one who is not a strong swimmer should be anywhere near them. We all nod in nervous acquiescence. It’s unthinkable that any of us would risk breaking any rules
As we approach our anchor point off the Coral Garden, he points far off in the distance where he has spotted a manatee breaking the surface. Not far away, a couple of swimmers are furiously paddling towards it and the reef edge. Kevin is disparaging. “They will scare it away, man” he says in his thick Caribbean accent. We are just grateful to have had the opportunity to have seen one from distance.
We drop anchor, don our fetching masks, snorkels and fins (NOT flippers!), jump into the warm Caribbean ocean, split into 2 groups and head towards the reef to look at the coral and colourful tropical fish. The current is quite strong and there is more than just a ripple on the water’s surface. It takes me a while to adjust and as we are in a group, we keep bumping into each other, depending on our proficiency (or lack of it). Before we get to the reef, I suddenly realise everyone has come to a halt. What? Why? I push Katja’s feet out of my face (or maybe it’s the other way round ) and strain to look past those in front of me to see what’s happened. There, less than 10m in front of us, is a manatee, slowly gliding under the surface. She (I’m not an expert in sexing manatees) is curious and apparently, unperturbed by our presence. We try to keep a respectful distance and watch her in awe for ages, as she observes us unconcerned, occasionally swimming away only to turn back towards us. It is with great reluctance that we allow Robert to guide us away, anxious that our presence will attract other tourists, who may not be as considerate as us. We spend another 30 minutes in the water looking at the other beautiful fish and coral that inhabit these water before heading back to the Ragga King. Some are already back there, highly excited. A couple of manatees had actually swum under and around the boat. It’s hard to imagine anything could top the excitement of seeing the manatee and I am a little nervous of being in Shark Alley, especially when Kevin throws some bait in the water before jumping in himself. Discretion being the better part of valour I decide to enter the water from the opposite side of the boat and assess the situation from a distance. I watch the sharks swim under the boat and then jump in. What on earth I think I’m going to do if they decide I’d make a more satisfying dinner than conch bait, I have no idea, but the only way out of the water now is past the sharks. As I head round to the other side of the boat a stingray glides below me, uninterested. Several sharks go past. For some reason I don’t feel threatened. Round the other side, Kevin is introducing everyone to his special friend. In his arms is a 2m nurse shark. He loves having his tummy tickled. Sure enough, as I tickle his tummy, the shark turns over on his back for better access. The sharks and rays weave in between us and tempting though it is, most of us refrain from stroking them until Kevin indicates a safe approach. A ray glides up to him and appears to be held in his hands. This one is used to contact and has no barb, even it is starting to grow back. Gingerly I reach out to touch it. All to soon it’s time to board the boat again, and head for our final destination. The sun is fierce and there is little shade on board. Anyone attempting to seek shade below deck has to face the choice of regurgitating their lunch or frying on deck. We are all grateful for a chance to cool off in the water. This part of the reef has a dramatic cliff and as we approach we spot an eagle ray and the protected tarpons way below. The beautiful coral is surprisingly close to the surface as we glide over the top and the optics in the water make it hard to assess how much safety margin we have. There are many beautiful fish to see here too but I am wondering if we have missed our opportunity to see turtles. We head back off the reef towards the boat with a slight (only ever so slight) tinge of disappointment. At that precise moment, someone points a few metres ahead where a turtle has broken the surface for air. I dip back under and spot something moving in the distance. The current is carrying us towards it and it’s hard to keep a safe distance as we approach the turtle as it glides back up towards the surface again for more air.
Back on board, Kevin continues to regale us with his stories as we try to avoid the sun’s intense rays and reflect on the excitement of the day as we head back to dry land. I don’t think he’s paused for breath the entire day.
Heat and humidity get the better of us and we’re all a little subdued at dinner in Bambooze that night.
