Cave Tubing - Snakes??????

[blyle]

Well I am not sure that everyone understands. If you come from a large City you NEVER ever see poisonous snakes . About the only thing we worry about is a brown recluse spider bite. Most people think that excursions are safe. When I think back to my earlier cruising days I am amazed at how naive I was. I was taking my small children on all kinds of excursions and without having cruise insurance. THis should be a heads up for cruisers to at least think about the what if.

[con3]

Terri, Hope you have a great time!! Please let us know how the cavetubing goes when you get back. Oh, another thing we really miss from Hawaii, shave ice at Matsumotos!:D Connie

[threeofus]

I am the original person who asked about the snakes.

I went on the excursion and while it was fun.....it was not what we expected.

The guide was in a big rush for us to get our tubes and never bothered to tell us that there were different sizes.

We all took large tubes and that was a big mistake.

There was basically no current so you had to kick and paddle thru the cave. It was very difficult especially if you are somewhat small because your arms can't get around the tube.

We worked very hard to get thru the ride - not really able to enjoy the scenery inside the cave because it is so dark and you do not move unless you constantly paddle.

Also....the water was very low in areas and the bottom is rocky so you are hitting rock with your bottom. There are also large rocks sticking up from the water and you hit them also.

It was fun....but not what we expected.

The hike was about 25 minutes.

[con3]

I guess the big question, did you see any snakes?

[Coral]

kenwoodusa - I am glad you posted and am glad that Lonnie is doing better.

 

While I don't have any experience with snake bites - I have a parent who was bit by a brown recluse spider and is blind and disabled because of it. Due to the bite characteristics, they were able to identify the spider but her symptoms (and damage after) did not mimic other people bit by brown recluse spiders. Hers was much more severe.

 

So, even if Lonnie's symptoms differ from other snake bites, it doesn't mean that he wasn't bit by a snake - his body may just react different than others.

 

Hopefully he will have a speedy recovery. Again, thanks for posting your experience.

[soprano1]

Boy, am I glad that I am reading all of these postings after the fact. My husband and I just returned from our NCL Sun cruise (fabulous) and I decided to check various boards for comments. Last Wednesday we did cave tubing with Regtours (we got a flat tire on the way out) and saw no snakes at all. I would have freaked for sure. Belize is a tropical country, after all, so it does make sense that there ARE snakes but I think overall the trip is very safe. Go anyway. The water temp was great (mid 70's) and the air temp in the caves very comfortable. Make sure you get your butt up when they yell, "Butts up" and have fun:) .

[cellgirl99]

I just got back from Belize & went cave tubing. The water is very clear however inside the caves it is very dark so you cannot see through the water. What the person was feeling was leaves. I kept feeling alot of weird things too so I picked it up & it was a long leaf of sorts. I never saw one snake the whole time we were in the caves or in Belize for that matter. I did see one big honking spider though.

[Reneek]

Another plus when booking outside of the ship tours -no life jackets required. While children and those who do not know how to swim perhaps should be required to wear them, I would only wear one if the situation warranted them. If you swim with the rays or tube in Belize when booking the ships tour, the tour operators are required and insist you wear the life jackets.

[blyle]

For all those who are non believers. Right now on animal plahet Steve is in Belize on a river and in some caves. He just found 2 Fer De Lances in the water and told how even he was afraid of this aggressive snake prevalent in Belize. He is also in the water with lots of other wildlife. On our cruise last week the water level was very low and many told of rubbing their bottoms on the bottom and having to get up and walk a bit. Yes there are snakes in Belize!

[con3]

Here we go again!

[mrsneurotic]

Had to post on this, haven't been on the boards in months....

My husband was bitten by a "pit viper" last year on a small island by our house approx. 1 mile off the shore. He was on the beach getting fire wood and it was dark.

 

He's an ER nurse and immediately knew he had a problem. The snake really snagged him, injected a lot of venom.

 

In the 12 minutes it took him to get the boat back to shore, I timed it because he called to say he was coming in, he had really gotten sick. Swollen foot, shaking and a lot of pain.

 

Crofab is the name of the antivenom used for most pit viper bites. (which by the way, is what most poisonous snakes in this part of the world are). There are not specific types of antivenom for specific snakes, just one kind for pit vipers and I guess another kind for others like Coral snakes. BTW, My husband felt like the snake was a rattle snake or a copper head by its appearance, but was unable to kill it for ID sake; he said it would not matter anyway, the treatment would have been the same. So, the info in the original post was very accurate regarding "pit viper".

 

The amount of Crofab given depends on how well it is controlling the swelling and any other symptoms. They monitor the site and the limb affected every few hours and administer more if needed. My husband rec'd 30 vials. Thank goodness for insurance.

 

I find it so very funny that people think that something as "unbelievable" as a snake bite, in the jungles of Belize no less, is going to happen to them. I mean, it happens all the time in the US in highly populated areas, but it won't happen because I'm on vacation?

 

I think everyone should treat an excursion on a cruise with the same precautions that they would treat any other trek into the woods and not kid theirselves into believing something as preposterous as "there are no snakes".

