This morning, looking out from National Geographic Sea Lion, you would think from the overcast sky that our planned activities for the day would be rained out. The sky was looking dark and unsettling, but this morning was a great one. We rode by Zodiac to the ranger station, where went on nature walks learning about the connections between plants, insects, and wildlife.
Next, we took Zodiacs to the kayaking platform. We had beautiful paddling in and around the mangrove channels leading to the savanna we just hiked. The mangrove root systems are well adapted to the salty environment. Birds, stingray, fishes, and manatee use the many channels and sea grass flats in this lagoon as a nursery to survive the cycle of life. We ended the kayak expedition looking for birds that are not easy to see but are vital in the ecosystem, like the boat-billed heron.
We returned to the ship to enjoy a fabulous lunch and retrieve our snorkeling equipment for snorkeling in Snake Caye. The reef has made a remarkable comeback after the hurricane that hit Belize over 24 years earlier. Our afternoon in the water was spent with angelfish, lobsters, nurse shark, and many other fish among the corals. We returned to the ship after a wonderful beach day, ready for more fun, sun, and adventures tomorrow. “YOU BETTA BELIZE IT!”
