Cave Tubing - Snakes??????

[mbisson]

The only mention of sea snakes was in response to someone posting that they would avoid snakes and go to beaches and snorkeling instead of cave tubing. I never said there were sea snakes in the caves.

 

-Monte

[Zeno]

Monte:

Actually I wasn't referring to your post re: sea snakes - which I thought was quite clear (and funny re: those who think beaches are snake free). I just decided to summarize snake facts for Belize. ( I envision people going into a panic if they see some tiny harmless green snake - although I confess I would be backing up swiftly if I saw a coral snake or fer-de-lance). Personally if I were that worried about snakes I would just look up pictures of the fer-de-lance and coral snake - so I would know what should concern me.

Hopefully my last post in this thread.

[bajalover]

What an interesting thread! The thought of snakes never crossed my mind while looking for advice on the tubing excursions. My sons have a Carpet Python, and 2 corn snakes as pets! Now spiders! Thats SCARY!!!

[mbisson]

Snakes: many parts are edible.

 

-Monte

[Reneek]

I clicked back on this thread after I saw the many posts. While I thought it was a simple question - it has now mushroomed.

I now see people "bailing" from cave tours and I really hate to see that. This tour was one of the best we have ever taken on a cruise. We went with Wet and Wild (Marvin) rather than the ship. Someone said they actually had 5 bus loads from the ship on one tour - no way, or I would have "bailed" too. Our group was 14 + tour guide.

I do not discount the story about the snake, spider bite, whatever - whatever happened resulted in bad outcomes. Strange things happen all the time and generally make the news as they are so bizarre. However, if you were a scientist, the odds of ever having a repeat episode would be so low...

The river was low when we went too. There were boulders, underwater hazards that bruised the buttocks, rocks that required "Butts UP" to pass over and yes fallen trees and branches along the river banks. We were fatigued when we made it back to camp. I had residual bruises the next week, but then I bruise easily. Would I do it again - OH YES!

Freaky things happen all the time - tidal waves, tornadoes, earthquakes, explosions, unexpected violence. Even when you play it safe, quirky things can happen. Your choice, but I'm glad I took this out of shape body, suffered the after aches, bruises, and fatigue to see and experience such an awesome thing as cave tubing in Belize.

[BoatGirl]

Reneek:

 

I appreciate your comments here. I think things have gotten blown way out of porportion here, and I'm glad to see you put things into thoughtful perspective. I have booked a cavetubing tour with Wet n Wild on my upcoming cruise in 10 days, and I still plan to go. Yes, bad things can happen. But is that a reason to miss out on what may be one of the most memorable experiences of your life? I think not.

[gwe21]

Wow!! What a thread!!

 

What many people have to realize is that this is the internet. On the internet there is so much information and it is hard to decide what is truth or not...... so that being said, you cant really decide on whether or not to take an excursion based on one post about a snake can you? Do research, get in contact with the tour operators in Belize, read as much information as you can on snakes in Belize....then make an informed decision.

 

You have to take other peoples stories on the internet with a grain of salt. The story may have been true, I personally do not believe the story. However, I will not say that the OP is lying.

 

I am big time snake phobic. The last thing I want to see on ANY vacation (or any day for that matter) is a snake. I still plan on doing my cave tubing excursion through Xtream though. If I get bit by a snake....well I guess I will take pictures of the event and hope I dont die from it......

 

At any rate, look at your odds:

 

Cause Odds

Heart Disease 1 in 2.6

Cancer 1 in 4

Suicide 1 in 121

Homicide 1 in 182

Car Accident 1 in 247

Death by Fire/Smoke 1 in 1,116

Accidental Drowning 1 in 1,126

Motorcycle Accident 1 in 1,204

Airplane Accident 1 in 4,023

Drowning in Bathtub 1 in 11,469

Lightning Strike 1 in 83,930

Bee Sting 1 in 85,882

Bus Accident 1 in 99,809

Train Accident 1 in 142,036

Dog Bite 1 in 147,717

Snake Bite 1 in 527,561

Fireworks Accident 1 in 615,488

[bajalover]

I am tempted to start a new thread. 'ANYONE HAVE A HEART ATTACK WHILE CAVE TUBING?" I am sorry for being so silly, just couldn't resist.:)

[con3]

Thanks for all the odds!! That really puts it in perspective!! Let us know how your cave tubing goes. I am still going too, but not until June.

