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| 16° 42' 59" N, 87° 50' 49" W - Glover's Reef Atoll, Belize |
California badly needed rain, and then it rained, and rained, and still is raining. It felt so good to leave rainy California and travel to a place in the sun. Belize was that place and so easy to get to even from Sacramento. Just two flights for a total of about 7 hours flying time. We did have to overnight in Belize City followed by another overnight south at Dangriga.
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| Boat Launch at Dangriga |
From Dangriga, we were picked up by a "speedboat" large enough for staff and guests that delivered us to Glover's Reef Atoll for three nights of glamping. Glamping, a portmanteau of glamorous and camping, infers that amenities exist above normal camping. We didn't bring towels, shampoo, soap. Unfortunately, none were provided either. Our lodging was an oceanfront, generously-sized white tent structure with a comfortable bed.
Glover's Reef Atoll is 18 miles long and 6 miles wide; it is classified as UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef which is the second largest reef in the world (after Australia). It is one of only four Atolls in the Western Hemisphere. The Atolls in the Caribbean are formed from the peaks of old limestone mountains. The land that has formed along the reef crest was created from storms pushing coral rubble up, building an edifice higher than the reef itself, which then accumulated sand and plants were able to take root. While the depth inside the atoll is quite shallow in places, outside the atoll the depth drops to around 2,000 feet. Patch reefs which dot the area within the atoll are home to colorful fish, silvery barracudas, the lovely French Angelfish, a gold tailed moray, spiny lobster, and huge tarpon (in the deeper areas). Spotted eagle rays hung out near the dock as did a couple of small nurse sharks. Invasive Lionfish have migrated to the atoll, and our snorkeling guides made it a point to spear them whenever they were found outside of the reserve.
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| The Kitchen |
Magnificent Frigate Birds soared overhead while we kayaked and snorkeled each day. One afternoon when it was especially windy, we were taken by speedboat to visit Glover's Reef Research Station sponsored by Wildlife Conservation Society (est. 1895 as the New York Zoological Society). Coral protection research is conducted here. Live coral cover has decreased from 80% in 1970 to just 8% in 2008. The reef not only provides food and shelter to marine life, but it also absorbs the impact of rough storms on the coast. We snorkeled in the marine reserve where the fish seemed quite secure in their safe space.
The station is on Middle Caye which is just a few minutes north by boat. Earlier in the day, the boat moved our kayaks and paddle boards to the research station because we were going to use them to get back to our part of the atoll.
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| Our lodging is on the distant tree covered island on the horizon |
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| Sailing by Kayak |
Those of us in double kayaks, sailed with the wind at our backs to a shallow area to have cocktails and snacks before arriving back at our island as darkness fell.
One day our mission was to find conch for our happy-hour conch fritters. The boat delivered us to a very shallow, clear part of the atoll to hunt for conch. I found a conch shell which after several dives to snag it I hauled back to the boat only to find that it housed a very large hermit crab and not a conch. I don't think anyone found conch except for Budge (the paddle board guide). Budge easily and quickly gathered 8 or 9 of them.
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| Boat Yoga led by Shawna in the shallow water |
Each morning around 6:30am, I joined Shawna for morning yoga on the beach. It was a great way to begin the day and a wonderful amenity.
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| Budge cleaning Conch-no pearls found |
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| Full Moon over Dan |
On March 8 after a morning snorkel, we piled into the boat and returned to Dangriga where a driver from Blancaneaux Lodge was waiting to take us to a much more amenity rich environment with ensuite bathrooms, hot showers, towels, toiletries.
Something I've noticed in spending time at beach areas that wasn't apparent 35+ years ago when I first began diving and snorkeling is the pervasiveness of plastic trash--whole or in shards. It is everywhere coming from near and far to wash up on beaches. Sadly, Glover's Reef Atoll, especially the outer side of the reef was no exception. While some is from Belize, most comes from a village-sized floating plastic island in the Gulf of Mexico. Plastic, all plastics, are the scourge of coastal communities. The photos are from the research station at Middle Caye. Each year the British Military sends a group of soldiers to the research station to pick up the plastic garbage that litters the land mass.
Several years ago Viewpoint Photographic Gallery in Sacramento had a show of photographs of the stomach contents of dead birds. Most of the contents inside these birds were plastic objects. Plastic never goes away. It is the detritus of our time.
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