Wednesday, April 4, 2007
Student Group in the Jungle, April 1st.
On Sunday April 1st I helped guide a group of students in the Jaguar Park Reserve Jungle at Cockscomb Park. It was quite the hike but the effort was worth it, especially the views of the Mayan Mountains and the waterfall. Our main guide was Greg Sho, probably the most experienced Jungle Guide in Belize.
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, established in 1990 is world renowned for being the first jaguar reserve. This "one of a kind" reserve was established as a result of jaguar studies conducted in the area by Alan Rabinowitz. Besides being the home to Belize's largest cat, the Sanctuary protects the headwaters of two major river systems and supports an abundance of hardwood vegetation and a diverse faunal assemblage.
Over 128,000 acres of lush jungle are ringed by the spectacular Cockscomb Mountains. The wonders and diversity are accessible to both the casual visitor and the serious naturalist through a series of nature trails. These trails vary in degrees of difficulty ranging from an easy hour-long stroll along the river to a four (4) day challenge of conquering Victoria Peak . The Victoria Peak trail is only accessible during the dry season and requires a permit and a tour guide (experienced guides can be hired from the local communities buffering the sanctuary).
You can learn more about Cockscomb at the following site;
Return to Glovers!
So I got the chance to return to Glovers a couple of weeks ago and it has changed a lot since I was last there at the end of November. There is a new thatch at the end of the dock, which the guests love. The camp is looking great, especially the beach and the Tent Cabanas. I also noticed a big difference in the temperature in March compared to when I was last here and the water was especially warm. No wonder Glovers is such a popular destination for Island Expeditions guests, looking at these pictures you can see why. I've also added a few pictures of three of IE guides, Jamie, Mike (he is one of the Belizean guides) and Cait. The base camp at Southwest Cay, at Glovers Reef Marine Reserve was the first base camp set up by Island Expeditions.
Glover's Reef is the prototypic atoll of the Caribbean, and the best developed of all the atolls in Belize. This atoll possesses the greatest diversity of reef types and associated organisms of all the offshore reefs. The central lagoon of the atoll is unique because of its depth and the number of pinnacles and patch reefs carpeting the entire lagoon.
Glover's Reef is a prime example of an atoll. It is classified as an elongate rectangular atoll, 32 km long and 12 km wide with an area of 260 square kilometers. The waters outside of the atoll are exceptionally clear and the eastern side of the atoll feels the full force of the prevailing winds and waves of the Caribbean Sea.
Glover's Reef has six cayes, all lying along the southeastern side of the atoll. The cayes are arranged in a linear fashion along a NE-SW axis. They are composed mainly of coral rubble piled up by the strong wave action of the Caribbean Sea. The highest elevation is less then two meters with most of the islands having a depression in the middle which often fills with standing water. Like Lighthouse Reef, Glover's Reef is surrounded on all sides by a sharply defined reef which edges a wide reef flat. The atoll edges are steep on all sides, falling to water depths of 10,000 feet to the east. It is interesting to note that the reefs vary greatly from the eastern side of the atoll to the western side, which in turn are both very different from the patch reefs which pepper the interior of the atoll.
The patch reefs of Glover's Reef are relatively large in area, rise from the deep water, and are very numerous. A typical patch is round in shape with a very obvious zonation of coral. This zonation is very similar to those generally found among the patch reefs inside of the barrier reef. This leads scientists to believe that there is considerable wave action inside of the atoll.
As early as 1954, Glover's Reef was recommended as a bird sanctuary because of a breeding colony of white-capped brown noddies. Then in 1978, a United Nations consultant recommended that the entire atoll be declared an underwater preserve. Finally, in 1994, the entire atoll was zoned and declared a national park.
The zoning took into account that there is limited use of the atoll. Because of its remoteness, Glover's Reef is relatively untouched. A few local Belizean fishermen visit the atoll and some foreign fishing boats do also to collect lobster and fin fish. There are also a number of tourist operations on the atoll. A marine research center has just recently been established on Middle Caye.
In fact, it has been found that Glover's Reef was even utilized by the ancient Maya. A Preclassic Mayan settlement was discovered on Long Cay. Surface pottery and shards were located early-on during the survey of the atoll and its islands. Since Glover's Reef lies along the trade route between the Yucatan and the Bay Islands, use of these cayes probably occurred frequently. The zoning plan developed for the park takes into account all the current uses of the atoll, as well as the critical marine habitats. All marine habitats are protected while continuing to allow reasonable economic benefit through fishing and tourism.
