Our Coral Reef Ecology class left early from the Hartsfield
Jackson Airport to travel to Belize City, where we immediately jumped on a tiny
Maya Island Air prop plane to Ambergris Caye. On the 15 minute ride to Ambergris
Caye, we were able to look down and view the reef crest, which we had previous
discussed in lecture. Once we arrived to Ambergris Caye, the students jumped
into the pool to test out their equipment and snorkeling skills. Later, we were
able to walk around and explore the island for an hour and a half. We explored
the shallow waters from several seawalls and observed green feather algae,
mermaid’s wine glass, Sergeant Major fish, schoolmaster fish, as well as
manatee grass. We had the opportunity to stop and buy local produce and food at
a grocery store. Once we returned to Casa Neptune, our gracious cooks, Minerva
and Maggie, served chicken, homemade tortillas, rice, salad, and other
vegetables. We had a small meeting, and then we were off to bed in order to
rest up for the first day of snorkeling. Written by Alexandria Alvarez and AugustinYou.
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| Preparing to board Maya Island Air at Belize International for the flight to Ambergris Caye. |
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| Aerial view of the Belize mainland. |
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| A group photo from the cabin interior. |
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| Coming in for a landing at the San Pedro airfield on Ambergris Caye. |
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| After a rigorous snorkeling practice session in the pool, the students pose for a group photo near the TREC dock before hiking along the beach and into town. |
