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Published: November 28th 2012
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Captain Jacob, our tour guide and captain for the day, reminds us of our boy (whom Clay lovingly calls, “little girl” and Ann calls, well, “son.”). He is 25 years old and loves the water, fishing and more fishing. There was one other crew member and his name was Vito. He was an older gentleman and had obviously spent a lot of time on the water. He was very picturesque, in that he reminded us of the character from the Old Man and the Sea. His skin was weathered and darkened from the sun. He was Hispanic but had the most beautiful, clear blue eyes. He just fit the part to a tee. Pictures are worth a thousand words, so make sure you look at all of the photos by our expert photographer, Mr. Smith.
Son, if you are reading this blog, you may want to consider Captain Jacob’s job – he is on a boat all day, spending time with fish and telling people about fish. He also charters fishing trips and three day island camping adventures. He says a nice charter boat can be had for about $30K US. The only catch for you is, it is illegal
to spear fish while using SCUBA gear because it is “unfair” to the fish. Jacob is from Belize, but grew up in San Diego. He is back here because it is beautiful and he is his own boss (sort of) and on a boat, which he loves. He is a nice fellow, with a girlfriend and baby back in the states, both of whom will move here sooner or later. He purchased a piece of raw land on the north-side of the island (north of the split) and he is cleaning it up. He says that now is the prime time to buy there as development on that side is imminent. He told us that about $35K US will by a nice oceanfront property.
We had a beautiful day, nice breeze and sat on the back of the boat to get as much information as we could, about Belize, from Jacob. We told him about our boy and his love for fishing. Jacob is interested in a possible venture with someone who loves fishing and works hard. After we discuss our son and fishing with him, he is even more excited to tell us about himself, his goals and
his dreams. He has a boat which he purchased as a fixer-upper and it should be in the water in a matter of weeks. He says he loves working for Ragamuffin tours, but is anxious to have his own business. No doubt, he will be successful.
We went to three snorkeling points. First, the beginner course - - lots of coral, small and medium sized fish. Some people had never snorkeled, so the idea was to get comfortable with the water and the gear. We brought our own snorkels and masks, but borrowed fins. See photos. The second point was close to the reef, and was called “Shark and Stingray Alley.” Simply AWESOME!!! Vito pitched sardines over the side of the boat and into the water, while big, silver fish surrounded us. The fish would actually see the bait being throw and would catch it as soon as it hit the water. As cool as this sight was, this spectacle was not the point of this stop. Gathering below the boat were huge nurse sharks and rays. We were told to jump in and swim around with them and so we did! See photos. Jacob wrote words on the
backs of some of the rays, which you can see in the photos. Vito and Jacob dove for empty conch shells, which they filled with bait fish. The purpose of this method of feeding the sharks and rays is to keep the feeding as close to natural for the fish as possible. Besides, it is a real treat to watch all the sharks and rays fighting over the conch shell! It was like an underwater scene from Lord of the Flies! Clay and Ann previously swam with dolphins in an orchestrated group event in the Dominican Republic. But this situation was completely natural and amazing, with no fences, pens or forced interaction. We were able to pet a nurse shark, which is very smooth on the bottom and rough on the top. The only, but quite annoying part of the adventure was a man in red trunks, who kicked anyone in his way so that he might get his photo. Ann, the peaceful one, felt like slapping him after being kicked about five times, once hard in the head.
Stop three was the reef. Here we swam with turtles, Moray eels, all kinds of fish and tons (literally) of
beautiful coral. But first, when we arrived, a large black grouper was under our boat. Jacob was able to hold him and let us pet him. Really!!?!?!? Good eating, he would be, but we were in a protected marine reserve. See photos. Son, do you want to shoot him? The photos tell it all here, but we had the time of our snorkeling lives….seriously.
We raised the sails and did a slow sail back to the caye. With the sail unfurled, the backdrop for our return was stunning. Our tour was quite small and the return trip just felt as if we were on a friend’s boat and heading home after a wonderful day on the water. The crew (Vito) served rum punch and shrimp and conch ceviche. We did not partake in either for no particular reason, but the rest of the group finished it off and as the rum punch was diminished, the voices of the group got much louder! On the way in, the sun shone on the water, the breeze brushed our red cheeks, our skin was rough with salt, and we were satiated by only nature itself!
When we got back, we tried
to hook up with our Italian friends, but we could not find them and their room was occupied by others. It is a mystery which we hope to solve one day. We thoroughly enjoyed their company and would love to visit with them again in the future.
By the time we reached the docks, we were famished, but wanted something light. We stopped at the restaurant which is owned by a Cuban couple who has lived on the caye for about 6 months. She speaks almost no English and he speaks very little. Jacob (the young sailor and not the rehabilitated, older, t-shirt guy) told us earlier that there are at least 6 languages spoken here and people just get by. Clay was happy to be using his Spanish again and two tacos and a Cuban sandwich later, we were on our way to our temporary island home. From cities, to mountains, to woods to the sea, we are blessed and humbled by others we have met on our journey and also fully intrigued by the creatures of nature we have encountered ---- yes, even the ants.
We heartily recommend Ragamuffin tours - - make sure you ask
for Jacob and Vito for the adventure of a lifetime.
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Adam V
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Where do I sign up?? :D