Let’s Celebrate The Belize Barrier Reef

The Belize Coral Reef – the 2nd largest barrier reef in the world – is the crown jewel of Belize.  The miles and miles of rainbow corals that make our entire coast line what it is today.  Literally.  Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker started as patches of coral and built up over thousands of years.  Placencia Peninsula was once a stretch of coral growth that is now covered by river sediment and sand.  Our atolls and cayes…coral.

It’s part of what brings thousands of visitors and keeps millions of fish, sharks, whales in our waters.  It should be protected like any crown jewel would be when under attack.  But I won’t even START on the Government of Belize’s preposterous ideas to search for oil within 1 kilometer of the reef.

It’s like cracking open the Hope Diamond to look for coal.  But that diamond is only worth $250 million dollars.  Meh.

Our reef is priceless.

Reef Week is March 9th to March 15th and is celebrated with events around the country.

I’m going to commemorate it – I know…I’m a bit late to the party – with some of my photos of the magnificence of our sea.

Ranguana Caye off the coast of Placencia – the reef is RIGHT THERE

A newly certified diver and her snap shots under water

Parasailing over our reef by San Pedro town

And some eagles rays recently swimming in front of our skiff

Flying with Tropic Air to Roatan, Honduras – a fantastic view of the tiniest cayes and sandbars in the south of Belize

Snorkeling the Great Blue Hole and the dive stops near it

A helicopter ride over Hol Chan Marine Reserve off of Ambergris Caye

One of the only places in the world where the reef touches the land – Rocky Point NORTH Ambergris Caye.

Swimming with a manatee at the cut at Caye Caulker

Caye Caulker and the reef

So…I love that it is REEF WEEK – but for those of us who live on the coast, every week is reef week.  Just like every day is Women’s Day.