snorkeling in Belize
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Not sure dangerous is the right word to use, there nothing really dangerous in the waters of belize however being cautious while diving, establishing neutral buoyancy will certainly help you avoid the more common problems such as Fire Coral,Sea Urchins which are not considered dangerous but can cause a nasty reaction if you touch or damage them.
Since belize is in the Western caribbean do a search on Caribbean sea life and i am sure you will come up with a wealth of information on the sealife here in Belize.
Again dont touch anything you dont know what it is stay neutrally buoyant and you and the coral and sealife will be just fine
Have fun and dive safe
Gaz Cooper
Since belize is in the Western caribbean do a search on Caribbean sea life and i am sure you will come up with a wealth of information on the sealife here in Belize.
Again dont touch anything you dont know what it is stay neutrally buoyant and you and the coral and sealife will be just fine
Have fun and dive safe
Gaz Cooper
The most dangerous creature you might find are the Bull sharks, but these are RARE, found only at 1 or 2 dive sites, and even then don't care to bother you. There are nurse sharks, but these can't really be called dangerous. You will see barracuda and eels, but again - just keep your distance.
There are charters that let you snrokel with rays & sharks. We did this and had fun. The Stingrays swarm around you and rub agains you becuase the guides chum the water. We did not see the sharks that day, becuase the weather kept them on the other side of the reef. This was all very safe: avoid stepping on the rays, as they have an infectious barbed spine. Don't stick your fingers in their mouths and you'll have a ball.
eb
There are charters that let you snrokel with rays & sharks. We did this and had fun. The Stingrays swarm around you and rub agains you becuase the guides chum the water. We did not see the sharks that day, becuase the weather kept them on the other side of the reef. This was all very safe: avoid stepping on the rays, as they have an infectious barbed spine. Don't stick your fingers in their mouths and you'll have a ball.
eb
Thank you all for the info!
I am still quite terrified, but excited. We are staying in Hopkins. Gaz, can I just kayak out and dive in? And can you explanin "neutrally boyant"? Of course we can go out with tour guides, etc., but those trips are expensive, and we just kind of wanted to stay close to the shore......
Any tips are greatly appreciated (especially other Belize info., like where we can find maps etc., of the Basin and jungles so we can just hike on our own.....)
Thank you in advance.
Alicia
I am still quite terrified, but excited. We are staying in Hopkins. Gaz, can I just kayak out and dive in? And can you explanin "neutrally boyant"? Of course we can go out with tour guides, etc., but those trips are expensive, and we just kind of wanted to stay close to the shore......
Any tips are greatly appreciated (especially other Belize info., like where we can find maps etc., of the Basin and jungles so we can just hike on our own.....)
Thank you in advance.
Alicia
Not too familiar with the Hopkins area have not been donw that way for a while but what i do know is the reef is very far from shore (meaning miles) and dive boats in that area have to travel 45 minutes or so to get to the barrier Reef.
So i am not sure what sort of opportunitys you are going to have from shore.
You can find information on Belize at the follwowing
http://www.belizenet.com/diveix.shtml
www.belize.com
www.belizeit.com
www.ambergriscaye.com
Have a great trip
Gaz
So i am not sure what sort of opportunitys you are going to have from shore.
You can find information on Belize at the follwowing
http://www.belizenet.com/diveix.shtml
www.belize.com
www.belizeit.com
www.ambergriscaye.com
Have a great trip
Gaz
Do not attempt to get out to the reef on your own for the following reasons:
It's far - and hard against the wind & currents.
There's no place to tie off your boat.
There's a good deal of traffic to worry about.
The local guides know the route through the reef to the best spots.
It's far - and hard against the wind & currents.
There's no place to tie off your boat.
There's a good deal of traffic to worry about.
The local guides know the route through the reef to the best spots.
socaldiver
Contributor
Agood, when you say this is your first time snorkeling and scuba diving in Belize did you mean trying this sport for the first time anywhere?
Don't mean to slam you but I am concerned that you are not familiar with the terminology of being "neutral bouyant" for starters. If you plan on experiencing this sport for the first time it might not hurt to become familiar with the terminology and maybe even take a discover scuba or OW classes from your local LDS.
Secondly, scuba diving is a dangerous but rewarding sport to get into. When you go diving in any environment, other than your backyard swimming pool, you are a visitor into another animal's living area. Some of these animals are protective and therefore can be aggressive. IMHO, it is "safer" to descend into the depths of the ocean than driving a car around, or going into a neighborhood that might not care for you to be there.
Just my $.02 worth
Don't mean to slam you but I am concerned that you are not familiar with the terminology of being "neutral bouyant" for starters. If you plan on experiencing this sport for the first time it might not hurt to become familiar with the terminology and maybe even take a discover scuba or OW classes from your local LDS.
Secondly, scuba diving is a dangerous but rewarding sport to get into. When you go diving in any environment, other than your backyard swimming pool, you are a visitor into another animal's living area. Some of these animals are protective and therefore can be aggressive. IMHO, it is "safer" to descend into the depths of the ocean than driving a car around, or going into a neighborhood that might not care for you to be there.
Just my $.02 worth
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