Manatee River
With balmy breezes at our back, we started our first morning along the Caribbean coast of Belize by entering the mangrove festooned channel of the Manatee River. In a silent flotilla of inflatable kayaks we explored tidal channels as red-lored parrots squawked overhead. Wood storks circled high overhead on thermals and Royal terns plunged dramatically in pursuit of schools of baitfish. Then unexpectedly a curious manatee poked its grizzled muzzle to watch us pass. Its broad lips and rotund face made us wonder how sailors of the past could configure this strange marine mammal into a mermaid. A distant relative of elephants, these gentle vegetarians are everywhere scarce and seldom seen.
A short cruise after brunch allows for leisurely reading and sorting dive and snorkeling gear. Our destination—Goff’s Cay— looks like a Gary Larson cartoon version of an island paradise: swaying coconut palms, a thatched cabana, completely surrounded by pure white sand in the midst of azure water. Snorkeling over the adjacent reef and coral heads reveals a dazzling diversity of reef fishes. Virtually every tint and shade is observed in tangs, parrotfish, wrasses, damsels, and dozens of other multi-hued species. This stretch of the Central American coast is notable for the longest fringing reef complex in the Atlantic. But our little islet afforded an intimate and relaxing introduction of its marine wonders.
With balmy breezes at our back, we started our first morning along the Caribbean coast of Belize by entering the mangrove festooned channel of the Manatee River. In a silent flotilla of inflatable kayaks we explored tidal channels as red-lored parrots squawked overhead. Wood storks circled high overhead on thermals and Royal terns plunged dramatically in pursuit of schools of baitfish. Then unexpectedly a curious manatee poked its grizzled muzzle to watch us pass. Its broad lips and rotund face made us wonder how sailors of the past could configure this strange marine mammal into a mermaid. A distant relative of elephants, these gentle vegetarians are everywhere scarce and seldom seen.
A short cruise after brunch allows for leisurely reading and sorting dive and snorkeling gear. Our destination—Goff’s Cay— looks like a Gary Larson cartoon version of an island paradise: swaying coconut palms, a thatched cabana, completely surrounded by pure white sand in the midst of azure water. Snorkeling over the adjacent reef and coral heads reveals a dazzling diversity of reef fishes. Virtually every tint and shade is observed in tangs, parrotfish, wrasses, damsels, and dozens of other multi-hued species. This stretch of the Central American coast is notable for the longest fringing reef complex in the Atlantic. But our little islet afforded an intimate and relaxing introduction of its marine wonders.
