“Do you see it? It’s ideal there!” our guide, Harry Sr. exclaimed as he explained into the translucent waters. We didn’t see anything, however eagerly transferred to the front of the boat to browse for the elusive Manatee grazing on turtle-grass at the bottom of the sea. There in the shadows of the swallow Caye wildlife Sanctuary, we lastly saw the dark formation swimming near our boat. It was our very first Manatee sighting!
Do you see it?!
Manatees are gentle herbivores discovered in the coastal areas as well as rivers of the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean Sea, the Amazon basin as well as Western Africa. often referred to as “sea cows”, these slow-moving animals likewise have a sluggish metabolism as well as in buy to survive, they’re generally discovered in shallow, warmer waters.
We had been searching for these mammals in the shallow waters of the sanctuary for no a lot more than 30 minutes before discovering one. exactly how this creature was identified by our guide stays a secret to me. Nick as well as I both had our eyes on the water the entire time as well as didn’t see a thing. Harry Jr., our second guide on the boat, cut the motor, which truly enabled us to take pleasure in the peacefulness of the moment. With a big bamboo pole, Harry Jr. propelled the boat towards the Manatee’s next predicted breathing stop. As our informative guides explained, Manatees can hold their breath for as much as 15 minutes, so it was a bit of a waiting game in between surface breaths.
Using the bamboo pole to maneuver with the water
Our finest sighting came near the end of the day. Somehow, with the glaring sun reflecting off of the water, Harry Sr. identified sea cow number 6! Initially, he believed it was circling to the back of the boat, so the other three tourists ran back there, however Nick as well as I stayed in the middle, which [turned out to be] the very best plan.
It’s bit nose peeked up from just below the surface, then came the whiskers, then two cheeks as well as two round eyes! Nick as well as I were ideal next to the Manatee; this was by far the closest we had been all day. We both fumbled around trying to get the cam ready, however just as swiftly as the sea cow exhaled, it inhaled as well as with one huge swoop of its paddle-shaped tail, slipped back into the water.
These are West Indies Manatees, as well poor we couldn’t snorkel with them! (photo by: The garden of Eaden)
Not only did we area our very first Manatee within minutes of being at the Sanctuary, we ended up seeing a overall of 7 throughout the day! A number that high is rather rare, as well as we provided all of the credit score to our professional guides with “sea eyes”, Harry Sr. & Harry Jr. As their names would suggest, they are a daddy as well as kid duo who grew up on Caye Caulker in Belize as well as understand whatever there is to understand about the island, the sea as well as the Manatees. None of our concerns about these herbivores went unanswered as well as their capability to area these creatures was remarkable.
A fantastic sighting of a Manatee
But our day wasn’t all about sitting on a boat spotting majestic mammals, we wished to get wet too! unfortunately, we weren’t able to snorkel with the Manatees, however we were still able to don as well as mask as well as fins as well as check out the sensational Belize barrier Coral Reef that lays just 300 meters offshore. We snorkelled above the colourful coral, spotting a sting ray, moray eel as well as lots of types of fish. We likewise saw a few lively dolphins when we were on the boat. The marine life in Belize is fantastic.
The snorkelling was great
We had identified a dugong during our trip to Mozambique, however we were a lot more than thrilled to area 7 of its cousins while checking out the sanctuary around Caye Caulker. Just being out on the water truly recharged our batteries as well as we felt so privileged to be able to have this special experience.
The Company
We were interested in E-Z kid excursions not only since of the welcoming, colourful office ideal on the water, however since this business is run by one of the very first households who settled on Caye Caulker! opened in 1997, this household run operation has been supplying Belizeans with tasks as well as tourists with risk-free as well as unforgettable excursions for lots of years. The owner, Hans, is the 5th generation in his household to continue with the custom of fishing as well as has now added snorkelling as well as island trips to the company’s repertoire.
The colourful E-Z kid excursions office with some online music at night
The Tour
E-Z kid excursions have lots of choices when it pertains to sightseeing on, or under the water. six speedboat excursions as well as three sailing excursions are available. The sailboats are likewise offered for personal charter. Recently, they’ve added a three-day sailing trip to Placencia, with camping on islands along the way.
We selected the Manatee Tour, which is a 7 hour day trip commencing at 9:30 am. The day is spent checking out the swallow Caye wildlife Sanctuary before stopping on St. George’s Caye for lunch. On the method back to Caye Caulker, the excursion stops at two different snorkelling sites with fantastic coral as well as marine life. The expense of this excursion is $85 USD/person. A minimum of 5 people are needed.
The Manatee excursion used by E-Z kid Tours
The Guides
The E-Z kid guides are all 3rd as well as 4th generation islanders, who are a lot more than qualified to supply tourists with info about Caye Caulker, the marine life as well as the close-by sanctuaries. Both Harry Sr. as well as Harry Jr. were not only knowledgeable, however they were likewise authentic – which is a high quality that’s frequently difficult to discover in a excursion guide.
Harry Sr. as well as Jr. were both excellent guides
Pros & Cons
Pros:
For us, what truly makes a excursion unforgettable is the guides. It’s crucial to have guides who are interesting, funny as well as of course, understand a thing or two about the site we’re seeing! We asked Harry Sr. as well as Jr. lots of questions, not only about Manatees, however about Belize, Caye Caulker as well as even personal questions. They were a lot more than delighted to response anything as well as everything.
The speed boat we were out on was developed in Belize as well as was extremely comfortable as well as of great quality. shade was offered on the boat as were life jackets.
Enjoying the views from the well maintained speed boat
The snorkel gear was well maintained as well as they even have prescription masks!
If the Manatees were inside of the wildlife Sanctuary, we weren’t enabled to snorkel with them. If by possibility they made a decision to swim outside of the sanctuary, then we were enabled to. On our tour, the Manatees didn’t come out of the secured area as well as our guides were respectful of the policies by not enabling us to get in the water with the sea cows.
Cons:
Although the fish lunch with rice, beans, salad as well as fruit was tasty, we were dissatisfied that it was brought from Caye Caulker in styrofoam containers, rather than being cooked up fresh on St. George’s Caye.
St. George’s Caye, A gorgeous area to take pleasure in our lunch
Eco-tourism is extremely crucial to Nick as well as I. before heading out on the tour, we expressed that we don’t agree with feeding as well as touching the marine life (many excursion operators on Caye Caulker do this). We were assured that this doesn’t occur with E-Z Tours, however during the snorkelling, one of our guides chosen up a starfish for all of us to hold. It only occurred the one time as well as you would be difficult pressed to discover a excursion operator in this area who didn’t touch as well as disturb the sea life.
Contact Info
To book one of the lots of excursions with E-Z kid excursions in Caye Caulker, you can reserve on the internet or contact them on Facebook.
This piece is part of the Momondo experience’s series. Momondo challenged us to area monstrous Manatees in Belize, as well as we gladly accepted that challenge. A huge Thank-You to E-Z kid excursions in Caye Caulker, Belize for making this such a unforgettable tour!
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