Caye Caulker
On June 21 and 22, the group stayed on Cayle Caulker before heading back to NC.
On the 21st, the group spent the day snorkeling at Hol Chan Marine Reserve, lunching
on San Pedro and snorkeling at Shark and Ray Alley. A marine reserve protects the
coral, fish and invertebrate life by preventing boats from anchoring, prohibiting
fishing and forbidding touching of the coral and animal life. The fish at Hol Chan
were very bold with the snorkelers as they were accumstomed to being fed by the
snorkelers. At Hol Chan, the group saw a barracuda, a tarpon, hundreds of french
grunts, a nurse shark and a southern stingray as long as Dee Dee. The water was
too rough to swim over the reef crest or else they probably would have seen more
fish.
At Shark and Ray Alley, where, of course, Dee Dee was first in the water and last
out. Boats are permitted to anchor there and they attract nurse sharks and southern
stingrays by feeding them. As soon as the food was gone, so were the fish. Dee Dee
followed a nurse shark around a coral head and saw a parrotfish being cleaned by
a shrimp. The group also agitated a marine turtle and green moral eel. The number
of species was greater here than at Hol Chan.
Hol Chan
Shark & Ray Alley
