After a mere 3 ½ hours journey from the western end of Belize, we had arrived on the island paradise of Caye Caulker. This little spit of sand, located on top of the world’s second largest reef would be our home for the last 4 days of my trip. The island is less than 8 km from north to south (including the northern portion which is split from the southern), and supposedly less than 1.5 km wide (although according to what I’ve seen, the widest point would at most be about 200 meters). The town is comprised of 3 or 4 sandy streets where most walk barefoot, an endless collection of little hotels and restaurants and more palm trees than inhabitants. It is truly a little island paradise.
Its greatest appeal, aside for the relaxed Caribbean atmosphere and the fantastic weather, is the reef. It is essentially a sandbar atop of the reef which breaks a few hundred meters east of the island. Snorkeling and diving are the highlight attractions here and we were not disappointed by either. Already in Honduras I had been advised to go on a snorkeling excursion to Shark-Ray Alley and our first order of business was to find a tour operator willing to take us there for the lowest price possible. This turned out to be a very easy task, as every second shop offered snorkeling excursion to Shark-Ray Alley, and every one tried to do it for a cheaper price than its neighbor.
We headed out the following morning first to stop at “The Channel”, a narrow passage in the reef leading out to sea. There our guide took us on a guided snorkel where I got to see more than I did in 2 days diving in Utila. We saw two giant green moray eels, barracuda, a yellow-spotted stingray and a whole lot of fish ranging from angel to parrot with some really beautiful coral. After 45 minutes in the water, it was time to head to our second stop, the famed Shark-Ray Alley.
This place proved to live up to all expectations we may have had. Even before our boat came to a complete stop, the water all around us was swarming with stingrays. We put on our masks and snorkels and jumped into the chest-deep water trying desperately hard not to step on any of these fantastic creatures. As they glided past our legs, rubbing up against us, we felt as if we were in a petting zoo and not out amongst wild animals in the open Caribbean Sea. Amongst the rays there were a few more timid nurse sharks, keeping down near the sand, but also meandering between all the feet of the ogling tourists. These ranged from relative small specimens to ones that were easily 2.5 meters long. Some initial hesitation was quickly overcome and as these creatures passed by us, we managed to touch their backs feeling their rough skin.
There was little that could compete with such an experience. However, our tour included a third stop in the Coral Gardens where we got to explore the reef on our own. A few barracudas, sting rays, lobsters and fish later, we were more than satisfied with our $20US snorkeling trip and glad to head back towards land for an afternoon of good food, beach bumming, sun tanning and relaxation.
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