Two hectares of tropical paradise- Tobacco Caye
Trip Start
Feb 08, 2008
1
50
56
Trip End
Aug 2008
Tobacco Caye, Belize Cayes, Belize
Saturday, August 2, 2008
The boat trip proved interesting. Our vessel was a small, open topped wooden fishing boat with a maximum capacity for 7 people, including the captain. Whilst quite fast its progress was constantly impeded by the rough sea. About every 10 seconds the boat would hit a a large wave, which would propel it upwards into the air, such that it crashed with a large thud onto the next wave
Ian prepares for the bumpy boat journey
. Needless to say we had to hang on for dear life and poor Jo, who seemed to have chosen the worst seat of all, was frequently soaked by a sheet of seaspray flying off the side of the boat and slapping her in the face. Each time this would happen the captain would loudly holler in a thick Caribbean accent ´No worries man!´. Luckily (for the captain in particular) Jo was in fine spirits and so the soakings were met with much laughter, however it has to be said it was a definite relief when we finally entered the calmer waters around Tobacco Caye, with its emerald green colours and clear blue skies. We exited the boat and headed for our accommodation, a place called Lana´s on the Reef, which provided us with a basic double room and three excellent meals a day (often traditional Belizean cuisine), all for the bargain price of $35 each. All accomodation on the island provide meals, as there no restaurants. In commerical terms there are very few services on Tobacco Caye, only a few guesthouses, a bar (which closes at 9pm) and a small snack shop, but this only adds to its charm.
Having dropped our things we decided to go explore. 10 minutes later our tour of the island was complete! Despite our early start from Placencia to catch our morning ride to the island, we mustered enough energy to sign up for a tour later that afternoon which offered to take us by boat to a number of nearby Cayes to do some snorkelling
Jo leaving nothing to chance
. The first stop on the tour was South Water Caye, an exclusive resort island that offered the most amazing beaches imaginable.We spent an hour snorkelling in the clear blue waters, home to a large reef with plentiful shoals of fish.We were then whisked off on our boat to a one acre island, which by comparison made Tobacco Caye look positively vast! Carrie Bow Caye is owned by a wealthy New York family who for the past 30 years or so have leased the island to the Smithsonian Natural History Museum in Washington DC. Of the two buildings on the Caye, the main one is used by visiting biologists, who come to study the marine life of the surrounding reef and mangroves. We were invited to look around the facility, guided by a jovial Yank.
On the way back to Tobacco Caye we stopped to allow one of the passengers the chance to do a spot of fishing. Our guide, a fisherman by trade, also took the opportunity to drop a line in. In no time at all he had caught 6 snapper, all of which lay on the floor of the boat, gasping for air while Jo and I looked down on them feeling very guilty. He would of caught two more larger snapper but for an opportunist Barracuda, who prowling beneath our boat, sped in as the fish were being reeled in and bit each of them, leaving just their heads dangling on the end of the line.
Our next two days on the island were spent doing a mix of snorkelling and sunbathing. We were told that there were plenty of Eagle Rays that inhabited the waters around the island, so we set out with the primary aim of trying to see at least one. Much to our disappointment we saw plenty of fish, but no Eagle Rays
Another Caye en route to Tobacco Caye
. Later that night our frustration was compounded by the fact that the other guests at Lana´s had all seen numerous Eagle Rays during the day. Apparently, we had been looking in the wrong area and were told that we would not find rays around the coral but stood more chance of spotting one in the deeper waters beyond. We set out next day more determined to find a Ray and prove to the other guests that we had the snorkelling skills to find these elusive creatures. It is worth noting at this point that prior to arriving at Tobacco Caye we had met an Israeli guy in Placencia who mentioned to us that the locals had told him that an 18 foot Bull Shark often patrolled the deepers water surrounding the island. So with this in mind (despite the fact that it is highly unlikely!) you can imagine our predicament. For our own sanity we had to find an Eagle Ray, but were we risking life and limb to do so! With snorkel and fins in hand we set off. Our search mainly concentrated on the waters where there is plenty of sea grass, which apparently is the hunting ground for rays. Constantly looking over our shoulders, we spent an hour searching to no avail. Finally however we were rewarded as Jo spotted a fine Ray majestically gliding over the sea grass out to sea. It was certainly worth the wait. The creature was enormous and we followed for a hile before leaving it in peace. Following this momentour occasion, we snorkelled round the rest of the island, with no Bull Shark in sight, before triumphantly returning to the guesthouse to share the tales of our day´s snorkelling with our fellow guests. We begrudingly left the island the following day and headed north to Caye Caulker....
