Belize 2013: Turf

A must have book for Crooked Tree.

Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary is about a 30 minute drive from Belize City on the Northern Highway.  It was the first wildlife sanctuary declared by the Government of Belize (1984), and because of its significance as a wetland, was declared a RAMSAR site in 1998.  The sanctuary is managed by the Belize Audubon Society through agreement with the government.  Over three hundred species of birds have been recorded at the sanctuary including many Yucatan specialties.

The Sanctuary consists of 16,000 acres of lagoons, creeks, logwood swamps, broadleaf forest and pine savanna.  In the center of the lagoons is Crooked Tree Village a European settlement dating back to the 1740s.

We were there to meet with three groups; the Belize Audubon Society, tour guides and hotel operators, and the village council.

View of the Lodge from the lagoon.

There are several lodging options that surround the sanctuary.  We stayed with Mrs. Verna at the Bird's Eye View Lodge.  Another option that caught my eye was the Crooked Tree Lodge. From both, or that matter any, you can pre-book or sign up for impromptu birding trips.  As we learned from our meetings, birding tour guides are at a premium so I would suggest making arrangements in advance.

Recently sighted; Jaguar?!

Almost any lodge, museum, or nature center will keep a list of birds and animals sighted on the grounds.  Usually on a whiteboard in one of the public areas. This is a great place to see what people are viewing in the area and get an idea of what you can expect.  The board at Bird's Eye had "Jaguar spotted 10:00 a.m."  That made an impression!
   


Before our meetings we did a quick guided birding trip on one of the lagoons.  It was during the wet season so there was plenty of water everywhere and thus not a lot of congregations of birds or animals. This and the fact that we were not there during peak migration meant the birding was much sparser than usual.  Even under these conditions, I managed 14 life birds out of a total 23 birds sighted.  I plan on returning in November during peak season with one of the Audubon Chapters that hosts tours to the area.

Breakfast before birding.

Front: Filippo, Karen, (me) and Ishmael from the
Multilateral Investment Fund.  Back: our guide Lenny
and Pat the Publisher of Audubon Magazine.

Belize 2013: Surf

July 21, 2013

Hol Chan Marine Reserve

Off the southern tip of Ambergris Caye is Belize's oldest marine sanctuary, the Hol Chan Marine Reserve.  Hol Chan is Mayan for "little channel" as the park centers around a 25 yard wide and 30 foot deep opening through the reef with both sea grass and coral habitats.  The reserve was established in 1987 with the addition of the Shark Ray Alley area in 1999.  It is a diverse area with about 160 species of fish, 40 types of coral, sea turtles, and marine mammals like dolphins and manatee.  We were here during the off season so we felt like we had the area largely to ourselves.

Estel's Dine by the Sea in San Pedro Town Belize

You can count on burning about 250 calories an hour snorkeling.  So before we started we estimated that about two pancakes, two cups of coffee, and a few eggs from Estel's would fortify us for the adventure.

Estel's is a sea side spot that shouldn't be missed. Like most of the places we visited, it was warm, friendly, and eclectic.  The hardest part of the experience was navigating all the choices on the menu and finding the best place to sit and enjoy the people and the view.  Also, like many places we found, despite Belize's reputation for terrible internet access, the WiFi was free (password blackcoffee btw) and adequate to accommodate our updating and texts.  

After breakfast we headed for our 9 a.m. appointment to meet up with Ched Cabral co-owner of Reef Adventures .  Stephanie and I got there early and were fitted for our gear. It was $45 US per person for a two stop snorkeling tour of the reserve.  This would include time exploring the reef and time with the Nurse Sharks and Southern Sting Rays.

Getting some pre-dive advice from Ched of Reef Adventures.

We had a good discussion with Ched about the various watersports and tourism opportunities in the area.  In the height of the tourist season (starting around Thanksgiving) he is taking out as many as four groups a day scuba diving.  This is in pretty stark contrast to July when I am pretty sure that Stephanie and I were the only trip for the morning.  Ched didn’t seem to mind and our talk soon turned to food.  He insists that Beans and Rice and Rice and Beans are two separate dishes in Belize.  I will just have to trust him on that.

Our guide Orlando, explaining the finer points of bait.

Ched handed us off to Orlando, who after a quick fueling of the boat, took us to the reef.  The ride out took about fifteen minutes.  Depending on the wind and chop you may get there a few minutes sooner. It was one of my favorite boat rides both because of the beautiful water and the excitement of seeing the reef.

