Lighthouse Reef, Belize
We woke up today under another beautiful clear sky, as we began our second day of the expedition. We spent yesterday, on the shallow white sandy beaches of the minute island of Goff’s Cay, where everybody was able to get familiarized with the waters and their equipment. So today we began right after breakfast as we disembarked in the first National Park to be established in Belize - Half Moon Cay, which is located at the southeastern end of Lighthouse Reef.
As we set foot on the beach we divide into two groups, one group takes off with Lucio the Belizean half-fish snorkeling guide! Another eight people walked inland to the nesting site of a colony of red-footed boobies and magnificent frigate birds. At the birds nesting site an observation platform has been built for the purpose of viewing the colony without disturbing the birds. Towards the observation platform as we walk through the innumerable coconut palms we constantly run into “gigantic” hermit crabs (by hermit crab standards). When we climb up to the observation platform, we are impressed by the number and proximity of birds nesting, indeed, as many as 4,000 red-footed boobies have been counted here.
For the afternoon activities the Sea Voyager relocated to an excellent snorkeling and scuba diving spot; Long Cay, also part of the Lighthouse Reef . At 2:30 from the swimming platform on the stern we could easily get into the water to observe how Emma our divemaster slowly disappeared with the first group of scuba divers. A little later we set up a floating station using a Zodiac for the people to do some more snorkeling at this excellent spot. Dinner was served at 7:15 p.m. A meal well deserved after a day full excitement new discoveries.
We woke up today under another beautiful clear sky, as we began our second day of the expedition. We spent yesterday, on the shallow white sandy beaches of the minute island of Goff’s Cay, where everybody was able to get familiarized with the waters and their equipment. So today we began right after breakfast as we disembarked in the first National Park to be established in Belize - Half Moon Cay, which is located at the southeastern end of Lighthouse Reef.
As we set foot on the beach we divide into two groups, one group takes off with Lucio the Belizean half-fish snorkeling guide! Another eight people walked inland to the nesting site of a colony of red-footed boobies and magnificent frigate birds. At the birds nesting site an observation platform has been built for the purpose of viewing the colony without disturbing the birds. Towards the observation platform as we walk through the innumerable coconut palms we constantly run into “gigantic” hermit crabs (by hermit crab standards). When we climb up to the observation platform, we are impressed by the number and proximity of birds nesting, indeed, as many as 4,000 red-footed boobies have been counted here.
For the afternoon activities the Sea Voyager relocated to an excellent snorkeling and scuba diving spot; Long Cay, also part of the Lighthouse Reef . At 2:30 from the swimming platform on the stern we could easily get into the water to observe how Emma our divemaster slowly disappeared with the first group of scuba divers. A little later we set up a floating station using a Zodiac for the people to do some more snorkeling at this excellent spot. Dinner was served at 7:15 p.m. A meal well deserved after a day full excitement new discoveries.
