Belize Pirates?

[HBOT]

If anyone has more information on this please post: 7 News Belize

In particular, is this a real risk in Belize or a very isolated incident. Was planning a trip but don't want to take the risk if there is a trend forward more of these types of incidents.

HBOT

 

[coldwaterlloyd]

Nasty incident no doubt .

 

[AWMIII]

I have heard it is very location dependant. I am down here right now up north and people barely heard about it. The question is whether Moorings is actually warning people and telling them where not to go.

 

[peterbj7]

I live in northern Belize and hadn't heard about it at all.

 

[Ralph Capeling]

I live in southern Belize, have been here since 2005 and this is the first one I have heard about (although in the 1800s I understand we had lots of pirates and privateers).
Regards
Ralph

 

[Downing]

I don't think your typical dive boat has much to fear from pirates. Very little cash and/or valuables on board. And the live-aboards down there are probably too big for them to tackle.

That said, if the news report is accurate then that was one truly bad but hopefully isolated incident. It certainly hasn't altered my plans to spend three weeks in June diving off southern Belize.

 

[electrix]

WOW !!! My wife here's about this and I may be looking for a new dive buddy next month.

 

[peterbj7]

It's remarkable that this was actually reported in Belize, but I've heard absolutely no talk about it. I didn't see the original report, so I only found out about it from here. Unless people are doing a really good job at hushing up this sort of thing, I don't think this is a significant problem people should worry about, however horrible it must have been for those involved.

Oh Ralph, we still have lots of pirates and privateers in Belize, but these days they're on land and running the country.

 

[Magnolia3]

It's remarkable that this was actually reported in Belize, but I've heard absolutely no talk about it. I didn't see the original report, so I only found out about it from here. Unless people are doing a really good job at hushing up this sort of thing, I don't think this is a significant problem people should worry about, however horrible it must have been for those involved.

Oh Ralph, we still have lots of pirates and privateers in Belize, but these days they're on land and running the country.

you answered your own question.

I have a good friend who owns a B and B on Utila... at the time of the incident I asked him as another set of freinds were leaveing Corazol Towne for the Tobacco Cayes.. his reply:

Tabacco Caye: rumor on the street is that someone within The Moorings has seriously pissed off some locals. There have been a few other instances in the past months. All directed at The Moorings charter fleet.

Peter you still have to remember you live in the 3rd world.. stuff happens and with far more regularity than in the US and with far less reporting.. Remember Miriam Simi's murder at Sittee Village last yr?

 

[peterbj7]

You're right of course. I know of several major incidents that were hushed up, and only emerged when a victim told their local newspaper outside Belize. These days newspapers have internet editions...

I do know of several incidents when boats and equipment were torched by disgruntled competitors, and incidents that were perpetrated BY police (one happened to me and my business). And that's inside the USA as well as in Belize. But never before have I heard of innocent tourists being targetted for the supposed offences of the people they chartered their boat from. This elevates childish primitive behaviour to a whole new level.