But by far, the greatest attraction of Glover's Reef is the underwater world. Waters are crystal clear and the coral growth is spectacular. Huge coral spurs form caves, caverns and ledges. Eagle rays float over the top of the atoll edge, while huge schools of jacks, spadefish and snappers cruise by. The invertebrate life is vibrant and colorful. Glover's Reef is another of those gems that belong not only to Belize, but to the world.
Glover's Reef is a prime example of an atoll. It is classified as an elongate rectangular atoll, 32 km long and 12 km wide with an area of 260 square kilometers. The waters outside of the atoll are exceptionally clear and the eastern side of the atoll feels the full force of the prevailing winds and waves of the Caribbean Sea.
Glover's Reef has six cayes, all lying along the southeastern side of the atoll. The cayes are arranged in a linear fashion along a NE-SW axis. They are composed mainly of coral rubble piled up by the strong wave action of the Caribbean Sea. The highest elevation is less then two meters with most of the islands having a depression in the middle which often fills with standing water. Like Lighthouse Reef, Glover's Reef is surrounded on all sides by a sharply defined reef which edges a wide reef flat. The atoll edges are steep on all sides, falling to water depths of 10,000 feet to the east. It is interesting to note that the reefs vary greatly from the eastern side of the atoll to the western side, which in turn are both very different from the patch reefs which pepper the interior of the atoll.
The patch reefs of Glover's Reef are relatively large in area, rise from the deep water, and are very numerous. A typical patch is round in shape with a very obvious zonation of coral. This zonation is very similar to those generally found among the patch reefs inside of the barrier reef. This leads scientists to believe that there is considerable wave action inside of the atoll.
As early as 1954, Glover's Reef was recommended as a bird sanctuary because of a breeding colony of white-capped brown noddies. Then in 1978, a United Nations consultant recommended that the entire atoll be declared an underwater preserve. Finally, in 1994, the entire atoll was zoned and declared a national park.
The zoning took into account that there is limited use of the atoll. Because of its remoteness, Glover's Reef is relatively untouched. A few local Belizean fishermen visit the atoll and some foreign fishing boats do also to collect lobster and fin fish. There are also a number of tourist operations on the atoll. A marine research center has just recently been established on Middle Caye.
In fact, it has been found that Glover's Reef was even utilized by the ancient Maya. A Preclassic Mayan settlement was discovered on Long Cay. Surface pottery and shards were located early-on during the survey of the atoll and its islands. Since Glover's Reef lies along the trade route between the Yucatan and the Bay Islands, use of these cayes probably occurred frequently. The zoning plan developed for the park takes into account all the current uses of the atoll, as well as the critical marine habitats. All marine habitats are protected while continuing to allow reasonable economic benefit through fishing and tourism.
But by far, the greatest attraction of Glover's Reef is the underwater world. Waters are crystal clear and the coral growth is spectacular. Huge coral spurs form caves, caverns and ledges. Eagle rays float over the top of the atoll edge, while huge schools of jacks, spadefish and snappers cruise by. The invertebrate life is vibrant and colorful. Glover's Reef is another of those gems that belong not only to Belize, but to the world.
Bird Caye
On the way back from South Water Caye we stopped off at Bird Caye to see the Frigate, Boobies and Pelicans that make this Island their home. It was an impressive, if some what smelly and noisy experience.
Along the northern boundary lies Man-O-War Caye, one of the seven crowned bird sanctuaries in Belize. The caye is covered with tall Red Mangrove. The interior is very wet and a dry coral sand beach exists on the southwest shore. But the most impressive thing about this caye is that it supports one of the ten largest colonies of frigate birds in the Caribbean. The island supports approximately 325 to 350 nesting birds.
More South Water Caye Pictures
These two pictures show the Mangrove on South Water Caye and the beaches.The Southwater Caye Marine Park contains many varied and important habitats. Located about 10 miles due east of the mouth of the Sittee River on the mainland of Belize, the park covers approximately 62 square miles. The park runs from the drop off on the east side to extensive grass beds on the west side. The area encompasses 10 separate major mangrove cayes, two large mangrove ranges, a large twin caye formation, and many smaller islets. Most of the cayes are covered or fringed with mangrove, one of the most productive ecosystems in nature.
More pictures of IZE & South Water Caye
Here are some more pictures of IZE & South Water Caye. There are some incredible beaches here and pristine clear blue water that is ideal for swimming or snorkeling.
International Zoological Expeditions & Southwater Caye
A few weeks ago I made my first visit to International Zoological Expeditions (IZE) on South Water Caye. IZE is one of the places our guests stay when visiting the Cayes and it is a beautiful place to spend relaxing in this Belizean paradise. You can find more information about IZE at their website; http://www.ize2belize.com/
Here are just a few pictures during my visit to IZE and Southwater Caye.
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