Sibun River and Goff’s Caye, Belize
The little country of Belize has a land area of 22,923 square kilometers and for such a tiny country it has a wide diversity of environments, a product of its geography and its location. Today we are going to explore an area just south of Belize City, along the coast, which is approximately 280 kilometers long. The coastal zone of Belize includes inner lagoons, rivers, the low plain of the coast, the barrier reef and the three atolls and islands that lie off the shore. We were entering the mouth of the Sibun River and noticed immediately the thick and lush tangle of mangroves. The Sibun River is 90 miles long has dramatic cave systems, rapids and allows the opportunity to view wildlife. This is why we were here. The kayakers paddled their way along the fringing red mangrove, while peering keenly into the green jungle. A couple of white ibis flew over quickly and a black hawk settled on the branch of a large tree while it observed our passage. We could hear the popping noises of the mangrove oysters occasionally as they opened and closed their bivalve shells.
And then the surface was interrupted near one of the Zodiacs, when a large grayish brown head emerged, let out a mighty sigh, and then descended again into the murk. We had just had a close encounter of the third world kind with a West Indian Manatee! This completely harmless mammal inhabits most of our freshwater rivers, lagoons and coastal zone, but seem to favor the Sibun and the nearby Manatee River further south. They can grow to be 13 feet long and weigh up to 3000 pounds or more. Belize might have a population of 300 to 700 animals but unfortunately poachers have most likely caused this number to decline. It is said that the flesh of this animal tastes like chicken, beef and pork and this has made dining on this creature popular.
By afternoon, we had landed on the sandy shore of Goff’s Caye which had formed just on the barrier reef on the north side of the deep water channel. Over 1,000 cayes can be found in Belize’s coastal zone and this tiny caye was included. This caye was home to several families before Hurricane Hatti wiped out most of the caye and houses. No one has ever returned to rebuild and it has become an ever increasingly popular picnic and weekend spot for folks since it’s located 12 miles from the city. It also proved to be a great spot for our snorkelers and divers who encountered Nassau groupers, Bermuda chubs, Creole wrasse and Yellowtail snappers flowing in and out and around the elkhorn, staghorn and brain corals.
After a satisfying supper, we went back to our little Goff’s Caye to wrap up the day with songs, laughter, guitar strumming and a starry, starry night… Stars above and stars below with the bioluminescence in the water as our Zodiac brought us back to the ship. What a day!! Thank you all!!!
The little country of Belize has a land area of 22,923 square kilometers and for such a tiny country it has a wide diversity of environments, a product of its geography and its location. Today we are going to explore an area just south of Belize City, along the coast, which is approximately 280 kilometers long. The coastal zone of Belize includes inner lagoons, rivers, the low plain of the coast, the barrier reef and the three atolls and islands that lie off the shore. We were entering the mouth of the Sibun River and noticed immediately the thick and lush tangle of mangroves. The Sibun River is 90 miles long has dramatic cave systems, rapids and allows the opportunity to view wildlife. This is why we were here. The kayakers paddled their way along the fringing red mangrove, while peering keenly into the green jungle. A couple of white ibis flew over quickly and a black hawk settled on the branch of a large tree while it observed our passage. We could hear the popping noises of the mangrove oysters occasionally as they opened and closed their bivalve shells.
And then the surface was interrupted near one of the Zodiacs, when a large grayish brown head emerged, let out a mighty sigh, and then descended again into the murk. We had just had a close encounter of the third world kind with a West Indian Manatee! This completely harmless mammal inhabits most of our freshwater rivers, lagoons and coastal zone, but seem to favor the Sibun and the nearby Manatee River further south. They can grow to be 13 feet long and weigh up to 3000 pounds or more. Belize might have a population of 300 to 700 animals but unfortunately poachers have most likely caused this number to decline. It is said that the flesh of this animal tastes like chicken, beef and pork and this has made dining on this creature popular.
By afternoon, we had landed on the sandy shore of Goff’s Caye which had formed just on the barrier reef on the north side of the deep water channel. Over 1,000 cayes can be found in Belize’s coastal zone and this tiny caye was included. This caye was home to several families before Hurricane Hatti wiped out most of the caye and houses. No one has ever returned to rebuild and it has become an ever increasingly popular picnic and weekend spot for folks since it’s located 12 miles from the city. It also proved to be a great spot for our snorkelers and divers who encountered Nassau groupers, Bermuda chubs, Creole wrasse and Yellowtail snappers flowing in and out and around the elkhorn, staghorn and brain corals.
After a satisfying supper, we went back to our little Goff’s Caye to wrap up the day with songs, laughter, guitar strumming and a starry, starry night… Stars above and stars below with the bioluminescence in the water as our Zodiac brought us back to the ship. What a day!! Thank you all!!!
