OK, swimming with whale sharks was not the only reason we went to Belize. We wanted to see the Yucatan jungle, visit some Mayan ruins, do some birding, explore caves and canoe a couple of rivers. But the sharks were my primary goal.
So we loaded up and headed to the Yucatan peninsula to begin our quest. We decided to combine time on the water with a trek through the Belizean jungle--a good decision. We hooked up with Adventure Life, an outfitter we have used in the past for treks with great results, and flew into Belize City where we caught a ride to Pook's Hill Lodge, deep in the western jungle near the capital city of Belmopan.
After a quick stop along the way at the Belize zoo, we arrived at Pook's Hill, our home for the next four days. Nestled deep in the isolated hills and surrounded by lush jungle, it was a charming and restful home base for our week's excursions. After setting in, we met the staff and Vicki, the gracious owner of Pook's Hill. As it turned out, after the first night, we were the only guests for the duration and had the attention of the staff entirely to ourselves.
And grand attention it was! Excellent food, knowledgeable guides and intact jungle trails at our beck and call. Local guides took us on daily hikes in the morning and evening, searching our local flora and fauna. I added 49 new birds species in our walks. We also took advantage of local adventures including a visit to the ancient Mayan ruins of Xunantunich, a canoe trip on the Rio Macal, a visit to a butterfly farm, a hike (swim) into Actun Tunichil Muknal (ATM) cave, a canoe trip on Barton Creek and a stop at Blue Hole National Park. Hard to say which one was our favorite but the ATM Cave trip was incredible--this is a wild cave tour, definitely not for the casual tourist. Swimming and squeezing through narrow passages, all in darkness with only headlamps for light. But the payoff is worth it, the cave is liberally littered with ancient artifacts, bowls, tools and human skeletons and skulls (it was a religious sacrificial site).
After our week of jungle adventures we moved onto the beaches of Placencia, a small and relatively undeveloped village on a peninsula in the Gulf of Mexico. Robert's Lodge was our base for the remainder of the trip. Located directly on the Gulf, it was a pleasant dream land for our whale shark trek.
We loaded up for our trip out to Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes Marine Reserve. I had intended to scuba dive but after talking with Linda at Pook's Hill she convinced me that snorkeling would be just as productive. I was glad I opted for snorkeling. Our dive outfit (Seahorse Dive Shop in Placencia) had snorkelers on one boat and divers on two others. As it turned out, we (snorkelers) saw and swam with three whale sharks. The two dive boats saw one and none respectively. It was a wonderful experience, the thrill of a lifetime to swim with such magnificent creatures. I will let the videos speak for themselves.
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