Saturday, May 26, 2007

Caye Caulker, Belize



Everyone is keen to snorkel with rays and sharks (mainly rays) so we've hired a small wooden boat garishly-painted in purple, orange and green to take us out to the reef, which is the second longest after the Great Barrier Reef. The crew are a bunch of cool dread-locked dudes brandishing deep battle scars. With reggae music and rum cocktails in hand we head out on the shallow green waters.

In chest-high water a swarm of stingrays circle us brushing past me as they swim by. They appear to like human touch. Instead of avoiding the many human legs in the water, they slide their bodies over my ankles. Their undersides are smooth, a bit like squid. I like the feeling although I'm afraid of stepping on one.

I'm disappointed not to see a shark but one of the crew spots one from the boat and asks me to jump in. I do and although it doesn't let me get too close, I can see the unmistakable dark shadow of a (nurse) shark loitering by a rock. Amazing. Unfortunately my underwater camera leaked so I lost all my photos.

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