Attack of the Killer Eel!

After some time on the mainland, Laura and I decided it was time to return to our island living life style. So we headed to the Caye (pronounced key) Caulker - a small coral island off the coast of Belize in the Caribbean Sea. The island has all sand roads and measures about 5 miles (north to south) by less than 1 mile (east to west). In recent years the island has become a popular destination for backpackers and other tourists. There are over 30 tiny hotels, and a number of restaurants and shops along 3 main parallel streets: Front Street (on the beach), Mid Street, and Back Street.

As I just got my scuba certification in Roatan I was eager to get back in the water! A main attraction of diving in Belize is the opportunity to explore the famed Blue Hole. It lies in the middle of the Lighthouse Reef a small atoll 70 kilometres (43 mi) from the mainland and Belize City. The hole is circular in shape, over 300 metres (984 ft) across and 124 metres (407 ft) deep (which gives the hole its deep blue color). The dive trips were def out of our backpacker budget but we decided go by Laura and her friend Parker's moto of YOLO (You Only Live Once). Plus I decided if this was something we HAD to do in Belize, it would be cheaper to do it now than it would be to return to Belize.

The walls are sheer from the surface until a depth of approximately 110 feet where you encounter stalactite formations which was to me the coolest part of the dive as we got to weave in and out of the massive overhangs. At 150 feet below both Laura and I felt it was SUPER cold - but later our dive master told us it was really 75 degrees Fahrenheit. haha! That just tells you how warm the water is here! After the Blue Hold we went to two other dive sites. The second dice at Half Moon Caye Wall was our favorite of the 3 dive day as we saw the most animals.

Today we went on a half day snorkel tour. As I am running out of time at our Internet cafe I must be quick but here are two stories of the day worth mentioning:

The first is how this entry got its name. So I decided to innocently dive down to have Laura take the following picture of me under water. Next thing I know everyone was screaming at me.... Having NO clue why they were yelling I turn to the side and am face to face with a HUGE Green Moray Eel. It was literally less than 3 inches away from me bearing its BIG teeth. I immediately began to join in the screaming and shot to the surface faster than I have EVER swum before. At the top the lady leading the tour first asked if I was bit (bc everyone thought I was for sure a goner) and then later told me eels are very territorial and if you head down in their area they will attack. Good to know!

Our second site was called Sting Ray Alley and was SOOOO INCREDIBLE!! As soon as our boat arrived at the site, we were swarmed by stingrays and nurse sharks just coming right too you! Here are some pics.

Tomorrow we leave Caye Caulker to go on a 3-day sailing trip down the coast of Belize to Placencia. We will be snorkeling, fishing, and relaxing by day and camping at little islands along the way at night. It should be a LOT of fun and I can't wait to report back.