[patti917]

I almost hate to get involved in this, but here goes. We went tubing with Marvin on March 3rd. We entered the cave at the 2nd point. There was a boat group ahead of us of approximately 40 people (or more). We had just entered the mouth of the first cave when we noticed 3 locals along the cave wall. They had a forked stick, and had something pinned against the wall. At one point they moved backward in a startled manner, and started loudly telling (not quite yelling) people to move to the left (away from the side they had been on). Someone said it was a snake, and that traveled very quickly through the group. I did not see what they had pinned.

 

My friend became very frightened and when we came out of the cave she insisted on quitting the tubing. Their was another local there, and she and her husband followed him back to the main area. He told them it was probably an Anaconda, and that it would not have hurt them. Unfortunately, that did little to calm my friend down. Our guide told US that it was a lizard.

 

I don't know what was in the cave, but we did have a number of other locals we talked to later confirmed that there are Anacondas in Belize. Doesn't mean it was what was in the cave though.

 

Would I do the tubing again? No, although not sorry I did. Marvin's was very nice and professional, and if you are tubing I do recommend them, I just thought it was too long a drive, too long a walk, and a pretty boring time tubing. Just my (and my DH's opinion)

[Charzwy]

Just about every species of snake on earth has teeth, but the anacondas' teeth are not used for chewing. Snakes' teeth are used for holding onto their prey, preventing them from escaping. Some snakes have venom in two specially designed, extra long teeth (called fangs) which they use to kill their prey. Anacondas have teeth, but they are not a venomous snake. They rely on their enormous size and power to subdue their victims. It is possible to be bitten by an anaconda, but the bite itself would not be fatal - unless you weren't able to escape it!

Anacondas in the wild spend most of their time hanging out in rivers:eek: hunting for their food. They are solitary creatures that are somewhat shy and not many of them are easily seen. They are very well camouflaged in the swamps and bogs in which they thrive.

They do exsist in Belize.

 

I am putting this here simply to educate anyone reading the prior post. I have a fear of snakes, but I think the biggest fear, is the unknown.

 

Tube if you choose or not, up to you. I do appreciate the info and have chosen NOT. LOL

 

Happy Sailing!

[terryde]

I am deathly afraid of snakes - don't even want to see a harmless one! But we are still going and have booked with Yhony in late May. I am 53 (will be 54 then) and go to the gym 7 days a week (also DH does) and we feel the physical part won't be bad - we will enjoy the hike, etc. So if we are bit by a snake and die, what a way to go! (We could also die in a plane crash and we fly anyway........)

[patti917]

Charzyw I'm sorry I wasn't clearer. I am familiar with Anacondas and am aware they are not venomous. I was only stating what was told to us. I personally am not afraid of snakes, or I would have been right behind my friend. Just felt the more infomation available for people the better.

[mbisson]

OK you guys got me started trying to find some info on Anacondas. So far, everything I've found says their territory is S. America (still trying to verify C. America, I'd be surprised if there weren't some there). Also, haven't found anything to show they would habitat freely flowing rivers (Seem to prefer swamps and sluggish waters). But I have seen a couple movies where they were in free flowing rivers. You don't think Hollywood would lie do you?

 

here's a link to a good article

 

http://animal.discovery.com/fansites/jeffcorwin/carnival/slithering/anaconda.html

 

-Monte

[Charzwy]

They are in fact in Belize... if you search "Anaconda in Belize" you will get hits.

 

About Hollywood....Oh yeah! But then again, think of all the movies from about 10 years ago and today you will see what we didn't believe then.

 

Patti - I only copied that article for others, not to say you didn't know. Thanks for the info though, it made things more clear in my head. I HATE SNAKES!!!!

[mbisson]

They are in fact in Belize... if you search "Anaconda in Belize" you will get hits.!!

 

Got the hits but am still looking for an article that says Anacondas live in Belize (many of the hits have to do with the movie Anaconda). Many of the sites say specifically S. America only.

 

-Monte

[mysterri]

My family and I lived in Hawaii for 3 years (hubby was in the Navy) and there is only one tiny blind snake that lives there. But you wanna talk scarey?! How about huge centipedes whose bite can kill. They run up to a foot long and the pain in supposed to be almost unbearable. I say supposed to because I was never bit by one. Never even saw one in all the time I lived there. So much for tropical horrors.

