Belize It-People & Places Part Two

View from Cabana

Second Stop - Colinda's Cabanas


On the laid back island of Caye Caulker, where the theme is "Go Slow" we stayed in a beach front property called Colinda's Cabanas.  We felt fortunate getting reservations since they are booked a year in advance, but lucky for us we found a cancelation.

Well deserving of all the reviews, they provided everything you would want on the island. Our stay included free use of bicycles, kayaks, snorkeling gear, a kitchenette in our room and fresh ground Belizean coffee. There are no personal cars on the island, instead you can rent golf carts or hire one as a taxi.

Cabana #8

The colorful cabanas with private bathrooms were a delight, with deck, clothes line and of course a personal hammock. With only about 10 cabanas you got to meet your neighboring visitors.

Barrier Reef

Boats lined up at Hol Chan Marine Reserve

Snorkeling the Reef

Caye Caulker is one of many islands off shore of Belize and a great launching point for the barrier reef. The waters are calmer since the reef (only a mile away) reduces the amount of waves.

We snorkeled several times visiting Hol Chan Marine Reserve, Shark Ray Alley and Coral Gardens. There were so many different fish to see, plus nurse sharks and sting rays.

We also  partook of a night dive which at first seemed very creepy, but well worth it since you get to see many other creatures including Octopus, Crabs, Lobsters and see how fish sleep at night.


"The Split" dividing the island

The guide provided a flashlight or torch as they say. The reefs and water have bioluminesense features, FYI but you need no moon to see them.

Caye Caulker from the Airplane

We also enjoyed a dip at the split, a natural separation of the island after Hurricane Hattie.  The view from the plane shows the developed part of the island on the right, then the split, and the estuary area is on the left.







Mango Trees


The islands, like Caye Caulker, are the result of Mango Trees establishing themselves, then the sand builds up and begins to create an estuary for other plant life and animals.




Estuary Walk







Estuary Walk

We visited an protected estuary on the Caye (pronounced Key) to check out the birds and crocodiles.


Estuary Birds

Young Green Herons in Estuary


Beware there were quite a few spiders along the walkway. Golden Orbs to be exact (aka banana spiders), as you may recall I don't care for spiders, so it was very distressing.








Event at Sportsman Bar


Lionfish Derby

We arrived on the island just in time for a fun fishing event. In order to help eradicate the invasive "Lionfish". They held a derby, rewarding fishing teams for the largest, the smallest and the most caught.




Team Participants


After awards they cooked up samples of the Lionfish to promote their use on local menus, helping keep the populations under control. Tasted like fish.

Removing Lionfish Spines



 

Canadian Neighbors after successful Fishing Venture

Fishing Techniques

Eye Catching

Fishing is big on the island. Originally just a fishing village before the tourists arrived.

Here are our friendly neighbors after their expedition.

Line Fishing from piers

You'll see all sorts of fishing techniques, from casting out a single line, to net fishing, even the pelicans have their own technique.

Brown Pelicans

A short net fishing video. They were catching a small fish they used as bait. Enjoy