7 Going on 8: Wonders of the World “The Great Blue Hole”

Vote for the Great Blue Hole as the 8^th Wonder of the World

History has it that the seven wonders of the ancient world were chosen by the Greek historian, Herodotus some 2000 years ago and consisted of man’s greatest creation. In 1997 CNN listed their seven natural wonders of the world, which included aquatic, geological, and astrophysical sites. Then followed the seven wonders of the modern world that was announced in 2007 including manmade structures around the world. Recently, it was announced by VirtualToursit.com that an eight wonder would be added to the seven wonders of the modern world. On the list of nominees for the eight wonder of the modern world is no other thanBelize’s Great Blue Hole, a diving mecca.

The Great Blue Hole is located only 65 nautical miles northeast of Placencia and easily accessible by boat. According to the Biography Channel, Jacques Cousteau, the most famous undersea explorer of the 20^th Century, visited Belize’s Great Blue Hole aboard the Calypso. He was determined to explore the bottomless pit of the Blue Hole, and the magic of the undersea world! According to Jacques Cousteau the Great Blue Hole is one of the top-ten scuba diving sites in the world.  We think it is number one!

The Great Blue Hole is extraordinary and truly a natural creation. This natural creation is said to have formed after the collapse of an underground cavern and cave system. It is a large strikingly circular sinkhole 1000 feet in diameter and over 400 feet deep. Diving the Great Blue Hole is anything but ordinary. The beauty is stunning as huge stalactites can be found at depths starting around 100 feet hanging from the ceiling of caves.

So why is it that Belize’s Great Blue Hole is not the 8^th Wonder of the World?

The Blue Hole is not only the most amazing natural creation; it is also part of Belize’s Great Barrier Reef System, the largest Barrier Reef of the Western Hemisphere. In order to protect this natural beauty and to preserve the experience given to each diver that attempts to explore the Great Blue Hole, it has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

So be a part of naming Belize’s Great Blue Hole the 8^th Wonder of the World and visit http://bit.ly/18IZppZ to vote every day!

Interested in diving the Great Blue Hole? Contact Patty at patricia@splashbelize.com   to learn more.

How to Spot A Whale Shark (Part I)

Spring is near and while many are looking forward to the blooming of flowers; in the Caribbean, we sea lovers are looking forward to the arrival of the gentle giants of the sea. When we hear about sharks our first thoughts may be “danger-man’s predator”, but there is no need to fear. The whale sharks are not voracious creatures, on the contrary they are known as passive, easy-going, sea-dwellers.

Whalesharks are one of the most magnificent and mysterious creatures of the sea. It is not unusual to spot a 40-foot whale shark.  These humongous creatures are known to grow up to 60 feet in length and to live for 100 years. Little is known of the great whale shark but what we do know is fascinating. It may be a scary thought to scuba dive or snorkel alongside the largest fish of the sea, but it is certainly an experience never to be forgotten and one that certainly needs to be on your bucket list as a diver.

The whale sharks are considered migratory creatures and are capable of travelling thousands of kilometers. Preferring warm waters, the Belize Barrier Reef is fortunate to host the whale sharks once a year. Just 30 miles east of Placencia is a unique and captivating area called Gladden Spit and Silk Caye Marine Reserve (GSSMR) where there are spawning aggregations of several species of snapper every year at the time of full moon in March, April, May and June.

The local Fishermen of Placencia were the first to notice the amazing whale sharks feeding at the Gladden Spit. Whale sharks may be found in other tropical areas but the Gladden Spit and Silk Caye Marine Reserve is one of the very few areas of the world where you can reasonably predict their appearance and dive with them. Marine biologist, Dr. Will Heyman of the Natural Conservancy describes Gladden Spit and Silk Caye Marine Reserve as “a place so magical, so wonderful, and intact.”

The Southern Environmental Association (SEA) in Placencia has undertaken the necessary steps to preserve Gladden Spit as a natural habitat. SEA is responsible for the development of the Whale Shark Working Group, Whale Shark Tourism Interaction Guideline, and implementation of licensed Whale Shark Guides and Boat Captains.