All too soon it’s time to depart and there’s just enough time after breakfast the following morning, for Nick to give us a quick tour of the island in his trusty golf cart before we have to board the boat for our next stop....
Now, I’m not a boat person, but I spot immediately that this is not likely to be the most comfortable crossing. Most of us have to go inside the bowels where it feels like the boat jumps from rock to rock as it skims over the waves. Our lovely trolley dolly is camp as Christmas and nimbly moves down the cabin delivering home made Belizean cookies and small plastic cups of coke without spilling a drop. A real skill, the rest of us discover, as we take the cup and promptly bounce most of it over ourselves. He is anxious that we should enjoy our short trip but even the distraction of passing Leonardo di Caprio’s own Belizean island does not prevent one of group from having a panic attack & many of the others from feeling just a fraction queasy. I’m just grateful it’s not me!
1.5hrs later and we arrive at San Pedro, where we need to complete immigration and customs before taking another boat to our destination. With a half hour to spare we all head for the quay side bar to sip margueritas as the sun starts to dip behind the houses. Although our next boat is only short trip our skipper struggles to avoid grounding the boat as he navigates the narrow channel and several times the engines grind to a halt as we watch the sun slide over the horizon and imagine ourselves stranded overnight.
Nick is waiting with his trusty golf cart to take our luggage to Tom’s hotel, our home for the next couple of days. The island feels relaxed and welcoming as we wander down the unmade roads between the wooden shacks on stilts, painted in bright Caribbean colours of lemon, green, peach and pale blue. Tom’s hotel is right on the beach front, however, is not a quaint shack or beach hut but a concrete assembly of basic sweatboxes, with 2 toilets for 10 rooms. We try switching on the fan to move the air, but even the fan is hot and lethargic. I peel off my clothes and head for the shower, which is marginally cooler than the air. Back in the room, it’s impossible to get dry in the humidity. I towel myself down several times before giving up.
It’s a group dinner at Rose’ s tonight. Famous for their fresh grilled lobster, which is currently in season, most choose this for their main course and are not disappointed. After dinner, a few of us head up to the hotel roof to discuss the meaning of life over a few nightcaps before heading back to our personal saunas for the night. In the night I dream of my next holiday ....the Artic circle’s looking good from where I lie bathed in sweat!
Next morning we have the chance to cool off after breakfast. Most of us have opted for the snorkelling on Belize’s own ‘Great Barrier Reef’. Although I’m looking forward to the snorkelling part I am less than enthusiastic at the thought of spending 6 hours in the baking sun on a boat.
Captain Kevin & Able Seaman Robert, welcome us aboard the Ragga King. Kevin is like a Rasta Keith Lemmon on speed but he is passionate and knowledgeable about the reef and its wildlife. The trip will take us to the Coral Gardens where we will be able to see all the coral and lots of tropical fish, then we will head for Shark and Ray Alley, where we will be able to see.. well, the clue’s in the name, then the highlight will be Hoy Chan. We pull out of the harbour and as he head out to sea, we hoist the mainsail (or is it splice the mainbrace?). He lays a few ground rules. Don’t touch the coral or you will be keelhauled. Anyone seen with their legs anywhere other than parallel to the surface will be made to walk the plank. Anyone suspected of not enjoying themselves will be hung from the Crow’s Nest. I shiver me timbers. Although the trip is promoted as an opportunity to see turtles, we had heard a rumour that manatees (or sea-cows) had been spotted on the reef the previous day. These endangered and gracious animals are not common to the waters but are known to come here in the breeding season. Kevin is elusive and damning on the subject. Yes, they have been spotted but crazy tourists had got too close and scared them off. Even if we are lucky enough to spot them at a distance we should not expect to get close to them. Even we are lucky enough to get close anyone seen getting too close will be hung, drawn, quartered, keelhauled and fed to the sharks. No-one who is not a strong swimmer should be anywhere near them. We all nod in nervous acquiescence. It’s unthinkable that any of us would risk breaking any rules
As we approach our anchor point off the Coral Garden, he points far off in the distance where he has spotted a manatee breaking the surface. Not far away, a couple of swimmers are furiously paddling towards it and the reef edge. Kevin is disparaging. “They will scare it away, man” he says in his thick Caribbean accent. We are just grateful to have had the opportunity to have seen one from distance.
