Shark & Ray with Coral Breeze on Nov 16th, 2006

[ncboys]

Anyone else doing the Shark and Ray tour with Coral Breeze on November 16th?

 

Doug :)

[S.P.Q.R./Morunt]

No, but we are gonna do it first week in December, let me know how it was please. We have done it through the Grand Princess ship tour a few years ago and it was fun.

[ncboys]

Here's a quick review from last year's trip. I'll be sure to follow up with this year's trip as well as soon as we return. Enjoy your trip. We loved it!!!!

 

I did a lot of research on this message board before our last trip and had already decided what excursion we wanted to do. We decided on the snorkeling and stingray swim on Caye Caulker with Coral Breeze. I didnt bother booking it online simply because i'm wary of giving my credit card number to someone unknown in a foreign country. So when we got off the ship in Belize I waded through mass of tour guides until I found Coral Breeze.

 

There were only 8 of us in our tour group which was nice. We left in a small skiff and headed off to Caye Caulker. Caye Caulker is the single most incredible place on the earth. Imagine every tropical postcard you have ever seen and THAT is Caye Caulker. (Pics posted below)

 

The boat ride to Caye Caulker is about 45 min through the beautiful blue waters. We saw monkeys in the mangroves and dolphins swimming along with the boat. Even the ride in the boat was fun.

 

We made a quick stop on the island for our tour guide to get some bait and we were off to the reef. The ride to the reef took all of maybe five minutes and we were in the water.

 

Dock on Caye Caulker

 

There we swam(snorkeled) through a maze of coral formations, some the size of a school bus. Fish of every color and size. And I've never seen such clear water in my life. You could see 100 yars underwater no kidding.

 

After the snorkeling, we got back in the boat and went a few hundred yards away to a shallow area(4 - 5 feet) and before the engines had quit, we could see rays and nurse sharks heading for the boat to be fed.

 

Rays and Nurse Sharks

 

Our guide threw a few pieces of squid in the water and they swarmed all over the place(probally 30 rays and 3 or 4 sharks). Next we hopped in the water with them. They didnt care and let us pet them, and I even got to let a ray pull me around in the water. We stayed there for about 45 minutes and simply swam with the stingrays and sharks. (Note: we're talking Nurse Sharks here.... they're like big puppies... not too threatening)

 

Afterwards, we took a brief five minute trip back to Caye Caulker and had lunch at a small outdoor cafe/resturant near the beach. They served a traditional Belizian style meal of spicey chicken, rice and cole slaw.

 

 

It was incredible! (I make that all the time at home now). Later we explored the island a little bit. The whole island is only about a mile long, so we kinda walked the streets and hung out. It still has dirt roads and had a very "NON TOURISTY" feel to it which is worth it's weight in gold. This is way off the beaten path almost like stepping into a time machine and going back 100 years. Dont get me wrong, there are stores, but they're not modern, and have a very "mom and pop" type feel.

 

Caye Caulker

 

 

Finally it was time to head back to the port so we got back in our little skiff and started our trip back.

 

When we got back to the port, we did a little shopping(much more touristy atmosphere than Caye Caulker) and bought a few little things. Oh, and if you go, you have to pick up a bottle or two of Marie Sharp's Hot Sauce. I bought two bottles last time, and had gone through them in a month. This i'm buying a whole case... literally.

 

We finally hopped the last tender back to the ship and our adventure to Belize was done.

 

This excursion and this port are the single reason we booked the Valor because it was going to Belize. There's not a week that goes by that we're not daydreaming about going back.

[Will in sunny FL]

Hi All

We'd like to interest up to about 16 others in snorkeling with Coral Breeze in Belize on 11/28. Here is the link to their site - http://www.coralbreezetours.com/curr...ml?t_product=2

If this does not work, go to http://www.coralbreezetours.com - & then to their Caye Caulker two stop snorkeling with lunch on Caye Caulker & deal with Mark.

We have been with these guys about six plus times in the past & it is a very nice trip. It is a non Carnival trip & we meet in the tourist village after the tender ride to Belize City.

If you are interested, email them with your questions, or me at wfrenchjr@cfl.rr.com

Later.

Bill in FL