 

I'm more concerned about the low water level as far as the cave tubing is concerned. Any updates on that?

 

Terri

 

Elation 4/3!!

[con3]

Terri, I lived in Hawaii also (DH in army) I found a centiped in one of my sons shoes!! That is the day I called the exterminators and had them start coming once a month:eek: Sure do miss Hawaii though, I loved it there!! I am wondering about water level also, we will be there in June and are booked with wet and wild. Connie

[mysterri]

Terri, I lived in Hawaii also (DH in army) I found a centiped in one of my sons shoes!! That is the day I called the exterminators and had them start coming once a month:eek: Sure do miss Hawaii though, I loved it there!! I am wondering about water level also, we will be there in June and are booked with wet and wild. Connie

 

LOL, small world isn't it?! Where did you live on the island? Let me guess, you lived in Schoffield Barracks? We lived in Pearl but then we moved to Wahiawa and lived on Wheeler. They had a little Navy housing area. A centipede in his shoe?! OMG! Don't you miss the earwigs? Remember them; you just couldn't kill those things by stepping on them. They wore some kind of super bug armor!

 

I miss it too (no, not the bugs!)

 

Terri

[con3]

Terri,

We lived in Mililani!! We could walk to the Wal-Mart:D The only bad think is living in Hawaii has ruined alot of other beaches for us, nothing seems to compare!! I'll still take any beach over where we are living now (Kansas:eek: ) Connie

[mysterri]

Ditto on that beach thing! We used to go up to Kaena Pt. on the North Shore to the beach.

 

Ever camp at Bellows????

 

LOL, you're in Kansas??! We're in Missouri!!

 

Both of us went from Hawaii to the midwest. Were are you from originaly? I swear I will faint if you are from Brooklyn, NY like I am! :D

 

Terri

[con3]

Yes!! We camped at Bellows, even camping is ruined for us now:D I grew up in PA (outside of Philadelphia) then moved to Florida. Just left New Jersey last summer, we used to go up to NY alot on the train! Connie

[mysterri]

Yes!! We camped at Bellows, even camping is ruined for us now:D I grew up in PA (outside of Philadelphia) then moved to Florida. Just left New Jersey last summer, we used to go up to NY alot on the train! Connie

 

LOL, PA is close enough! I really miss Bellows. We always used to get a spot close to the beach. There was nothing like waking up in the morning to the sound of the surf in your ear and then peering out to see the bluest ocean sparkling.

 

Damn! :D

 

Ok here is a memory for ya; climbing over the mountain headed from Pearl towards 'K' Bay and seeing that ocean spread out in front of you. What was that...H2 or H3?

 

Mahalo (I think!), for reminding me about all this stuff.

 

Terri

[pjpurple]

Hello, '

I went on the cave tubing excursion and when we had to sign a waiver form and I asked on the bus if they were snakes, the tour guide said no, we went on the tour and I enjoyed the cave tubing and they had a dog that went on the trip with us, and when we came back from the tubing we had walked back to the bus, and I was taking pictures of the guy with a machete cutting the jungle down and right in front of me hanging on the fence was a dead baby rattlesnake! And further along the fence was a dead python!!! I took pictures of them, cause I was just in my sandals stepping in the woods having my friend take a picture just a little ways off from the where the snake was, if I had known that , my foot would of not been off the trail at all! I went home and read about one case of a fer de lance in the water while cave tubing. They are in the jungle, you just have to be aware of your surrondings. not trying to scare anyone, but I would not go back tubing if I knew this, but would go back in the jungle as it was gorgeous! Maybe they are rare occurance's but I watched The crocodile hunter and he was catching a fer de lance in the water and they are quick! So, maybe the guy really did get bit my a viper!

[mysterri]

They are in the jungle, you just have to be aware of your surrondings. not trying to scare anyone, but I would not go back tubing if I knew this, but would go back in the jungle as it was gorgeous!

 

I don't doubt that they are in the jungle. But hey, I live in a very rural area of Missouri and you want to talk snakes? Or how about poisonous spiders? Like I said before I spent 3 years in Hawaii with dangerous giant centipedes and scorpions. I think everyone understands as you obviously do that you have to be aware of the area you are in. But no matter where you go there is some sort of danger. That won't stop me from going tubing (which I will be doing on April 7th!)

 

Leaving on the Elation this Sunday!!!!

 

Terri