Belize Blog – Belizeadventure.com

Every week we snorkel The Aquarium, just a 1/2 mile paddle from our island. It’s a shallow patch reef surrounded by bright white coral sand.

There was something so very different
so far from my ken, my experience
sharing a tropical sunrise with her
with my beautiful wife, alone on the beach
Waking before the dawn, sitting together
watching the sliver of light rise
and consume the dark
warm breezes off the easterly shore, sunlight
wafting across us, moving inland
to wake the island
– poem by Raymond A. Foss (2008)
Photo: sunrise from the beach behind the surf dock

Belize snorkeling video filmed at The Aquarium, near Long Caye at Glover’s Reef, Belize.

Actor Ted Danson, (Cheers, Becker, Curb Your Enthusiasm) posted an informative article on the Huffington Post today detailing the struggle in Belize to save the Belize Barrier Reef (and offshore atolls like Glover’s Reef) from the potential dangers imposed by offshore drilling. Danson writes:

In Belize, thousands of citizens are in an uproar about the government’s determination to drill for offshore oil. The government, represented by Prime Minister Dean Barrow, was just narrowly re-elected – but despite a clear message from the people, it continues to ignore the significant outcry against offshore drilling.

A petition calling for a national referendum on the question collected 20,000 signatures, a full 10% of the voting population and a larger sampling than the law requires in order to trigger a vote. But the government disqualified 8,000 of the signatures and has continued to refuse to budge from its pro-offshore drilling stance. Danson concludes his piece by calling upon citizens everywhere to become involved:

The love and concern for Belize’s reef reaches far beyond the country lines. There are countless people from all over the world who have developed a special connection to this breathtaking country after swimming in its lovely waters or diving in its reef – all thanks to its pristine natural resources. We all hope the government, which loves Belize’s barrier reef like we do, will hear the concerns of the people in Belize and around the world and ban offshore oil drilling in Belize’s waters to help protect its barrier reef and its natural heritage.

Anderson Cooper, in a report recently on 60 Minutes, visits with coral reef specialists at a remote coral reef off the coast of Cuba: The Gardens of the Queen. This reef is special in that, due to its remote location and the fact it has long been protected from over-fishing and other human/industrial depredations, it is one of the few reef systems in the world that is still thriving. In this regard, and because of it’s location in the Caribbean, it is remarkably similar to what is found at Glover’s Reef, also a world-class marine reserve.

The reef as described in the 60 Minutes episode could be about Glover’s Reef, where our island is located off the coast of Belize. View this episode to see what can be found at a healthy Caribbean coral reef.

Watch and enjoy the abundant, colorful marine life on Youtube:

Our island is located off the coast of Belize at Glover’s Reef Atoll, a National Marine Reserve. In order to protect the marine life there, the Belize government has prohibited fishing at Glover’s reef for tourists except for sport fishing, or catch-and-release. The only exception is if you are a native and own one of the few fishing licenses issued for Glover’s Reef.

There is one other exception: lionfish — anyone can spear them because they are an invasive species from the Pacific Ocean (the Caribbean is an Atlantic sea). Lionfish are very detrimental to the native species population, and killing them is encouraged. Watch this short video of our guide, Victor Myers, spearing one.

The lionfish, native to the Indo-Pacific region, have infiltrated their way into the Caribbean. Their introduction is believed to be a result of hurricanes and tank releases during the early 1990’s. They have been spotted along the eastern seaboard spanning as far north as Rhode Island to as far south as Columbia. Protected by venomous spines, lionfish are voracious predators. When hunting, they herd and corner their prey using their pectoral fins, then quickly strike and swallow their prey whole. With few known natural predators, the lionfish poses a major threat to coral reef ecosystems in the Caribbean region by decreasing survival of a wide range of native reef animals via both predation and competition. While native grouper may prey on lionfish, they have been overfished and therefore unlikely to significantly reduce the effects of invasive lionfish on coral reef communities.

Help us do something about this problem! Bring your spear gun with you on one of our island trips!

Planning a trip to Belize in the near future? Not only do we have some of the most extensive historical weather info on Belize and specifically out at Glover’s Reef, but if you’re like me, sometimes you just want to know what it’s like right now.

I just stumbled across this cool site that has instant weather info and an awesome, live webcam. Granted they’re both based out of San Pedro, Belize, but that island is only about 90 miles north of Glover’s Reef over open water, so it’s pretty close to the same weather we get at Long Caye.

