5 Apr 2024
Unfortunately, the trip is almost over, so our boat is headed back toward land. We’ll only be doing 2 dives today so the boat can restock, the crew can get some shore time away from the boat, and we have enough time to off-gas before flying home tomorrow.
It also means that this first dive is happening early, like as the sun is waking up and before breakfast, early…
I can’t dive on an empty stomach so I raided the kitchen for some toast and watched the sun rise.
Dive #23 – Sandy Slope
Nassau grouper cleaning station:
Yellowhead jawfish:
I spotted one of these guys with eggs in his mouth! But he saw me at about the same time and tucked back into his hole. I waited for a few minutes, but he never did some back out 🙁
A nurse shark and his remora friend:
Yes, there was a dent in his head, no, I don’t know what happened to him but he seemed to swim just fine, so hopefully he’s ok!
Little eel:
Not-in-my-fishbook damselfish:
(his coloration doesn’t quite match anything in my ID book)
Longfin damselfish:
Gray angelfish:
Threespot damselfish:
Little yellow stingray!
A whole school of assorted grunts and snappers:
The dented-head nurse shark cruised past me and I followed it over to another nurse shark!
Someone else had found the other shark:
But my shark came right in and cozied up to the other guy:
Friends!
Also, this remora cracked me up!
As soon as his shark settled down, he detached and laid next to it in the sand. He looks dead, but I promise he’s still alive!
I was trying to get a picture of that Graysby (the long red guy) when the Rock beauty (the black and yellow guy) photobombed:
I’ve also been trying to get a picture of the Rock beauty and of course, this is the best shot I’ve managed.
Oh, hello there nurse shark!
This guy swam right up under me!
I get the feeling they are used to being fed because they were quite invasive and not at all afraid of getting up close to us divers.
Flamingo tongue:
Mutton snapper:
And a couple more nurse sharks:
I counted at least 3 different ones on this dive
Farewell for now friend!
Most days for breakfast, I just had toast and fruit, and sometimes a scrabbled egg, but today, Chef was making Belizean Fry Jacks and I was intrigued…
I wish I had taken a picture, but it’s basically a Belizean beignet and it was delicious! I ate mine plain, but other people put jelly on theirs or drizzled them with honey.
Dive #24 – Sandy Slope
Last dive of the trip started off strong with a nurse shark:
And dozens of this new-to-me nudibranch!
These guys were TINY! like, maybe half a centimeter, tiny, but once you knew what to look for, this sandy stretch was littered with them.
Like the Flapping dingbat, look for black specks that move independent of the current, then shoot and hope for the best.
I think they’re a type of headshield slug, Black Aglaja / Nakamigawaia felis but I never did get a good shot of their head (which is the bilobed part on the right in this picture):
Spanish hogfish:
This little guy was munching on softer corals/algae:
Bicolor damselfish (yes, I realize he’s 3 colors- I’m not in charge of naming them):
Trumpetfish:
The nurse sharks were definitely more invasive this dive:
Everywhere I turned, these guys were following me:
My roommate with a nurse shark:
Fireworm of the not-so-red variety:
Hogfish!
Spotted snake eel!
Only his head was sticking out- they’ll come out at night to forage, but apparently, they can also move around under the sand. Creepy!
Nurse shark train:
Hello friend!
Nurse shark being eaten by the shark puppet:
Same!
Selfie with a nurse shark!
Best way to end my week of diving!
When I booked this trip, there was some mention of available side trips, but I couldn’t find a way to book them online, and I really hate talking on the phone, so I just wrote it off and figured I’d spend the afternoon hanging out on the boat and maybe get a jump start on editing pictures. But during breakfast, a sign up sheet went around for afternoon excursions! I picked a trip to some Mayan ruins, but unfortunately I was the only one who wanted to go there and they didn’t really want to send a car for just me, so I joined the Zoo trip instead.
The zoo is actually a wildlife refuge/rehabilitation center
From their website: “The animals here are rescued, confiscated from illegal wildlife traders by law enforcement, or transferred from other rehab and zoological facilities. The habitats designed for the animals reflect natural settings, and provide an immersive educational experience for visitors.”
So, without further ado, let’s go exploring!
Bird’s nest on the side of the zoo building:
Scarlet macaw:
White tailed deer:
There are supposed to be several tapirs, but only this guy was out:
Spider monkeys:
These little Agouti were able to squeeze between fences and I found them all over the zoo:
They’re basically squirrels:
Free-range monkeys:
I mean, without a net, monkeys are kinda hard to contain- I’m not sure if they were part of the zoo, or if they are wild and just visiting.
Turtle sunning himself:
Crocodile, also sunning himself:
Stealthy crocodile:
Crested guan:
Howler monkeys:
I really wish I had the big camera- there were so many cool animals here, but my little camera just doesn’t have the reach 🙁
Brown pelicans:
Iguana (not part of the zoo):
Coatimundi:
Jaguar!
His name is Edgar and yes, he’s missing an eye 🙁
It was damaged when he arrived at the zoo and eventually had to be removed.
Another jaguar!
I don’t remember this one’s name but she came right up to the fence:
She did a few laps and growled at a small child:
Then went over to the pond for a drink:
I was trying to get a picture of her tongue:
This little bird landed as soon as the cat was gone:
Jabiru stork:
Mealy parrot:
Bat falcon:
He was so compact- just a little guy!
River otter:
He was super-active, swimming around, and I have a solid 2 dozen blurry pictures of him.
I wandered back to see if the tapirs were out and about and ran into one of the keeper feeding them!
We got to talking, first in Spanish, then in English- he told me tapirs have a lifespan of about 20 years in the wild and 30 in captivity. This guy is about 15 years old. Also, they have 4 toes in the front and 3 in back!
While this guy was eating, a little lizard came up and snatched a piece of lettuce away.
Found another one!
Unfortunately, we only had a couple hours to explore, but I would totally come back here again. It’s a beautiful zoo and I love hunting for critters!
Back at the harbor, I walked up the road a bit to snap a picture of this cool Belize sign I spotted on our drive in:
and back aboard boat we had drinks and snacks:
then they handed out awards for the trip!
These guys won Most Trips on an Aggressor Boat (David & Maureen on the left had like 2 dozen, Karen in the middle and Rich & Sally on the right each had about 1 dozen):
I, along with about half a dozen other divers, won Iron Diver for doing all the dives offered on this trip!
Photo courtesy of the Belize Aggressor crew
Exhausting, but so worth it! I will definitely be coming back to Belize to dive again!