by Robert Barbutti
"Soon come
the Rasta ray," says your captain, Rastafarian Ras Creek. He's talking
about the Spotted Eagle ray that he first made friends with and hand fed on
Bob Marley's birthday six years ago. Now he is called the "Shark and
Ray Dundee of the Caribbean" since he guides you on an aqua safari around
the picturesque island of Caye Caulker, Belize.
Eleven thirty rolls around and everyone has gathered for this casual nature
tour of the island. The boat is loaded with passengers and ready to go. A
last minute delivery of fresh fish for our lunch shows up in the nick of time.
The boat glides over the calm clear blue water heading out to Caye Caulkers
portion of the Belizean Barrier Reef and home of much of the areas diverse
marine life.
Snorkeling 101: Everyone gets a quick lesson in how to be safe and reef conscience
in the water. Breath smoothly, Don't kick up the sand, and don't stand on
the coral or harass the wildlife.
The southern rays are there as if they knew what time to meet their guests.
Ras Creek jumps in and comes up with a small one of only about 3ft across.
"This is short tail, his tail was bitten by a shark" He shows us
how to support the ray in your out stretched arms. They are soft and smooth
to the touch. They flap their wings like flying carpets of the sea gliding
effortlessly through the water.
From here we are shown the secret lair of a huge green moray eel. This guy
was at least five feet long and he looked kind of spooky with his sharp fangs
exposed. He came out to investigate. This is the largest species of eel in
Belizean waters and is generally easy going. But don't go prodding into his
home or try to pet one or else you may get to see what those fangs can do
as they give you a bite to remember.
Back to the boat and now the show is moving on to the next act. Nurse sharks
are checking us out from below as we watch from the surface. These sharks
are shades of copper and brown in color with beady eyes. They are friendly
with humans and will swim right up to you unless you turn to chase. Ras Creek
pulls one to the surface and has us feel its rough belly.
Ras creek has designed a flotation system to suspend a group of snorkelers
in one place by holding their feet on a bar. This is great for watching the
water show without stirring up a bunch of sand.
The Rasta Ray approaches. Majestic, she flies by, her long whip like tail
trailing behind. The spotted eagle ray is covered in the most amazing interlocking
pattern of x's and o's. They are larger than the southern rays and have a
more pronounced face. Creek says, "this is a smart fish. It only likes
lobster and conch, I tried to feed it fish and it just spits it out."
"You have to understand that sometimes the Eagle ray does not come around
because there is no cage. This is not the zoo. And the animals must go on
honeymoon sometime."
Our journey continues as lunch is served up. A great paper plate full of curried
fish with rice and potatoes. Local fruits and rum punch are passed around
for all to enjoy.
Ras Creek points out that Caye Caulker is home to many migratory birds and
local birds as well. Frigate birds soar above, pelicans and osprey dive for
fish below, cormorants, egrets, and herons are to be found at the waters edge.
Rounding the island we are shown natural landmarks such as the entrance to
an underwater cave system and the mangroves which are the breeding grounds
and home of many small fish. One resident is the worldwide-endangered sea
horse. We pull in close to the mangroves and Creek jumps into the water and
almost instantly returned with two of the little fellows, which he brings
to the surface in a jar. These are adult pregnant males, one is yellow, and
the other is dark brown. The male carries the babies in a pouch just like
the kangaroo. They have prehensile tails, which are used to hold on to twigs
and branches underwater. "Right now in Belize city they are paying $60
a pound for dried sea horses. That makes for a lot of sea horses." The
Chinese want them for use as an aphrodisiac but now that Viagra is popular
maybe they will get left alone.
The mangroves give way to swampy areas that are home of American crocodiles.
These do well in the salty environment since they have the ability to filter
excess salts from their system. They don't like to dine on people, but watch
out for dogs, and other small animals and fish. But like anything don't tempt
one if you have the chance to see one.
One big lizard you may end up seeing however is Ras creek's latest attraction.
A giant iguana he calls "sunbathe" is usually found relaxing on
the low hanging branches in the sun. This one likes bananas but they eat insects,
larvae and plant life as well. Oh by the way, if you see Bamboo Chicken on
a menu somewhere, it's Iguana.
As the sun starts heading for the horizon, our boat passes through the split,
which was formed by hurricane Hattie in 1961. This now separates the island
into two parts. We sail along relaxed from the day's journey and are back
in time for happy hour at the Sandbox which is one of the Caye's favorite
hangouts right at the dock where we land. We have shared stories with new
friends and seen a diverse amount of wildlife on a leisurely cruise around
the island.
Some other photo selections include Belize, Utila, Alaska, Hawaii, Nothern California, California Central Coast, Santa Cruz, U. S. National Monuments.