While many people go to the Caribbean for nothing more than sitting in the sun with a cocktail in hand, there’s more that the Caribbean has to offer. For one, not just a couple seasons of warmth, but pleasant weather year-round. With such clear waters to go with that, the Caribbean is one of the top diving destinations in the world. Here, courtesy of Cheap Air’s blog, is a list of a few of the best destinations to scuba dive in the Caribbean:

Aruba: If you’re less into marine life and more into wrecking diving, then put Aruba at the top of the list. Many cite Aruba as one of the top wreck diving destinations in the world, with opportunities for both experienced and novice divers. One of the most notable wrecks is the Antilla, a 400-foot German freighter. Since the location of the ship has such little current, it’s accessible by divers of varying skill levels.

Belize: For a full diving experience, head to the waters just off the shores of Belize. Belize isn’t in fact an island, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t offer some of the best diving waters in the world. The Belize Barrier Reef helps make up the second largest barrier reef in the world, the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System. However, no diving trip to Belize is complete without a visit to Glover’s Reef.

Turks and Caicos: The Turks and Caicos are often overlooked as a diving destination, making the diving spots often a lot less explored than many other destinations. It offers a good mix of marine life and wrecks. Not far off from Turks and Caicos are drop-off spots, where the elevation can drop off thousands of feet below sea level. This is recommended for the more experienced divers.

Cayman Islands: The Cayman Islands make their way onto this list because it offers great opportunities for divers of all levels. There are tons of diving operators, many of which make it easy and cheap to get your diving certification. I recommend the Cayman Islands for the person just getting started who is more interested in the experience and a first-hand look at Caribbean marine life.

Grenada: Grenada is another destination that often gets overlooked by travelers. However, for the diving enthusiast, this is another destination that should be at the top of your lists for its wreck diving. Some of the more notable wreck sites in Grenada include the Titanic of the Caribbean, a 600-foot cruise ship, and the Isle of Wrecks. Many of these wrecks are recommended for more experienced divers since currents can be strong.

There are five underwater ridges off the coast of Belize, formed by fault lines resulting when the Yucatan and Nicaraguan “blocks” (limestone plateaus) separated and rotated on the axis of the Central American “spine” of mountains, part of the chain running from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego.

The most developed of the five is also the one that interests us here at Slickrock because it is the basis of the southern part of the Barrier Reef, Glover’s Reef, and Lighthouse Caye.The underwater ridge gives the atolls of Belize their conspicuous NE-SW orientation. The coral reef grows on top of these underwater features.

The ancient coastline of Belize used to be where the Barrier Reef is now. As the area sank slowly, the coral growing along the coast and around the island continued to grow toward the surface of the water.

Coral needs light to exist and grows rapidly if necessary to stay within 30 feet of the surface.

The Barrier Reef is on the edge of the continental shelf with Glover’s Atoll being beyond the edge of the shelf.

The trench outside of Glover’s Reef descends to 9000’ within five miles of Long Caye.

You can read more about Glover’s Reef on our website.

Slickrock Adventures’ Water Sports Mecca for Boomers who never grew up

It’s not surprising if you’ve never heard of Glover’s Reef, in fact that’s more or less the point of our program on Long Caye, a remote, private island getaway. You won’t find crowds, room service, air conditioning, night clubs, or access to your Facebook page. What you will discover is the best collection, hands-down, of sport toys in Belize, with expert guides that teach each sport. Rather than supply a single type of kayak, we have numerous models for small women, tall men, total beginners, and experienced boaters, in both single and double configuration. We also have a fleet of surf kayaks, fishing kayaks, surf boards, paddleboards, and a full range of windsurf gear for never-ever sailors up to sailboard fanatics. NOT to mention the best kitesurf school in the country, AND the only surfable break in Belize!

Our beach huts and other facilities are built to blend in with the island ecosystem. The fridge is permanently loaded with cold Fantas and Belikin beer. And it is all powered by the sun and wind; an adventurous tropical paradise where Gilligan would feel right at home. It’s the five-star version of adventure travel – right down to the excellent Garifuna chefs who cook your meal and then sit down at the table with you to dine.

The Glover’s Reef ecosystem is famous the world-over for the diversity of its sea life and the pristine condition of the coral. As special places become more discovered, it figures that the hardest-to-get-to areas remain pristine… and Glover’s Reef is the most remote of Belizean island areas. Thirty-five miles offshore and sixty-five miles from Belize City, Glover’s is a UNESCO World Heritage site and a national marine park.

Due to the remote location, our boat only travels to the island twice a week (once a week in shoulder seasons), so guests must be able to travel on these days, with the shortest package being 5 nights (3 on the island). Contact us for more info!

(Thanks to Vladimir Brezina for the cabana picture.)