Trip Report Belize Feb 2021 Trip Report

[Downing]

Wow, your trip reports put mine to shame. Great job!

Good thing Nurse Sharks are friendly. I was Lion Fish hunting a few years ago and had just speared one when a Nurse Shark suddenly rushed from behind over my shoulder, knocking me out of the way, and gulped down the Lion Fish right off my spear.

 

[Dan]

Wow, your trip reports put mine to shame. Great job!

Good thing Nurse Sharks are friendly. I was Lion Fish hunting a few years ago and had just speared one when a Nurse Shark suddenly rushed from behind over my shoulder, knocking me out of the way, and gulped down the Lion Fish right off my spear.

Thanks for your kind words. I had a lot of practice writing trip reports.

 

[chillyinCanada]

What other restaurants did you try?
Did you make it to secret Beach?

 

[Dan]

What other restaurants did you try?
Did you make it to secret Beach?

Blue Water Grill & another restaurant further north, which I forgot the name, but it had Friday BBQ special. I ordered Lobster BBQ for $17.50.

I don’t know where the secret Beach is. Enlighten me.

 

[chillyinCanada]

Blue Water Grill & another restaurant further north, which I forgot the name, but it had Friday BBQ special. I ordered Lobster BBQ for $17.50.

I don’t know where the secret Beach is. Enlighten me.

Secret Beach is on the other side of the island and it's Bit of a jaunt in the golf cart.

 

[drrich2]

Great trip report. I've only been diving Belize one trip, and that on live-aboard. Often been curious about Ambergris Caye, especially as a place one might take a spouse and young kid (or other non-divers). Got a few follow up questions...

1.) You've done a number of live-aboards, and were very happy with the diving at the atolls area, which is where the live-aboards focus. Why go land-based this trip? (Note: I'm thinking in terms of what a Belize live-aboard costs when Aggressor runs a big sale; if we go by list price, the answer might be more obvious).

2.) I see Ramon's lists a $115 'triple tank' dive option, so I take it one could do 3 dives/day if so inclined? Plus there's a $70 night dive option.

3.) What did the beach situation look like? Is it a nice, gradual sand-slope to a wadeable, clear-sandy bottom (like kids play in, and some people hang out in), or is there iron shore? Any 'sand fleas' (I hear a lot about those regarding Roatan, but not Belize)?

4.) Did the topside on Ambergris Caye look like it had adequate entertainments for a spouse and little kid? Some touristy shopping, souvenirs, etc...?

 

[Dan]

Great trip report. I've only been diving Belize one trip, and that on live-aboard. Often been curious about Ambergris Caye, especially as a place one might take a spouse and young kid (or other non-divers). Got a few follow up questions...

1.) You've done a number of live-aboards, and were very happy with the diving at the atolls area, which is where the live-aboards focus. Why go land-based this trip? (Note: I'm thinking in terms of what a Belize live-aboard costs when Aggressor runs a big sale; if we go by list price, the answer might be more obvious).

2.) I see Ramon's lists a $115 'triple tank' dive option, so I take it one could do 3 dives/day if so inclined? Plus there's a $70 night dive option.

3.) What did the beach situation look like? Is it a nice, gradual sand-slope to a wadeable, clear-sandy bottom (like kids play in, and some people hang out in), or is there iron shore? Any 'sand fleas' (I hear a lot about those regarding Roatan, but not Belize)?

4.) Did the topside on Ambergris Caye look like it had adequate entertainments for a spouse and little kid? Some touristy shopping, souvenirs, etc...?

Thanks for the compliments.

1) I went to this resort instead of liveaboard because spouses of my 3 dive buddies are non-divers.

2) Yes. I chose to do 2 morning dives and relax in the afternoon this time. I learnt later that February is windy season which makes surface a bit choppy and surging. I don't think it'll be safe to do a night dive with limited visibility. @chillyinCanada says June would be less windy, so it would better to do the night dive then.

3) Yes, but the water visibility is not so good, kind of greenish. No sand flea bit me, then. I guess the breeze helped. I know I'm a magnet to sand fleas (no-see-um). I was bitten up badly when I was in Utila. That's the reason I don't want to go to Roatan. I heard it's just as bad as Utila.

4) The non-diving spouses enjoyed the trip. Some of them were repeat visitors.

 

[mcohen1021]

Often been curious about Ambergris Caye,

Repetitive and you'd get bored. The BA3 or 4 I am sure would provide you a much better experience. But if you have a non diving wife or kid, the island would be a nice option, even though theres not much to do on it.

 

[chris kippax]

Yea, I've been to Raja Ampat 9 times. The tenth trip would be in February, next year, on Blue Manta.

Have you been to the Half Moon Caye Wall and The Aquarium?

I have never dived in the Caribbean, I have only ever heard it described as mediocre compared to the indo pacific.
Have you dived Cuba?

 

[Dan]

I have never dived in the Caribbean, I have only ever heard it described as mediocre compared to the indo pacific.
Have you dived Cuba?

Cuba’s Jardines de la Reina is on my bucket list.

IMHO diving in Caribbean is mediocre. I’ve been to Bonaire, Utila, Cayman Brac, Little Cayman, Tobago. They are not the Indo-pacific kind of diving, but diving in Half Moon Caye surprises me.