Tuesday, March 18, 2008

Halfmoon Caye and Turneffe Atoll, the longest day:)

Sunset at 6.00pm
2 pictures of Kat at her home on Blackbird Caye, lucky girl!

Black Bird Caye

Man O War near HMC!

Zircote Flower, breathtaking!


Gecko at HMC

Javier climbs the tree to provide coconuts for a talk by Domasco.

Nurse Sharks near the dock at HMC


Guests relaxing and enjoying paradise

Young Osprey at HMC
Here is an adult Red Footed Boobie. HMC is a favourite nesting site for these rare birds.
Baby Red Footed Boobie nesting at HMC, so cute:)




Home for our guest at Half Moon Caye.


Sunrise at 5.50am.

On March 12th I got up early to head to Belize City and then head out to Half Moon Caye. My day began at 4.30am and it proved to be a long but unforgettable day. The weather was gorgeous, which meant perfect conditions for the 55 mile boat ride to Half Moon Caye.



After 2 hours we reached the paradise Island of Half Moon Caye and our guests soon settled into the relaxed pace of our camp. As we reached the dock a Nurse Shark was spotted and was soon joined by a couple more. A couple of Sting Rays could also be seen close by. Some guests just wanted to chill whilst others wanted to get right into the kayaking and snorkeling.



On my return I asked the boat to stop at Black Bird Caye (Part of Turneffe Atoll, the largest Island Atoll in Belize) where the Oceanic Society have a base and where Katheryn works (the girl I met a few weeks ago). I did not have long to visit as it was late in the day but it was nice to see Kat again and she was pleasantly surprised to see me and the gift of Dr.Peppers I brought for her:)


The boat eventually reached Belize City around 6.30pm. After unloading the boat and grabbing a bit to eat at the only Subway in Belize, Rio and I headed back to Dangriga and eventually reached home at 10.30pm!!!! So much for this being my day off but it was worth the effort for another chance to visit Half Moon Caye and I was a tired happy chappie;)

Trips to the Cayes and a little modeling for the new IEC Brochure:)

Trigger Fish
Dog Snapper
Great Barracuda

Snorkeling and towing kayak with Carrie Bow Caye in the background.


Me with Starfish. Please note that no animals were hurt during filming:)



Paddle action

Enjoying paddling in the sun and coral reef, life is tough:)


Bashat holding the Starfish for me to see




Me, Bashat and a Starfish (the star of the show;)


Above and below, snorkeling with Bashat.

At Bird Caye, I was sure I was going to get a gift from above:)


A couple of weeks ago I went out with Tim (IEC's founding director) and Bashat (our boat Cpt) for a day exploring the Cayes and to take some photo's for Island Expeditions next brochure. Tim wanted his best model for the shoot, but had to settle for me instead;) I don't think I did a bad job though, especially considering I had no team of makeup artist and stylist to make me look pretty for the camera but my natural beauty shone through:)

It was great to be out on the water kayaking and snorkeling in the Coral Reef. I saw some amazing marine life within the Coral Reef including a Trigger Fish, Dog Snapper, Barracuda and a Manatee in the distance. Life in Belize is real tough:)

Cockscomb and Maya Centre.

Scarlet Macaw

Group paddling the river

Going throught the rapids.

Mayan Woman at Maya Ctr

Group at the take out spot

Greg Sho's house.


Mayan Mountains

The track through the orange groves to the river take out.




Maya Centre

Mayan Women inside the Maya Centre



Mayan Art


A few weeks ago we had a Coral Jag trip in the Cockscomb reserve and here are a few pictures I took during the day. I went there to help bring in the group after they had been on the river for 4 days.

On the way in to the take out spot I spotted a beautiful Scarlet MaCaw and managed to get a nice photo of it. This was such a thrill for me as I had not seen one this close in the wild before. They are an incredible bird with amazing colours.

I also saw an Iguana, deer and roadside Hawk but as I was driving with guests I did not have time to take a snapshot.