What a glorious sight for the guests as National Geographic Sea Lion approached Laughingbird Caye this morning! Mirror calm seas and sunshine surrounded the narrow little ridge of sand and corral rubble that stretches for about 1,400 feet atop the outer rim of the Laughingbird Caye Faro, a shelf atoll. Guests were excited to ride Zodiacs ashore to embark on their last day of snorkeling, birding, and simply soaking in the sunshine and light tropical breezes.
At the heavily vegetated north end, there is a rookery used by various sea birds at different times of the year. The south end is a sandy beach that changes shape as the winds and waves shift direction throughout the seasons. All around the island, plunge diving pelicans attest to the abundance of schooling silversides camouflaged in the seagrass meadows and near shore in the shallows. Several patches of nearby corals were the destination for our snorkelers, and those who wanted to photograph plants and birds headed off towards the rookery.
Later, passengers and staff were treated to an intriguing presentation by Scott Solomon and then we headed back to the idyllic island with swaying coconut palms, and the promise of another wonderful afternoon of water sports.