 

By the way, we were in Belize last year, post-snake bite, hiked through the jungle to some pyramids, best part of the cruise...loved it!!! We watched where we walked, just like we do at home.

 

I hope I don't upset anyone with this post, but, I really shouldn't because I think most everyone on these boards are adults. I must say I was very stunned to read that people did not believe the post about the snake bite. We're planning to go cave tubing on our next cruise in 06.

[jaycee200]

Hola!

 

Just got back this afternoon from my NCL Sea cruise! Had a fabulous time and just wanted to chime in regarding the snakes perpetual question: We did the cave tubing via Coral Breeze (Who were fabulous btw), and I didnt see any snakes, on the trail or in the water. I agree with Mrs. Neurotic below and the others, that of course there ARE snakes out there (I live in Arizona... we got Rattlers, etc., so familiar with snakes!), but like anything else, just be aware and have a good time!

 

I personally did not see any snakes (I did see an iguana off the trail though) and a spider on a rock as I floated on down the river.

 

Have a good time, enjoy the cave tubing and have a blast! It's a great experience and I loved it! :) Grab your sunscreen, a bottle of water, spray on some bug spray and enjoy :)

 

-Jill

[blyle]

Just read a post by Coolpony65 and she told about seeing a fer de lance in the water and how a guy with a gun shot it. Their guide told them to move and and he would tell them about it later.It was last Sept but scary that it was in the water. I guess you just keep your eyes open and hope for the best.

[RTX5]

I am Lonnie's wife and we wanted to share how extremely blessed we are. As far as we know...and the doctors can tell us regarding the future...Lonnie has made a full recovery.

 

 

I have to respond to the comments about expecting hazardous conditions (like snakes) on excursions...and to be aware of your surroundings. I agree…and we accepted that when we signed up. However, when your group is told by the guide that there are NO snakes and that there is nothing to be afraid of...and your cruise line has offered this excursion in their listings, one would naturally assume you would not have that worry. Secondly, when Lonnie showed the guide his arm and told him he thought he had been bitten by a snake, the guide's eyes got real big. His asked him what it felt like and he dismissed it as an insect bite. We truly believe the guide did KNOW it was a snake bite. We trusted his knowledge, stayed for the lunch (which Lonnie could only eat a couple bites of) and took the bus back. Lonnie went immediately to the ship's doctor because of rapid swelling and intense throbbing pain. Again he said he thought he had been bitten by a snake. Reply...."It couldn't have been a snake, or you'd be dead." (Two doctors and one nurse treated him on separate occasions.) Again, we trusted--all of us trying to convince ourselves the fang marks had to be a spider bite.

 

 

The treatment sequence is long and involved, so I will only share a couple of things. The ship sent Lonnie to the Cozumel Medical Clinic because they could no longer treat him. When he was examined by an internist there, the doctor looked at the fang marks, looked under his arm…and within seconds announced “This is a snake bite.” Lonnie’s condition declined rapidly and we went by air ambulance to the trauma center in San Antonio, Texas.

 

 

Our biggest concerns are that the tour operator and the ship were not prepared to deal with this type of emergency. We believe Lonnie survived because of his age, his health and that he received only a tiny bit of venom. We also believe he wouldn’t have gotten so sick if he had been treated immediately. For a more severe bite, immediate treatment (well within 4 hours) would be the only hope for survival.

 

 

We have asked Royal Caribbean to ensure the tour companies make it clear that extremely dangerous, even fatal, snake bites are possible. We don’t care if they say rare, but everyone needs to be told. Also companies should be required to have an emergency treatment plan, as well as the ship, for snake bites. We asked that both the tour company and the ship’s medical staff assume the worst scenario and treat the complaint aggressively….even if time factors seem to eliminate a diagnosis.

 

 

Lastly, since we all now know to expect any possibilities when in another country, I can’t stress enough how important the travel insurance is. Our insurance has covered almost all of our costs. However, I was fortunate enough to be able to cover the $23,400.00 payment that was required before the air ambulance would even leave Texas, and the $4,000.00+ Cozumel hospital bill. (Lonnie would not have been discharged unless that bill was paid.)

 

 

I am still having a hard time coming to terms with all this, and am sick with worry whenever a family or friend travels to Mexico. This was the most frightening experience of our lives, and I can’t begin to express how happy I was when we were back in the U.S. One of the kidney specialists in Texas told my husband he believed he owed his life to the Cozumel internist, and we are grateful for that. However, our medical care in the U.S. sets standards that are hard to beat.

 

 

Please be safe and ensure your operators are emergency prepared.

 

[con3]

I am glad to hear Lonnie will make a full recovery!

[boatbunny]

RTX5,

 

Thank you for the update on your husband, I am glad to hear that he is making a good recovery. And please accept my apologies for the frustration you experienced from posters on this site regarding the truth behind your story. You were simply trying to share your experience with us so that we would be forwarned of the dangers. There are many of us who post here with helpful tips and advise in an effort to make someone elses trip as enjoyable and memorable as our own were.

