Day 6, February 28, 2009: South Water Caye, Fishing Trip

Alex, Mata, Hayden, Charlie, Ryan, Roberto, Mr. Drossel and I went fishing a few minutes off South Water Caye in an 18-foot boat with twin 4-stroke 50 engines. Alex, Drossel and Mata brought their own rods to fish, but everyone else fished with hand lines. The fish we caught weren't very big; at most 10 inches long. Ryan caught the most fish, around 30. I caught 5 and everyone else caught about that many except for Hayden who ran into some bad luck and didn't catch any fish. We had a lot of fun and were able to enjoy the fish a couple of days later when they were served for dinner.

- James F.

Day 6, Afternoon, February 28, 2009: South Water Caye, Low Water Tidal Pools

During the afternoon, Jennifer (the owner of Leslie Cottages) walked us down to the Northern side of the island to get a look at the tide pools (created by the extreme low tide of the cold front that was moving in). Before heading into the pools, Jennifer and the rest of our teachers went over how we should act around the various species we were about to see. Walking carefully and moving at a slow pace, I was able to spot smaller, harder to find animals such as young puffer fish, small brittle stars and long string-type worms. Under almost every rock, there was another beautiful sea urchin and in all different sizes too. Matt Hollander even found one sticking through his bootie, but he got the teachers to get it out. While searching through the water, I was able to get some amazing photographs, even some of an octopus that was spotted by Julia Lewis. As we would move closer, it would change colors. Patty said that it was their way of communicating. After about an hour of exploring the tide pools, we headed back to the cabins to discuss our findings more. The tide pools are definitely something I will remember for a lifetime and I can't wait to do it again.

- Lillian M.

Yesterday, we walked down to the North side of the island at low tide to find a widespread area of tide pools. We began to carefully walk about the pools, dressed in our very attractive water shoes. We picked up rocks submerged in shallow water, finding creatures such as brittle stars, sea urchins, sea cucumbers and many water dwelling worms. Within the first 5 minutes of arrival, we spotted an octopus. We watched as this moderate sized creature scurried away from us and changed colors with each rock it passed. We weaved in and out of crowds of sea urchins, but some of us weren't so lucky. Matt found himself stepping on a black urchin. It penetrated through his bootie and into his foot. He sat and watched (Rudy) pull it out and thankfully walked away with little injury. On the other hand, everyone managed to avoid the sting rays. Getting stung by them would result in boiling your foot! My favorite part of the trip was the Brittle Stars. They were everywhere! A Brittle Star is a star fish-like creature with wiggling legs to propel itself forward. We also saw snails the size of two fists combined. Their shells were beautiful with many spirals in all sorts of colors. So in conclusion, it was a very successful experience. With minor injuries, we managed to walk away with new-found knowledge on a fascinating ecosystem.

- Alia K.

Day 5, February 27, 2009: South Water Caye, Snorkeling

Snorkeling In The Grasses

The grasses looked eerie from a distance, but the experience was great once I got inside. There weren't that many fish, but I saw tons of huge conch and a four foot long baracuda. I followed him for a while and saw small fish and one sea star. It was great.

- Lorenzo A.



First Reef Snorkel

A brisk breeze blew across the swift chop, the crystalline air melting into the eddies and pools of the deep blue water. Palm trees, bleached white sand and sun bleached wood shacks complete the corona perfect landscape. Our small group meanders toward the water, some hobbling, others splashing in with jubilance.

Equipped with our fins and masks, we float like extraterrestrial observers over an alien landscape. Our shadows cast ominously below us as we travel over the deep structural dynamics of the coral. Bright luminescent fish dodge in and out of the fringes was giant rays zip across the tops of the fan reefs. A smooth rolling wave rips through the area and we all rise and fall with the barrel of the wave.

- Alex C.

Friday, February 28 - 1:20 pm

Sorry that we have been out of touch for a few days.  While we were in Cockscomb, we had no access to the internet and could not blog.  We will fill you in on those days when we get a chance.

 

Right now, I am writing you from the office in South Water Caye, Belize - the owner, Jennifer, has kindly offered the use of her dial-up access for us to use for our blog.

 

It is lovely here; it is really like Paradise and all are having a great time.  We arrived here yesterday afternoon around 3:00 pm by boat (14 miles off-shore from Dangriga) and were immediately pleased with the scene in front of us.  We could not wait to unpack and settle in.  At 4:00 pm, we met for orientation and set up some guidelines for our stay here.  Then, we had some downtime to explore.  The island is small, about 50 yards wide where we are and about half a mile long.  We met for a great dinner of roasted chicken, green salad, rice and beans and a wonderful Zucchini cake (Jennifer's mother's recipe from Ohio).  After dinner, we had some time to write in our journals and then met back in the classroom to share some of our experiences so far.

 

After the classroom meeting, we went down to the pier to do some night illuminations in the water to see what we could see.  We saw some cool sea creatures like pencil fish, sea stars, barracuda, squid, anemones and a bristle worm.  It was also great to see all the stars without as much light pollution as we have up North.  Afterwards, we had some downtime until lights out at 10:00 pm.

 

The next day, today, Friday, we were excited because we finally were going to be able to go snorkeling.  We met for a great breakfast of beans, scrambled eggs, biscuits (with papaya jam or guava jam!) and the left for the beach on the southern end of the island.  Those that were new to snorkeling were able to meet with Patty for a good lesson and others headed out in pairs to snorkel up to the grass beds in the water.  We saw a lot of cool fish, sea anemones and sting rays.  Some even saw some barracuda.  After about an hour and a half of snorkeling we came back to the beach and shared our discoveries and journaled for a while.  After that, some students went back in the water while others remained on the beach to sunbathe and hang out.  We had a good snack of some oranges that Greg had bought in town.  We left the beach around 11:40 to get ready for lunch at noon.  We had a wonderful rice dish and some cookies.  It was light and refreshing.

 

Talk to you all again soon!

--
Linda Hanrahan
Mathematics Teacher
Yearbook Advisor
Work address: 18 Goodfriend Drive
                          East Hampton, NY 11937
Email: lhanrahan@ross.org
Work phone: 631.907.5356

Day 4, Thursday, February 26, 2009: South Water Caye, Night Watch On Pier In South Water Caye, Belize

There were some new animals that came out during the night. Personally my favorite was the squid. Matt spotted it and thought that it was a frog, but I told him that it was a squid. The squid was just floating and moving around pretty slow, then all of a sudden, it swam really fast at Mata's foot. The stars were also very amazing; there were so many to look at. The night watch was fun.

- Charlie F.

Day 4, Thursday, February 26, 2009: Creole Lunch at Hawthorne's, Dangriga

Maya Center and Creole Lunch at Hawthorne's, Dangriga

On Thursday we moved to South Water Caye. On our way out of Cockscomb, we stopped at a gift shop to say goodbye to Ernesto. It wasn't an ordinary giftshop because this shop was the reason the local Mayans got involved with the Jaguar preserve. Ernesto had suggested that the Mayan women start making things to sell when tourists came and the first day they sold stuff it was all gone. The women then convinced the men to get involved with the preserve and today everyone from the village is happy the Jaguar preserve exists.

We then continued in the bus to Dangriga, where we got to stop at a guy's house (Hawthorne's) where he prepared amazing food. He made really good chicken and ribs for most of us, but he alos made a pasta for the vegetarians. There was also really good fruit including pineapple and bananas. Not only was it the best food so far on the trip, but we also got to sit outside on the roof with a really awesome view.

- Olivia C.



Visit to Dangriga

After eating a great lunch on the roof at Hawthorne's, we made our way to the boat that was to take us to South Water Caye. Since we got there early, we were free to do what we wanted. The majority of the group walked into Dangriga for supplies or just for fun. Others, including myself, stayed by the boat. After an intense game of uno, a few of the guys went over to the little basketball court. Liam, Roberto, Mata, Alex, Hayden, James and I watched some Belizian men have a street soccer game. After they finished, we challenged them to a game. They went on to win 4-0, but we had our chances. Next we left on the boat. It was loud, wet and bumpy but lots of fun. It took about 45 minutes to arrive at the amazing South Water Caye. It was beautiful there. I think we were all ready for the adventures to come on the island.

- Henry L.

Day 3, Wednesday, February 25, 2009: Cockscomb Preserve, Night Walk at Cockscomb Basin

During our stay at Cockscomb Basin, we had an option to go on a night hike. The night hike allowed us to view the different wildlife that come out at night. We saw moths, bats, lizards, and many bugs. We were led by Ernesto and Rudy who were able to hear all sorts of things that no one else heard and then pointed out the source of the noise. We did not see any large animals, but it was still a very exciting hike with the different things that we saw. Ernesto remained very quiet unless he was explaining something to the group. He would be the first person to spot something interesting among the leaves.

- Mata M.

The hike was .75 kilometers down to the river edge along the path we took the river earlier when we went tubing. As we hiked, we traveled in the center of the path, avoiding the edges close to the vegetation where we wouldn't be able to see animals we may not necessarily want to meet on our walk. We went out to try to spot owls in the treetops - shining the light upwards into the canopy to spot them. We encountered a lot of moisture in the form of fog rolling in from the river. There was absolute darkness in the jungle and sharp noises from the forest itself. Ernesto and Rudy both heard the sounds of armadillos rustling on the forest floor. We weren't able to spot them though. We did see a beautiful large brown moth with about a 6 - 8" wing spread.

- Patty L.

