1st Quarter 2007 - Diving That Makes a Difference

This quarter's news is summed up by the below statement from 2 of our guests Sam and Caroline...

Diving that makes a difference with ReefCI By Samantha Williams & Caroline Vestey

A boat ride can be just that, but when you regularly see a pod of dolphins playing alongside as you head away from Punta Gorda, Belize towards the beautiful tiny castaway island that is Franks Caye in the heart of the Sapodilla Cayes, it's a pretty special one. Franks Caye is home only to ReefCI, a conservation organisation run by Polly & Colin who make combining conservation and hospitality while having fun look effortless. Its staff are; 2 permanent Marine Biologist geeks, April & Bryan who know everything you ever wanted (or didn't know you wanted) to know about conservation and marine life, the ever-smiling Captain Roland who has an amazing ability to follow your bubbles and always be there when you surface, Molly the fantastic resident cook who makes delicious Belizean dishes and the best tortilla with bacon and egg breakfast you've ever tasted and last but not least David the friendly island caretaker who keeps the island looking immaculate.

The first of your 3 dives day starts at 7.30am - what better way to face the day than to start it with a dive to 30m off a gorgeous wall that's part of the second biggest barrier reef system in the world - the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef. A not so typical but nonetheless incredible start is to see and swim 2m away from an 8m whale shark - now that really does take your breath away! Diving here really is how you might imagine diving to have been 20 years ago.. with its unspoilt reefs, no other divers, miles of yet to be discovered dive sites and the chance to share it all with a collection of resident nurse sharks, manta rays, turtles, toadfish, batfish, spotted eagle rays and southern stingrays to name but a few 'locals', it really is your own piece of paradise.

But it's not just amazing walls, wildlife and whale sharks here - you have to do some 'work' too! ReefCI partners closely with the Belizean Fisheries Department, helping them ensure sustainable Lobster, Conch and commercial fish fishing practices in the marine park. With some 'on the job' training from the Marine Biologists, this involves you luring Caribbean Spiny Lobsters out of their hiding holes with meter long measuring poles so you can measure their tail and carapace length once you've managed to determine its gender and if it's carrying eggs. It might sound easy, but believe us when one gets spooked and runs up the reef looking like something out of Alien they're seriously fast! When it comes to finding and measuring Conch it's a whole different story, they might not have the speed and agility of a lobster, but they can get a move on and give you a jab with their hook-like operculum if the mood takes them. And the 'work' doesn't end there, there are 5 Reef Check sites to survey every 3 months and while this is no small task identifying and counting fish, invertebrates, and coral over a 100m transect line, it's great fun and gives you a legitimate reason to stand on your head underwater peering into small holes.

Well its night time now so we're off to see the String of Pearls, also known as your own private underwater firework display. What can we say, after 3 months here and 400 dives all over the world between us, the place and the people that make up ReefCI really do hold a special place in our hearts.