Living on an island surrounded by water can easily make something extraordinary appear just ordinary when we are constantly looking toward it – the blue and turquoise water that crashes on the reef and calmly laps the shore. Every single day we see it. We stroll the beach and it’s there. We watch the sun come up and it’s there. We drive to town and it’s there. Some spots on the island are so narrow that we can see the Caribbean side and the lagoon side from the same vantage point.
If you really want to see the amazing colors of the water, you need to be right on top of it. Standing on a paddle board works, but a boat is better. And the higher the boat, the better the view. That’s one reason why we pick certain tour companies over others. It’s all about the boat…
Over time, we have cruised on multiple sailboats and catamarans here in Belize. The rates are pretty comparable and they all serve ceviche with chips and offer unlimited drinks. Due to that alone, we rarely see kids on these boats.
When my friend came to visit, I knew exactly what boat I wanted to book – the Escape from Searious Adventures. This catamaran has the most comfortable chairs with wide open viewing and a great crew of two. The lay out of the boat encourages everyone to get to know each other and have lots of fun.
There are a couple different sailing itineraries that the tour companies offer. The main snorkel areas are Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Mexico Rocks. The latter is located several miles north, up near the scarcely populated end of the island. Hol Chan is situated south of town, toward the neighboring island of Caye Caulker.
There are two snorkel spots at Hol Chan – the actual “cut” in the reef and Shark/Ray Alley. After paying a $10 park fee your guide will take you to both areas. Mexico Rocks is a smaller, less popular snorkeling site that has fewer fish and sea life. It is usually on an itinerary paired with a beach barbecue or a full meal prepared on the boat.
The cruise I chose for my friend included snorkeling at Hol Chan and stopping for two hours on Caye Caulker. It combines the best day trips into one full day. Another tour option is a cruise to Caye Caulker with a manatee visit. However, I can say that three out of four times I was previously on a boat looking for manatee, we did not find a single one (insert sad face).
You can only see Hol Chan with a guide. All guides are Belizean, per the requirements of the country. Most grew up on the island and they know the waters. They try to find and point out the most marine species possible. Our group of six was small compared to other boatloads, which was nice.
James did not let us down with the amount of fish, crabs, rays, and eels he found. I was very sad and disappointed that the turtles were not around. I have always spotted multiple turtles at Hol Chan. Apparently they have relocated to other, more peaceful, grassy areas.
After we saw this jellyfish on our cruise, my friend posted pictures of jellyfish that washed up on shore on the north end of the island. She said there were quite a few, which is not a common sight.
James swam through a tunnel and he made it look easy. Several of us aborted the attempt about half way down. I was able to take a picture near the entrance though. Holding a camera hinders the ability to swim (that’s my excuse anyway).
We loaded up into the boat and headed to Shark/Ray Alley. The sharks come to each new boat upon arrival, waiting for their chum. The next pictures were taken while I was in the water by the sharks. I got hit in the arm once by a tail. They don’t care about people because they are focused on the food that is tossed overboard.
Click HERE to watch my snorkeling video. (It may take a minute to load)
Once we were out of fish chum and a new boat pulled up to feed the sharks, it was time to move on. This is when James took off his guide hat and put on his bartender hat. Drinks started flowing and the ceviche was ready to eat.
We arrived at Caye Caulker, took a walk to the split, and circled back to Rainbow Grill for a delicious lunch. The menu has something for everyone, at a reasonable price. To learn more about this little Island, read about my last trip here.
With full bellies, we loaded up for a smooth sail back home, feeling so fortunate for the perfect weather. To top it off, James kept our glasses full!
Not far from Caye Caulker, the captain spotted a dark snout near the top of the water. It was not one, but two manatees! We quickly grabbed our masks and jumped into the water to watch them graze on sea grass. I wasn’t supposedly to tell anyone about our added bonus. Shhhhh!
We sailed home with huge smiles! What a day!
But wait until you hear about our next adventure the following day…..