 

To think that venomous snakes do not live in such a tropical environment is simply foolish. And do people really think that the creatures of the land displace themselves because an area has become a tourist attraction? We are entering nature, both the good and the bad when we take a trip such as this. We are also in undeveloped countries which have not "securitized" everything like we do here in the US, eliminating danger to the average tourist. These countries are relying on our tourism dollars to survive, do people honestly think that they are going to boldly advertise the dangers?

Whenever we are traveling we always need to be aware of our surrounding and the possible dangers associated with them. I do agree that the cruise lines should be a little more descriptive with the excursions, especially something like this trip, and be clear that you are going into a natural tropical forest and dangers do exist.

 

Good luck to Lonnie in his recovery and I hope that you will have the opportunity to travel again soon!

[Quincella]

It really doesn't matter if the gentleman was bitten by a snake, a spider or a duck, for that matter. I think what we all have to remember is that we are not in a theme park when we are on these excursions. We are in the jungle or the ocean or foreign countries with governmental unrest.

 

There is ALWAYS risk associated in these types of circumstances, so anyone who thinks they couldn't possibly be in harm's way because a cruise line sponsored an excursion could very well be in for a rude awakening.

 

The odds of something bad happening are slim, but they do exist. Be careful, but live your life! And please don't try to blame the cruise line, or even an independent tour guide, if you are bitten by a shark while on a shark dive, or bitten by a river-dwelling snake when you're in the river. Common sense, people!

[gwe21]

It really doesn't matter if the gentleman was bitten by a snake, a spider or a duck, for that matter. I think what we all have to remember is that we are not in a theme park when we are on these excursions. We are in the jungle or the ocean or foreign countries with governmental unrest.

 

There is ALWAYS risk associated in these types of circumstances, so anyone who thinks they couldn't possibly be in harm's way because a cruise line sponsored an excursion could very well be in for a rude awakening.

 

The odds of something bad happening are slim, but they do exist. Be careful, but live your life! And please don't try to blame the cruise line, or even an independent tour guide, if you are bitten by a shark while on a shark dive, or bitten by a river-dwelling snake when you're in the river. Common sense, people!

 

 

I concur with that statement. Well said!!

 

 

When we did our cave tubing trip, I would go no where near the walls!! lol Just because of this post. I did not have a very good time tubing, but not because of worrying about snakes, mostly because the water was so FREAKING cold!! I kept thinking that there is no way in heck a snake would be hanging out in this cold water....

[twag2]

Hi

 

We just returned from Our Cruise May 8th Carnival Miracle and did Cave tubing Friday May 6th ....... We Saw NO snakes (that is not to say they are not there) and we used NO Insect Repellent and did not need it .. April and May are in the Dry Season and you will probably need in Rainy Season.. We took the Carnival Shore Excursion and it was Great..........

 

 

Terry

[vikeqn]

Yikes ! No cave tubing for this snake hater! Thanks for the info!

[vicocala]

Dang, and to think I found this thread with only two days to go till I go on the cruise. I just hope I have no fang marks, whether they be snake, croc, bat or especially Jaguar! :)

[bajalover]

Ants and mosquitos are all that got us!!!

[Quincella]

Not to freak anyone out, but I was watching the Croc Hunter yesterday (don't laugh...it's not nice!) and he happened to be in Belize chasing a particular type of poisonous snake in a river. I can't remember the name, but it's the most poisonous in all of Belize. And they had plenty of footage to show that they are there, and they are in the water.

 

But that does NOT mean that anyone on an excursion will have an encounter! I grew up in the country (sort of) in Missouri and practically lived in the river. We often saw water moccasins and copperheads in and near the water, but they were almost always swimming away when we saw them. They are not interested in you...I promise! And they certainly have no interest in hanging around while a bunch of noisy people trek through the jungle and splash around in the water. If you're not cornering them and they can't eat you, chances are you'll never even know they're there.

 

For those of you going soon, please post a review when you get back! I'll be there next year and am seriously considering the cave tubing thing.

[mirthmaiden]

"Lastly, since we all now know to expect any possibilities when in another country, I can’t stress enough how important the travel insurance is. Our insurance has covered almost all of our costs. However, I was fortunate enough to be able to cover the $23,400.00 payment that was required before the air ambulance would even leave Texas, and the $4,000.00+ Cozumel hospital bill. (Lonnie would not have been discharged unless that bill was paid.)"

 

 

YIKES! It's bad enough that the man was in such dire straights, but to have to quickly come up with money like that?? I guess I'm ignorant of how all this works, but isn't that what travel insurance is for? There is NO WAY I would be able to come up with that kind of money immediately, so I guess I should just cancel all my shore excursions and sit safely in my cabin lest something should happen :-( We're supposed to go cave tubing in late November, but after reading this thread, now I'm questioning whether or not we should.

[mal220]

We are going tubing in October. Snakes or no snakes. I will work hard to get the image out of my mind before that time.:rolleyes: