Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Hunting and fishing
During this period, fishermen and turtle hunters continued to use the cayes as a base
for their operations, and refugees fleeing the Caste Wars in Yucatán towards the end of
the nineteenth century also settled on the islands in small numbers. Descendants of
these groups have steadily increased the islands' population since the mid-twentieth
century, assisted by the establishment of
fishing cooperatives
in the 1960s, which
brought improved traps, ice manufacturing (for shipping seafood) and access to the
export market.
The hippie trail
Also during the 1960s, the cayes of Belize, particularly Caye Caulker, became a
hangout on the
hippie trail
, and then began to attract more lucrative trade. The
islanders generally welcomed these new visitors: rooms were rented and hotels built,
and a burgeoning prosperity began to transform island life. Luxuries not usually
associated with small fishing communities in the developing world - such as colour
televisions and skiffs with large outboard motors - were early evidence of the effects of
tourism. These days, so profound are these changes that fishing has now become a
secondary activity; many of the inhabitants of the two largest northern cayes,
Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker, now depend almost solely on tourism.
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Ambergris Caye
After your first glimpse of lush
AMBERGRIS CAYE
and its beachfront main town of
San Pedro
, it's easy to see why Madonna namechecked the island in her famous song
La Isla Bonita
(“Last night I dreamt of San Pedro…”). Ambergris Caye is the
Caribbean in all its sun-drenched glory: white sand beaches, turquoise waters,
verdant mangroves - and plenty of breezy outdoor bars from which to take it all in,
tropical cocktail in hand.
Ambergris Caye is separated from Mexico by the narrow
Boca Bacalar Chico
channel
, created partly by the ancient Maya. It's the most northerly and, at 25 miles
long, by far the largest of the cayes, though the vast majority of its population is
concentrated near the southern end. If you fly into San Pedro, as most visitors do,
the views are breathtaking. The most memorable sight is the white line of the reef
SAFEGUARDING THE CORAL REEF
Coral reefs
are among the most complex and
fragile
ecosystems in the world. Once
damaged, coral is far more susceptible to bacterial infection, which can quickly lead to
large-scale, irreversible decline. Unfortunately, a great deal of damage has already been caused
on the Barrier Reef by snorkellers and divers standing on the coral or holding onto outcrops for
a better look. All tour guides in Belize are trained in reef ecology before earning a licence
(which must be displayed as they guide), and if you go on an organized trip, as most people
do, the guide should brief you on the following
precautions
to avoid damage to the reef.
Don't
anchor boats on the reef - use the permanently secured buoys.
Don't
touch or stand on coral - protective cells are easily stripped away from the living polyps
on their surface, destroying them and thereby allowing algae to enter. Coral also stings and
can cause
burns
, and even brushing against it causes cuts that are slow to heal.
Don't
remove shells, sponges or other creatures from the reef or buy reef products from
souvenir shops.
Avoid
disturbing the seabed around coral - aside from spoiling visibility, clouds of sand settle
over corals and smother them.
Don't
feed or interfere with fish or marine life; this can harm not only sea creatures and the
food chain, but snorkellers too - large fish may attack, trying to get their share.
