My Very Changed Relationship with “The Weather”: October on Ambergris Caye

Moving to an island in the Caribbean from Manhattan, NYC just over 17 years ago was a huge adjustment for me in so many ways. Very few of these adjustments were sudden; there were no-cold-buckets-of-water-in-the-face realizations for me (or at least none that I remember).

That was most likely due to the fact that English is the official language of Belize. That makes transition SO much easier. And I was also a renter—I wasn’t buying or building a home. I think both the language commonality and the ease of renting can lull you into a sense that things aren’t that different from where you are from when you first move down here.

See: 16 Things No One Told You about Living in Belize

But things are different – language commonality or not. Very different. And one of the big things that hit me (aside from those 16 things in the post above) is the weather. The weather is obviously different. but it’s my relationship with “the weather” is that feels so changed on Ambergris Caye, Belize compared to the NJ/NY area of the USA. TOTALLY different.

In NY – the only questions I had about the weather was: What’s the temperature? Will there be rain/snow? Do I need an umbrella or not.

Here in Belize, the temperature is 82F degrees all year round – give or take a few degrees. So temperature means very little. You can cross the first question right off the list.

Driving by the dock at Margaritaville at Mile 13 on October 10th
Driving by the dock at Margaritaville at Mile 13 on October 10th

Also, there are basically six months here on Ambergris Caye when we see ZERO RAIN—not a drop.

Here, where many of us live a stone’s throw from the sea – and many of us work on (or closely with) the sea – the weather is ALL ABOUT THE WIND. Somethings I don’t think I EVER checked (or even knew how to check when in NYC)

Wind from the North? That is most frequent in the winter months and brings a chill! And can cause the west side of the island (Secret Beach side) to have rough waters. High winds from the east? Most likely March-April-May (the “Easter Winds”) and the reef side of the island is going to see waves and rough waters.

I check Windfinder.com or Windy.com every single day to see the weather on Ambergris Caye. And by “weather”, I mean the wind.

And no time, in my estimation, are the effects of wind on the island more apparent than October. It’s a time to keep a very close eye on the weather maps. October: it was the best of times; it was the worst of times.

It’s the time of year when things start to cool off a bit to our north as any Indian summers end and fall/winter properly sets in but things remain HOT in the Western Caribbean. And storm systems – changing wind and rains – can swirl about.

So, after all that build-up (including a Dickens quote for goodness sake) – here’s what I’m trying to say. October (and early November) can be the most INCREDIBLE weather. The calmest, clearest waters, the bluest, most gorgeous skies dotted with plump perfect clouds (with the highest potential for sargassum-free beaches). Our island at her MOST photogenic. Or it, in my estimation, can bring the stormiest weather – and the best chance of rain.

It’s a month where the wind is shifting most drastically.

Here are my pictures from this month so far…

Oct 2nd. Some very menacing clouds but we dodged most of the rain.

A menacing storm cloud
Heading up to Cayo Frances Farm & Fly on the west side of Ambergris Caye on Oct 2
View on Cayo Frances
Later that day, it was beautiful

The very next day on the north side of the island. Just gorgeous.

Gorgeous view at Rocky Point

And then Milton started forming hundreds of miles to our north – sucking, what felt like, all of the energy from the entire Caribbean. The sea was flat and clear.

North sand road on Ambergris Caye
Drive north on Ambegris Caye – Jeff watching for fish rather than watching the road

Later that same day, Oct 6th.

Perfection

As Milton strengthened…the sea became sooo flat.

About 8 miles north, AC

At our neighbor’s dock – Tuto Belize.

October stillness

And the view under this GORGEOUS seagrape tree – just north of Margaritaville Belize.

Swimming in what felt like a bath tub
The water like a (salty) bathtub

That was October 10th and 11th. Perfection.

View at Amgios Del Mar
A view of the beach in the town center – beautiful

But then the darker clouds started to come…

Darkening clouds
The “front entrance” at Rocky Point Permit Camp

And we got some HEAVY rain at night…and two greyer days…

More menacing skies in town

And today, the sun is out and blazing. The wind is expected to be low today (HOT) but flipping around so…I’ll be keeping an eye on it. Something is brewing down by Nicaragua…

Have a great week everyone – and thanks for bearing with me on this one 🙂

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3 Comments

  1. David Martin on October 14th, 2024 at 3:03 pm

    Beautiful post and pics that help me escape my reality, if just for a bit. The shot of the front entrance at RPPC, with no dock, and the realization there won’t ever be a dock, eh? Unless Jeff goes out there and blasts a boat channel through the coral – à la Jacques Cousteau!
    🪸 💣 🐠

    • San Pedro Scoop on October 15th, 2024 at 7:15 am

      There will never be a dock – or at least those are the rules now! It’s a national park – and it’s totally “fenced in” by a reef!

  2. Scott A. on October 17th, 2024 at 10:46 am

    THE WIND!!!!

    I live in Ohio where it is windy most of the the time, but never really think about it. But you are so right, the wind determines everything on the water. When on the island, I know during my morning walks whether or not I will be diving that day due to the coconut tree leaves and the the waves on the reef.

    Love your posts and pictures. Keep up the awesome work.

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