Experience the beauty of the underwater world of Belize through the eyes of our student explorers, Charlotte and Crow, who wrote the post below.
Hey everyone!
Today was a fantabulous day! We started off strong with some nice coffee, waffles, smoothies, and sandwiches at the local breakfast spot. Then we geared up for an all-day snorkeling trip!
Our first stop was a protected mangrove patch where we spotted numerous seahorses. We stopped twice to look for manatees. The first stop was unsuccessful #nomanatee — however, we were successful at the second spot and were able to get some really great looks at a manatee!
We then headed to Hol Chan Marine Reserve, and snorkeled for about an hour. We were able to see many different schools of fish, several nurse sharks, an eel, and huge colonies of coral reef! Some people free dove down and even went through a tunnel in the rocks which had a large nurse shark resting in it. At our next stop – called Shark Alley – we saw many nurse sharks, southern stingrays, and even a porcupine fish!
Our last stop was a shipwreck which created an artificial reef. The wreck was surrounded by healthy seagrass beds, where several lucky people spotted a massive green sea turtle! The boat ride was quite lovely and a welcome reprieve against the blazing sun.
After our trip, we had a little bit of free time and were able to wander the sandy streets of Caye Caulker, and purchase souvenirs. We ate a nice dinner at a fun rooftop spot next to the hotel! Finally our Expert, Brian Kastl, gave an excellent presentation on Mangroves and the connection between conservation and economics. It was a great day, but now we are all feeling tired from all the time in the water and heat, so we’re heading to bed early to recharge.
– Charlotte and Crow.
P.S. Hi Mom, Dad, and Marty!
To learn more about our Career Belize program, click here.
