Cockscomb Sanctuary and Sittee River
Today we traded ship for minibus, and spent time exploring a bit of Belize’s mainland. Our drivers provided rich narration during our forty minute drive to the rainforest in Cockscomb Sanctuary. We first passed through Dangriga, a coastal village inhabited primarily by the Garifuna people. On the flat coastal land, the village transitioned to a rural landscape of scattered orange groves and natural pine savannah habitat. Eventually we reached our destination, the hilly rainforest of Cockscomb Sanctuary. An inch of rain the night before made the forest seem especially alive. Water drops clung to green leaves, the air was heavy and humid, and forest smells were vibrant. Sunbeams angled down through the forest canopy, lighting bright shafts of the thick air.
While some of us chose to look for interesting birds right by the park headquarters, others walked a flat trail through rainforest, and another group chose to get a strong cardiovascular workout by hiking up a very steep trail to a hilltop overlook. The latter walk was strenuous, just as advertised, and many in that group cooled off on their downhill trip with a dip in a rainforest river. The river water was refreshing, and a dunk under the waterfall felt truly invigorating. Among the more unusual wildlife sightings we had were some black howler monkeys, and two species of unusually large, clumsy-looking, treetop birds: chachalacas and crested guans.
We regrouped and enjoyed snacks and drinks before visiting a Maya handicraft center, then returned to the Sea Lion for lunch and delicious ‘make-your-own’ ice cream sundaes. With our stomachs full and our spirits content, most of us took time for a luxurious mid-afternoon nap. While we rested, the ship repositioned to a sheltered anchorage by the mouth of the Sittee River. We cruised up the river in Zodiacs, finding many species of herons, kingfishers, mockingbirds, kingbirds, and parrots on and near the mangroves. A large iguana on a riverside tree was bright orange, a color that will presumably help this male attract a mate. At recap, Dennis gave an information-packed, whirlwind crash course on coral reef fish behavior, including some ‘strange-but-true’ ways that fishes handle the mating game. Among humans, chocolate is at times a romantic gift, and Sharon’s recap traced the Mayan and modern usage of the ‘food of the gods.’
Today we traded ship for minibus, and spent time exploring a bit of Belize’s mainland. Our drivers provided rich narration during our forty minute drive to the rainforest in Cockscomb Sanctuary. We first passed through Dangriga, a coastal village inhabited primarily by the Garifuna people. On the flat coastal land, the village transitioned to a rural landscape of scattered orange groves and natural pine savannah habitat. Eventually we reached our destination, the hilly rainforest of Cockscomb Sanctuary. An inch of rain the night before made the forest seem especially alive. Water drops clung to green leaves, the air was heavy and humid, and forest smells were vibrant. Sunbeams angled down through the forest canopy, lighting bright shafts of the thick air.
While some of us chose to look for interesting birds right by the park headquarters, others walked a flat trail through rainforest, and another group chose to get a strong cardiovascular workout by hiking up a very steep trail to a hilltop overlook. The latter walk was strenuous, just as advertised, and many in that group cooled off on their downhill trip with a dip in a rainforest river. The river water was refreshing, and a dunk under the waterfall felt truly invigorating. Among the more unusual wildlife sightings we had were some black howler monkeys, and two species of unusually large, clumsy-looking, treetop birds: chachalacas and crested guans.
We regrouped and enjoyed snacks and drinks before visiting a Maya handicraft center, then returned to the Sea Lion for lunch and delicious ‘make-your-own’ ice cream sundaes. With our stomachs full and our spirits content, most of us took time for a luxurious mid-afternoon nap. While we rested, the ship repositioned to a sheltered anchorage by the mouth of the Sittee River. We cruised up the river in Zodiacs, finding many species of herons, kingfishers, mockingbirds, kingbirds, and parrots on and near the mangroves. A large iguana on a riverside tree was bright orange, a color that will presumably help this male attract a mate. At recap, Dennis gave an information-packed, whirlwind crash course on coral reef fish behavior, including some ‘strange-but-true’ ways that fishes handle the mating game. Among humans, chocolate is at times a romantic gift, and Sharon’s recap traced the Mayan and modern usage of the ‘food of the gods.’
