Scuba diving yesterday, caving tomorrow

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Yesterday was another awesome day. Some of the diving outfits on Caye Caulker offer scuba diving for non-certified divers, so we decided to take advantage of it. We signed up for a scuba diving trip with Frenchy's Tours on the Caye for $180BZ ($90US).

The first part of the tour was an informal class to familiarize us and the other people with whom we were diving with the equipment we were to use. So we got a crash course in using the tank, the regulators, the hoses, and the mask, among other things. Next we set out for a shallow spot out on the reef to the east of the caye. Here, the water was only about 6-8 feet deep, fairly ideal for one's first scuba experience. One by one, each of us donned all of the scuba equipment and fell backwards into the water, where our instructor went through some safety exercises with us. Breathing through the regulator was a bit difficult at first, but we all gradually got used to it and were swimming around a bit without difficulty. We all got back on the boat and set sail for the site of the next dive.

Whereas the site of the first dive was on very calm, blue-green waters, the next site had waves 5-6 feet high tossing our little boat around. The procedure again was basically the same, although since I was the first to drop into the water on this particular dive, I was understandably a little apprehensive before I dropped into the water. Eventually though, we all got into the water. At this stage though, we were to descend to a depth of 40 ft. below the surface.

Imagine being suspended above a blue-green seascape, the ocean floor covered with coral and plant life, the ship's anchor rope extending diagonally ahead of you to the ocean floor, although the end of the rope was so far ahead that it was impossible to see. It was a pretty incredible vista, but descending to the depths below was even more awe-inspiring.

We were to follow the rope to the bottom. Every step of the way down, one must equalize the pressure in your ears to prevent the difference from becoming to great. This is done basically by trying to blow through your nose while holding it closed. This apparently clears your Eustachian tubes to allow the pressure differential between the water and your inner ear to equalize. So everyone made an attempt to do this. I was one of the lucky ones who was able to get the hang of the thing on the first try, although a couple of my friends took a little longer to get to the bottom on the first attempt. Once on the bottom, though, it was an incredible sight to see all of the rich marine life on the ocean floor. We couldn't stay long, as our air was running low.

We did a second dive in the same spot, yet this time we could stay longer because we used a fully-charged tank. This time, we spent around 30-45 minutes on the bottom, just swimming through the reef. There were places where there were sorts of ravines in the coral and rocks, where you could swim through and have the reef surround you on three sides. Swimming through this almost gives the sensation of flying through a giant canyon, teeming with ocean life. It was an incredible experience, one I'll remember for the rest of my life.

We had to say goodbye to Caye Caulker today. I have to say, though, that my time here was one of the highlights of my life and that I'm glad I've been blessed with the chance to see it.

Today, I'm in San Ignacio in preparation to see the Actun Tunichil Muknal Cave outside of town in the morning. It is supposed to be one of the greatest tours in this hemisphere, so we will see about it. We will probably spend a few days in this town doing the various tours they offer, then move on to Tikal in Guatemala to see the extensive Mayan ruins that are there.

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Photos

Hangin
The group of us hangin out at the hostel.

Beer is Important
My new favorite beer.

Bella's
Bella's Guest House, in all it's glory. The painted sign to the lower right says "Vacancy".

Caye Caulker
It's a Caribbean island. And it's beautiful.

A view from Rosa's Hotel
This is the balcony view from the hotel we're staying in in San Ignacio.

Comments

[Miranda]

Hope you are doing good
Hey Thomas, I hope you're still having good times down there. And that you're safe! I just got a haircut last night. It's really short! Like, as almost as short as yours. You should see it...it's pretty crazy. Talk to you soon, hopefully. Love, Miranda