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.