Long Cay, Belize
Today was a terrific day spent among the cays of Belize.
We woke at Halfmoon Cay. This, the first national park of Belize, protects a remarkable colony of breeding seabirds. We climbed an observation tower to better see them. Frigatebirds soared effortlessly over our heads, or squabbled awkwardly in the brushy treetops. Boobies flew with less admirable agility, but once perched, their scarlet feet and pure white bodies were gorgeous.
Colors were even more impressive beneath the waves. The waters surrounding Halfmoon Cay are home to fish with a remarkable variety of form and hue.
By afternoon the Sea Voyager moved to nearby Long Cay. We found a fine place to moor a Zodiac to use as a snorkeling platform, and the snorkeling was just fine, but the real action was right under the ship! Attracted to the large floating form, scores of fish gathered beneath the Sea Voyager. Eventually nearly everyone was enticed to slip into the water at the ship’s stern. We saw groups of big horse-eyed jacks. (Their yellow tails make them more attractive than they sound.) The fish circled below, angling their bodies to study us with curiosity. Creole wrasses milled about, sporting bright blue tails and lemony bellies.
All of this activity took place in about twenty-five feet of water, which took some getting used to for the uninitiated, but soon most of us, feeling more assured, dared to peer down over the edge of a submarine cliff that dropped off to thousands of feet! Staring off into the blue void, no doubt many of us imagined it to be teeming with barracudas and moray eels. Our scuba divers, who actually swam down the cliff wall, assured us that all of the barracudas and morays they saw were friendly!
Back on the ship, watching the sun’s crimson orb slipping beneath the waves, we reflected on how much we had enjoyed a remarkable day.
Today was a terrific day spent among the cays of Belize.
We woke at Halfmoon Cay. This, the first national park of Belize, protects a remarkable colony of breeding seabirds. We climbed an observation tower to better see them. Frigatebirds soared effortlessly over our heads, or squabbled awkwardly in the brushy treetops. Boobies flew with less admirable agility, but once perched, their scarlet feet and pure white bodies were gorgeous.
Colors were even more impressive beneath the waves. The waters surrounding Halfmoon Cay are home to fish with a remarkable variety of form and hue.
By afternoon the Sea Voyager moved to nearby Long Cay. We found a fine place to moor a Zodiac to use as a snorkeling platform, and the snorkeling was just fine, but the real action was right under the ship! Attracted to the large floating form, scores of fish gathered beneath the Sea Voyager. Eventually nearly everyone was enticed to slip into the water at the ship’s stern. We saw groups of big horse-eyed jacks. (Their yellow tails make them more attractive than they sound.) The fish circled below, angling their bodies to study us with curiosity. Creole wrasses milled about, sporting bright blue tails and lemony bellies.
All of this activity took place in about twenty-five feet of water, which took some getting used to for the uninitiated, but soon most of us, feeling more assured, dared to peer down over the edge of a submarine cliff that dropped off to thousands of feet! Staring off into the blue void, no doubt many of us imagined it to be teeming with barracudas and moray eels. Our scuba divers, who actually swam down the cliff wall, assured us that all of the barracudas and morays they saw were friendly!
Back on the ship, watching the sun’s crimson orb slipping beneath the waves, we reflected on how much we had enjoyed a remarkable day.