Patricia Ramirez, co-owner of Splash Dive Center, is an active member of the Whale Shark Working Group. Patty, as many of her friends call her, not only offers the incredible whale shark tour to the Gladden Spit and Silk Caye Marine Reserve but also offers a PADI Whale Shark Specialty Course. The PADI Whale Shark Specialty Course will enhance your Whale shark scuba diving and snorkeling experience.

The chance to experience the natural wonders of the sea alongside the most magnificent creature and a variety of fascinating schools of fish is now!

Stay tuned to find out more about my first whale shark experience and the exhilarating chance in spotting a whale shark in the Gladden Spit and Silk Caye Marine Reserve. 

Diverse & Beautiful Belize Coral Reefs

Belize’s coral reefs are the most diverse and beautiful of all marine habitats which include both hard and soft corals among other marine life.  The sub-tropical climate here provide ideal conditions for the formation of corals which thrive in shallow, clean water, plenty sunlight and temperate waters between 16 and 30 degrees Celsius and an abundance of food sources such as plankton and baby shrimps.

Undeniably, the geographic formation of Belize’s landscape, along with the moderate climate, has favored some of the most astounding natural coral reef systems that took several millenniums to form. Over thousands of years, calcium carbonate skeletons of tiny coral polyps are collected together, layering over skeletons of past coral marine life.  As each generation of polyps dies, the corals grows a bit larger giving rise to a cluster of slow growing hard corals.  Soft corals, such as gorgonians, are also composed of some rigid calcium carbonate as hard corals.  Although well rooted, and with no exoskeletons, soft corals such as sea fans and sea whips move with the waves of the water.

Sea fans, sea whips and sea plumes are all soft corals from the gorgonian family.  The common sea fans are often sighted in a variety of brilliant colors while the fan-like polyp colonies are normally erect, flattened, and branching.  Carnation corals are natural charms that never fail to draw attention.  Quite easily, these are one of the most beautiful that comes in a spectacular range of colors.  No less impressive are the tree corals sighted through the vast reef systems in the cayes, shallows, atolls and drop-offs.  The beauty and biological diversity in these life forms are a true marvel.  Coral might be beautiful to look at but should not be touched.  Watch out especially for the fire corals from the Millepora family ranging in variety of shapes, including stick formations, branch formations and even those that resemble underwater plants. Nematocysts on the tentacle skin of these corals release toxins which create a burning sensation when rubbed against.

Just about any imaginable hard and soft coral is sighted in Belize’s reef systems whether diving or snorkeling around the atolls or other islands.  The sheer numbers of and different types of coral, sponges, and fish, makes scuba diving all the more exciting and enjoyable.  A proliferation of hard corals easily seen include the brain coral, staghorn coral, elkhorn, rose coral, club finger coral, rough and smooth starlet and the knobby candelabra. The brain coral are common but spectacular formations that may take several hundreds of years to form and may grow as high as six feet.  Corals feed at night by extending their tentacles to catch their food and use the tentacles as protection during the day. Hard corals, however, enjoy a symbiotic relationship with tiny algae which live inside their skin. These algae use the coral as a safe place to live, and in return, can provide the coral with most of its energy.

Staghorn corals and elkhorn corals are among the most important reef building corals sighted anywhere in the reef.  These hard coral colonies, although structurally complex, are incredibly fast growing with an average growth rate of 2 to 4 inches per year and may span as much as 10 ft wide.  This magnificent spread makes excellent homes for lobsters, parrot fish, snappers and other reef fish.

With such a vast and complex coral reef system that includes a barrier reef straddling the entire coast with teeming inhabitants, Belize’s reef is a universe of its own.  With top dive sites unmatched anywhere, Belize is well poised in the Blue Caribbean for extraordinary diving. To book any diving trip in Belize contact Patricia Ramirez at patricia@splashbelize.com

Getting To Belize: 1 – 2 -3 Heavenly Belize from the US or Canada

Belize is amazing!  Rapidly changing topography allows travellers to experience estuaries, rivers, jungle, mountains, coral reefs, expansive underground caves, glorious waterfalls and an incredible collection of flora and fauna.  Some come in the high season (November to May) to escape winter.  Some choose the quiet days of summer for their Belizean adventure. Both times of the year have their own unique attractions or things to do and the choice of when to visit is totally up to you, your budget and the adventure you seek.

