Caye Caulker

23rd Nov 2003.

Caye Caulker is some 30 kms north of Belize city and is easily reached in a 40 minute boat ride. This is a paradise grade island that sits on top of the 260 km long barrier reef just offshore from Belize.

Jason managed to get Claire on another boat, only when it had been guaranteed not to bump once.  (Her back was really bruised from a few days before hand - fffnnnnrrr).

The scenery was truly beautiful, here you can see the clear blue shallow water and the mangroves that stop the island from falling into the sea.

Jason hated the fact that Claire asked some random backpacker to take this naff, cheesy picture.

We took a snorkelling trip on our second day.  Here we got to snorkel incredibly close to the coral. It was a bit tricky as it was really close to surface and if you touch it it dies and if it's fire coral it hurts you pretty bad as well.

Our second snorkel allowed you to swim with nurse sharks and sting-rays. Claire took over as photographer for this bit as she was too scared to get in. Jason stood in the water squeaking like a little boy as the frisky fish glided by stroking his feet.

You could swim along the bottom and try and scoop the sting rays into your arms as they sped past... a little bit of bait was needed to entice this one to the surface. A quick biology experiment led to a grumpy sting-ray as Jason eventually realised it couldn't breath out of the water and the photo Claire requested of its face was not worth its death or harm!

The 6 foot nurse sharks thought it was a bit naff and ate the food and swam off a minute or so after we got in.

It's an island of beautiful sunsets and birds.... and also sells that exceptional Belizean drink "Bellikin Stout"

A rare thinking moment in these hectic days of laying on beaches and harrassing sea creatures.

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