At 185 miles long, the Belize Barrier Reef is second in size only to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. It includes 7 marine reserves, over 400 islands, and three atolls. Roughly 70 species of coral and 450 species of fish inhabit the reef. Just a half mile off the coast of Ambergris Caye, snorkeling is an easy half day trip from the island.
Two years ago, the boys had attempted snorkeling at the Stingray Adventure on Castaway Caye during our Disney cruise. It didn’t go especially well, but the water was shallow enough that they could just swim or even walk around amongst the stingrays. They were two years older, bigger, and stronger swimmers now so I was hoping this would be a better experience. I even bought them both full face snorkel masks to try to make it easier.
Despite my hopes that things would go smoother on this snorkeling adventure, we decided to book a private snorkeling tour just in case they did not. I didn’t want the boys holding up an entire group of strangers. I also knew that I didn’t want to spend the entire snorkeling trip worried and watching them. I liked the idea of a guide being dedicated just to them and their safety. I called around and got the best rate from Tuff e Nuff, which conveniently happened to leave from the dock at Coco Beach.
We had a morning tour booked but when I walked down to the dock to confirm, they asked if we wanted to switch to the afternoon. He said there were tons of groups booked for the morning, and although he assured me that they had enough boats to honor our reservation, he suggested going in the afternoon when it would be less crowded. I asked whether the sea life would be as active in the afternoon and he said that it would. I asked whether visibility would be worse in the afternoon and he said that it would not. I wasn’t really sure if we were being taken advantage of but we really had no preference between morning and afternoon and I figured fewer people kicking around in the water would be better for the boys. So we switched to the afternoon.
Our snorkeling tour was going to Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley. After we boarded the boat, the first stop was to pick up our wristbands granting us access to the reserve. You cannot snorkel in Hol Chan without a guide and proof that you have paid the park fee of $10 per person.
We then made the 15 minute ride out to the reserve. There were dozens of boats tied to buoys and hundreds of people bobbing around in the water. This seemed crowded to me so I can’t imagine what it was like in the morning. (The picture below does not show the crowded area.)
Our guide, Edward, gave us some history of the reef and instructions for snorkeling. He helped us get our gear on and get into the water. The boys used life preservers across their bellies so they could focus on snorkeling without worrying so much about swimming.
Almost immediately, RB had a problem with water coming into his mask. He was using the full face mask, and despite testing it out in the pool, he could not get comfortable with it in the ocean. He switched to the regular mask and seemed to do a little better.
But he never quite got the hang of it. He found the mask uncomfortable and the more he messed with it, the more problems he had with it. Edward did his best to help and to keep the tour moving at the same time but it was a challenge. The further we got from the boat, the more stressed RB became. JB did fine at the beginning but he started to get tired and struggled to keep up. Things were rapidly falling apart.
In between trying to defuse the escalating situation with the boys, I did get to do a little actual snorkeling. I’m sure my experience was clouded by the external stressors, but I was actually a little underwhelmed by the whole thing. I expected vibrantly colored coral and thousands of beautiful fish swimming around, but we got neither. We did see a moray eel and an eagle ray, which were both amazing, but other than that it was one school of gray fish and some dull colored coral.
With the boys getting more and more unhappy by the minute, Edward did a fantastic job in a stressful situation. He basically pulled them back to the boat using the life ring and allowed Blair and I to enjoy our last few minutes snorkeling in peace.
Frustrated, I wasn’t sure we should even bother with the second stop, Shark Ray Alley. But Edward explained that this would be different. Shark Ray Alley is a spot where local fishermen used to come to clean their catches. Other fish, nurse sharks, and rays started coming to the spot to feed off the remnants. Now snorkeling boats come too and throw fish in the water to attract the sharks and rays and let snorkelers swim among them. Edward told us that the whole experience would last about 5 minutes and take place directly next to the boat. That sounded like something the boys could handle.
Surprisingly, JB opted to stay on the boat. He said it was super cool to watch them from above, as dozens of nurse sharks swarmed the sides of the boat. Probably even more surprisingly, RB chose to get in the water, although he didn’t put his mask on and basically just swam around with them. But he also thought it was super cool. So both boys were happy, nobody was crying, and everyone got to see lots of fish. Win win. Maybe this is just our level of snorkeling at this stage in their lives – contrived situations where tons of fish come right next to the boat. It worked and the boys loved it and that was all that matter at that point.
I really enjoyed this quick stop too. It was amazing to see the nurse sharks up close and we saw one gigantic ray swim around underneath us.
So all in all, snorkeling for our family was yet again a bit of a bust. But I don’t regret trying it at all. I can’t imagine coming to Belize and not snorkeling when the second largest reef in the world is a half mile away. But I am really glad that we splurged for the private tour. I would have felt horribly if the boys had ruined anyone else’s experience. I’m hoping that their snorkeling skills will come with age because there is a whole world underwater that they are missing out on until they can get more comfortable with snorkeling. I know they will love it when everything (eventually) comes together for them.