As we approached the reserve the first stop was to pay the park rangers who office out of their boats tethered to buoys.   Orlando paid the rangers (part of our fee) and after some banter found an unused buoy and tied up our boat.  In we went.

Nurse sharks coming to the side of the boat.

The first thing I noticed was a grouper, bigger than me, hanging out under our boat.  This and a school of curious Horse-eye Jacks with their beautiful silver sides and yellow tails.  Stephanie and I were also struck by the fact that all the fish seemed to know Orlando.  They would come to investigate us, but their interactions with him seemed more familial.  He was a great guide and we appreciated his knowledge and patience.  Other highlights included a long look at a green moray and several barracuda.

No stop to Hol Chan is complete without visiting Shark Ray Alley.  Originally a place where the fisherman cleaned their boats and catch prior to heading in to shore, it is now one of the top draws to the reserve.  Those years of chumming the waters have created a swarming community of Nurse Sharks and Southern Sting Rays.  They come to the arrival of new boats to the area and stay only as long as the guide feeds them fish.  It is a very contrived reality, but it works.  Like a child I jumped in for a chance to see these creatures up close.  I didn't need to catch them, or hold on to them, like some, but the close up view of the sharks and rays was a terrific ending to the morning.

Tomorrow we head inland along the Northern Highway to Crooked Tree Wildlife Sanctuary.  Stephanie heads home and I begin my week of more structured meetings and tours.



    

Belize 2013:First Impressions

July 19, 2013

The National Audubon Society (NAS) has been asked to help develop additional Eco-tourism opportunities in Guatemala, Belize, the Bahamas, and Paraguay.  The team from NAS International Alliances Program is already in Guatemala, but I am joining them in Belize to develop the project management plan with our partners.  I am happy to be able to bring Stephanie along for the first part of this trip.

As I looked out the window as we were landing (P.S.W.G. International Airport), I knew I was in a very different place.  The city is surrounded by grass savannah with stands of palmetto palms and pine trees.  You also see aspects of the tropical deciduous forest that is characteristic of most of the northern half of the country.  But mainly, it is what you don't see; roads, cars, buildings, or people.  I always like those places that make you feel like you are the first person to be there, that they are somehow undiscovered.

On the approach to the Belize City Airport. 

We were in Belize City for about 30 minutes before boarding a small plane and heading to the resort island of Ambergris Caye ( pronounced "am-BURR-gris key", essentially Caye meaning island).  Ambergris is the most commercialized island and is used by many organized tour groups as a base for water activities - snorkeling, diving, and fishing.  The plane ride offered stunning views of the azure water and habitats.  We didn't see the barrier reef ( the 4th largest barrier reef system in the world) as it is just to the east, but we did enjoy the sea grass beds and tiny cayes.  

Ambergris Caye with white caps on the
barrier reef visible along the top of photo.

Sea grass beds.

We ended our travel day at our inn in San Pedro, the Blue Tang Inn, with just enough time to go to the local bar and try one of my favorite travel experiments: what will they hand me when I just ask for, "a beer".  As expected, it was a Belikin, the Beer of Belize.  That and the sunset was a good end to the first day.

Last stop of the day.

Belikin Beer, local beer and main and often only choice.

It's Where Tabasco Comes From

Avery Island, Louisiana, one of the main stops on any tour of "Cajun Country".  Close to places like Abbeville, Delcambre, and Intracoastal City.  Oysters, crawfish, ducks, speckled trout, and of course, live oaks.

One of many glorious Live Oaks.

I think it says a lot of an area that when I try to write about it I am flooded more with memories and  emotions than words.

I come here as a supporter of the Rainey Conservation Alliance.

A partnership of conservation minded landowners interested in conserving the marsh.


What I have learned, more so than any conservation or biology lesson, is the importance of relationships.

Arriving at a private camp south of Avery Island.

So honored to get to represent Audubon as we renewed an agreement at this meeting.  Pictured From Left: Sherrill Sagrera, Harold "Took" Osborn, P.R. Burke, and myself.

the pros (so sorry I did not get their name)

The people of this area survive some of the harshest events mother nature can cook up.  Many of the communities, economies, and even ways of life have come and gone.

I find that if you take the time to listen though, you can not help but gain an appreciation for the interconnections, mutual dependencies, and rich shared history.

I was wrong at the beginning of this post.  Words....names....do come to mind when I think about this area.  The Osborns, McIlhennys, Simmons, Sagreras, Burkes, and Vincents; heroic families, and for me, privileged memories.