Belize Map

My Fist Dives in the Indigo Blue Waters of the Caribbean….

My boyfriend Tony, at the time, has always been a diving enthusiast and had tried to convince me to take a few dive courses so I can join him in his underwater adventures. Just the thought of going in the ocean filled with sharks and other unknown scary marine creatures, while carrying on your back heavy tanks, was not particularly exciting to me at first. Now, our yearly vacation trip to a new destination was coming up and we were doing a little online research to see where we would go next.  A friend of ours had just visited Belize, a tiny country in Central America facing the Caribbean Sea.  He kept raving about his amazing experience in Belize and all the great dives it offered.  So Tony and I looked it up.  Impressed by what we read, we decided to give it a shot.  Being afraid of water, I was interested in all the charms that a beach destination has to offer but diving. However, Tony was persistent that I took some diving lessons.

Before I knew it, I was already going on a sixty five feet boat to Glover’s Reef in Belize for my first diving course. I felt nervous and tried to focus on all the skills learned and practiced in the pool at the resort.  I was thankful that my instructor at Splash Dive Center in Placencia was very knowledge and patient during my training and practice exercises.  Now at Glover’s Atoll, I kept reminding myself to keep calm, control my breathing, hold nose and blow and so forth. Once there, the views were comforting too. Looking at the nearby great coral ridges, with some rising dramatically and plunging into the ocean into the clear water made me mysteriously excited of what lies beyond this intense surface. 

As nervous as I was inside the sea hearing my own heavy breathing, I was taken aback by what I saw. Words alone can describe what utter excitement it was to be for a moment in a different and strange world.  An ecosphere so close yet so foreign and mysterious strives beneath.  Although terrified, I was in awe of the fish swimming around me.  I saw an intimidating barracuda and schools of yellow tail snappers.  A green moray eel, with a head larger than mine, was looking on curiously from underneath two overlapping rocks. Every coral head held its own surprise. I saw Baby angelfishes, damselfish and tiny arrow crabs and even small worms like the “Christmas tree” and “Feather dusters” which retracted back into their hard shells whenever they sensed danger.  Even the sand held its own wonders. I saw a Green Razor fish hovered over the sand and dived into the sand whenever it felt threatened.  A number of rays, fishes, and eels crawled under the sand as if though playing a game of checkers for their own amusement.

To my surprise, I was also tuned into the sounds around and above.  I could hear the subtle crackling sound of the corals, the crash of the waves against the reef and the feel of the surge.

Belize Barrier Reef

My first experience was both exhilarating and additive. I had forgotten about Tony who was far lost in the gigantic aquarium of Belize’smarine biodiversity.  Unsuspectingly, I discovered a new sport and I was eager to do more dives.

Next we did the open water dive at the Gladden Spit in hope to see the great giant of the Ocean. I was equally astounded here.  Unfortunately, after an hours dive, I did not see a single whale shark until the second dive. Just as we were getting ready to leave, in the distant blue of the sea, a silhouette of a large fish was making itself more visible revealing all the white spots on its body as it swam towards me.  This was indeed a moment.  Diving just 25 feet under water on a late afternoon of a second full moon, had reached its climax with this large breath-taking but curious sea giant coming right up to me. It swam around me for a brief second just to see who I was and swam out of sight into the depths of the ocean.  Although this magical experience lasted less than ten seconds and I ended up swallowing plankton and seawater, it was all worth seeing. I would do it all over again upon an eye’s blink.

Whale Shark

Since these dives, I am a converted diver and a certified dive  master too. If I was told that on the first dive, I would have called it their bluff!  Now Tony and I can enjoy exceptional honeymoons in each dive destination we visit. We have been married now for fifteen years and our love is still going strong and enjoying many similar hobbies and interests like diving! 

If you are interested in learning how to dive you can contact Patricia Ramirez at patricia@splashbelize.com or visit www.splashbelize.com for more information. She will make your diving experience memorable!