We drop anchor, don our fetching masks, snorkels and fins (NOT flippers!), jump into the warm Caribbean ocean, split into 2 groups and head towards the reef to look at the coral and colourful tropical fish. The current is quite strong and there is more than just a ripple on the water’s surface. It takes me a while to adjust and as we are in a group, we keep bumping into each other, depending on our proficiency (or lack of it). Before we get to the reef, I suddenly realise everyone has come to a halt. What? Why? I push Katja’s feet out of my face (or maybe it’s the other way round ) and strain to look past those in front of me to see what’s happened. There, less than 10m in front of us, is a manatee, slowly gliding under the surface. She (I’m not an expert in sexing manatees) is curious and apparently, unperturbed by our presence. We try to keep a respectful distance and watch her in awe for ages, as she observes us unconcerned, occasionally swimming away only to turn back towards us. It is with great reluctance that we allow Robert to guide us away, anxious that our presence will attract other tourists, who may not be as considerate as us. We spend another 30 minutes in the water looking at the other beautiful fish and coral that inhabit these water before heading back to the Ragga King. Some are already back there, highly excited. A couple of manatees had actually swum under and around the boat. It’s hard to imagine anything could top the excitement of seeing the manatee and I am a little nervous of being in Shark Alley, especially when Kevin throws some bait in the water before jumping in himself. Discretion being the better part of valour I decide to enter the water from the opposite side of the boat and assess the situation from a distance. I watch the sharks swim under the boat and then jump in. What on earth I think I’m going to do if they decide I’d make a more satisfying dinner than conch bait, I have no idea, but the only way out of the water now is past the sharks. As I head round to the other side of the boat a stingray glides below me, uninterested. Several sharks go past. For some reason I don’t feel threatened. Round the other side, Kevin is introducing everyone to his special friend. In his arms is a 2m nurse shark. He loves having his tummy tickled. Sure enough, as I tickle his tummy, the shark turns over on his back for better access. The sharks and rays weave in between us and tempting though it is, most of us refrain from stroking them until Kevin indicates a safe approach. A ray glides up to him and appears to be held in his hands. This one is used to contact and has no barb, even it is starting to grow back. Gingerly I reach out to touch it. All to soon it’s time to board the boat again, and head for our final destination. The sun is fierce and there is little shade on board. Anyone attempting to seek shade below deck has to face the choice of regurgitating their lunch or frying on deck. We are all grateful for a chance to cool off in the water. This part of the reef has a dramatic cliff and as we approach we spot an eagle ray and the protected tarpons way below. The beautiful coral is surprisingly close to the surface as we glide over the top and the optics in the water make it hard to assess how much safety margin we have. There are many beautiful fish to see here too but I am wondering if we have missed our opportunity to see turtles. We head back off the reef towards the boat with a slight (only ever so slight) tinge of disappointment. At that precise moment, someone points a few metres ahead where a turtle has broken the surface for air. I dip back under and spot something moving in the distance. The current is carrying us towards it and it’s hard to keep a safe distance as we approach the turtle as it glides back up towards the surface again for more air.
Back on board, Kevin continues to regale us with his stories as we try to avoid the sun’s intense rays and reflect on the excitement of the day as we head back to dry land. I don’t think he’s paused for breath the entire day.
Heat and humidity get the better of us and we’re all a little subdued at dinner in Bambooze that night.
All too soon it’s time to depart and there’s just enough time after breakfast the following morning, for Nick to give us a quick tour of the island in his trusty golf cart before we have to board the boat for our next stop....
RSS Feed
