A Day of Snorkeling off the Beach on Ambergris Caye

I brought back our snorkel gear this time from the states, so yesterday Bill got all of our gear out and gave it a good cleaning.  We had not used it since we were in Belize in 2010.  We decided to just bike down the beach until we found a good place to get in and just snorkel right off the beach.  The water was so warm yesterday that it felt like bath water.  We saw black grouper, bone fish, horse eye jacks and a few other species I am not sure what they were.  I am going to have to study up on my kinds of fish.  Belize having over 400 species of fish, that could take a while.

Horse Eye Jack

We have snorkeled several times at Hol Chan and Shark Ray Alley, but there are so many other places in the Caye's to snorkel or dive as well.  I really want to go snorkel Mexico Rocks which is located about 4.5 nautical miles north of San Pedro and the Coral Gardens located near Caye Caulker.  Mexico Rocks is known for having shallow, crystal clear waters with an abundance of sea life to see.

Where we snorkeled off the beach.

The water close to shore was so warm.

It is just beautiful in this area.

10 Reasons Why You Will Love Retiring in Belize

1. Sub-tropical climate - Belize has a sub-tropical year round climate where frosts and freezes are unknown.
2. Hol Chan Marine Reserve - Hol Chan is a national park that includes part of the barrier reef.
3. Shark Ray Alley - Belize is one of the best places to get up close and personal with sharks and stingrays.
4. The Barrier Reef - The Belize Barrier Reef is the largest in the western hemisphere and is 190 miles long.
5. The Howler Monkey – Belize has a rare breed of howler monkey that is known as one of the top ten loudest animals in the world.
6. Mayan Ruins - Belize has a rich Mayan history with over 900 historic locations.
7. The People – Belize is home to some of the most interesting and friendliest people who are very accepting of other cultures.
8. The Jungles – 60% of Belize is forested, hiking through the jungles is an amazing experience.
9. The Caribbean Sea – The waters off of Belize are known to inhabit more than 400 species of sub tropical fish.
10.  BELIKIN BEER – “The Only Beer Worth Drinking”

Photo:  AJ Baxter, Picture Belize

Where to Live in Belize? San Pedro, Ambergris Caye

Ambergris Caye, Belize

We have been to Belize several times and have stayed on both the mainland and on the islands.  Belize was not our first choice of where to retire, it was originally Key West, Florida.  But I was just never sold on the idea of retiring to Key West and we had never really considered the option that we could move to another country and retire.

Last year we starting reading and looking into Belize and after making another trip to Belize, this time just staying mainly on the island of Ambergris Caye in the town of San Pedro, Bill and I decided Belize is where we wanted to be.  We felt like Belize had the best of everything to offer, it has the islands, jungles, Mayan ruins, they spoke English, easy access to the US and we could afford to live there.  We thought, what more could we ask for?

Ambergris Caye is Belize's largest island in the Cayes and is the most popular destination in Belize, for expats and tourist.  It has the largest expat community with a resort island atmosphere.  Belize has the second largest coral reef system in the world.  The reef lies 1/2 mile east of the Ambergris Caye shoreline and runs the entire 25 miles length of the island.  This has made San Pedro Town the dive and water sports capital of Belize and Central America.  The Great Blue Hole, Turneffe Islands, Shark Ray Alley, Hol Chan, Marine Reserve, Mexico Rocks, and Lighthouse Reef are only a short boat ride away. 

San Pedro reminds you of the Caribbean of 30 or 40 years ago, before the boom of international travel.  There are just three main north-south streets which are lined with wood houses and shops painted in bright tropical colors.  Most people get around town on foot, bike or golf cart.

Ambergris Caye has the sun and heat of the tropics, but is cooled by the trade winds off the Caribbean Sea.  Temperatures range from about 75-95 degrees during the day year round.  The rainy season is May to February, with most of the rain following in the late afternoon and evening.  Southern Belize may get up to 140 inches of rain a year, Ambergris Caye only gets about 40 inches per year.  The water temperature stays pretty much around 82 degrees year round.

Other post you may be interested in:
Where to Live in Belize?  Caye Caulker
Where to Live in Belize?  San Ignacio

Swimming with the Sharks and Stingrays - Hol Chan Reserve and Stingray Alley

The Shark Bait

Nurse Sharks

While in Belize we took a glass-bottom boat excursion to Hol Chan Reserve and Sting Ray Alley for snorkeling.  Hol Chan (which means "little channel" in Mayan) is a national park and is considered part of the barrier reef and is located at the southern tip of Ambergris Caye.  Hol Chan also has a large sinkhole considered a smaller version to the famous Blue Hole located at Lighthouse Reef. 

 

Bill Feeding the Sharks

Our Captain

Dive and Snorkel Boats

Our first stop was Stingray Alley where you can swim and snorkel with nurse sharks and large stingrays.  Bill got to feed the sharks, they were immediately surrounding the boat.

Our Tickets

The next stop was Hol Chan, which was so amazing and only cost $10.00US per person.  The coral is beautiful with lots of different shapes, colors and sizes.  The water is pretty shallow until you get to an area which drops off dramatically...you suddenly feel very small in this great big sea of water.

That is my hand with the orange band on..so that is proof that I really did touch the nurse sharks and the sting rays.  The sharks felt really kind of rough and hard..while the stingrays felt very soft and velvety.  I am not sure I liked the way the sting rays felt. 

Moray Eel

One of the guides was actually bitten by an eel, so beware.

Stingray

You can also check out the Hol Chan video we filmed at the bottom of our blog.