Day 3, Wednesday, Febraury 25, 2009: Cockscomb Preserve, Tubing Down The River

After a long day of hiking, we were all outfitted with big black innertubes and led back into the jungle towards the river we'd crossed that morning. I thought we must look like leaf cutter ants lumbering down our own little trail single-file carrying loads several times our body weight. The trail ended abruptly in the river with a big sign listing rules and precautions, including a warning that "TUBING IS A HIGHLY DANGEROUS ACTIVITY", even though the river, though clear and sparkly, couldn't have been oozing along at a gentler pace.

Once we had all arrived at the bank in our rash guards and water shoes, we were briefed on our exit strategy, and we clumsily splashed into the water. If you have ever floated down the "Lazy River" at Splish Splash or any other water park, imagine that comfortable, relaxing position and movement, and then place yourself in the most beautiful, lush, pure, immaculate forest setting ever. It was like getting to see the jungle without disturbing the wildlife or exerting yourself at all. And to boot, a lot of the wildlife we were hoping to see but hadn't on the trails were drawn to the riverbank, and we spotted a Kinkachu (which usually isn't out at that time of the day), some scarlet macaws (which feed on this prickly pink fruit that grows in abundance on the bank) and even a group of howler monkeys sitting in a bough where the river diverged.

It was hard not to laugh and splash and play around in the water, but the moment I tried to quiet down and pay attention to the surrounding forest, a whole world of life opened up. There were birds in every tree, flowers and climbing vines, and fish swimming underneath us. It was totally overwhelming and wonderful.

We were told to get out at EXIT #2, but floating past the path marked "EXIT" was pretty disconcerting, and after about 20 more minutes of floating downstream, we were all sure we were at the point of no return, doomed to meet alligators and jaguars in the heart of the Cockscomb jungle. But, at last, we reached the end, as one does, and we swam around in a protected area before heading back to camp, exhausted and wet and happy as can be.

- Sylvia C.

Day 3, Wednesday, February 25, 2009: Cockscomb Preserve, Hike to Ben's Bluff and Waterfall

On our second day at Cockscomb, we were going to go on a jungle hike up Ben's Bluff. Before we set off on the hike, we met a Mayan man, Ernesto who worked with Alan Robinowitz on the preservation for Cockscomb. Our hike started slow and easy as we were walking up through the rainforest. At one point, we had to start to climb up. It was getting exceedingly difficult, but we saw a kite. At the very top of the mountain there was an extraordinary view of the whole landscape. I thought that the view was amazing. You were able to see the whole forest, and the other mountains. Personally it was an amazing hike, that I enjoyed a lot.

- Roberto R.

Day 2, Tuesday, February 24, 2009: Safe Landing in Belize!

Well, it's about 12:10 pm (Belize time, an hour behind New York) and we have made a safe landing in Belize. All went well at customs and we boarded a charter bus with our guide, Rudy and our driver (or "driva" in the local Creole), Alvin. Rudy and Alvin took us into Belize City where we picked up some travel guides and learned much about the local culture, such as there are about 2.5 working traffic lights in the country (1 of them only works some of the time and there used to be 5 before Hurricane Dean in 2007), the traveler's palm (right) is native to Belize and we saw the old man in the mountain or Sleeping Giant, a common name for a formation of hills you can see from the highway (below).
We made our way to Cheers where we stopped for lunch in a very relaxing atmosphere. It is so neat to eat some local (and more familiar) food among some of the tropical local plants, like hibiscus, bird of paradise, snake cactus, and bread fruit tree. The sounds of the birds (like the local tropical mockingbird) and the view is wonderful and the students (and adults) are having a good time socializing as well.

Alright, time to stop blogging and have some food...

Day 2, Tuesday, February 24, 2009: On plane from LaGuardia to Miami

It’s now 7:05 am. Take off from LaGuardia went well and we are in the air on our way to Miami. Some of us are catching some zzzz’s while other are making shadow puppets on the walls of the airplane, others are listening to music…time to relax, it’s good. We’re looking forward to the warm weather.

- Linda H.

Day 1, February 23, 2009: East Hampton, New York, Welcome to the World of Belize

Today our group met and began our day with introductions and shared with each other what we were looking forward to on the trip. Many of us are looking forward to snorkeling and exploring the rain forest. Others are hoping for good fishing, birding and other types of sightseeing like exploring some Mayan ruins.

Then, Patty gave an informative power point presentation which referred nicely to our reading of "Jaguar" by Alan Rabinowitz, helped set the scene and whetted our appetite for our trip.

To get an idea of where we are going see the image to the right and visit: www.stanncreek.com/loc.html.

Another good website to view: www.travelbelize.org/german/html/guide/pa/pa10.html



We talked about some animals we were introduced to in the book and ones we hope to see (but maybe not actually meet face to face). We talked about the big cats, herbivores, birds and other animals.




Lastly, we talked a bit about the Mayan ruins in the area.

Then, we dispersed to perform some research on the areas presented in the power point. Each student will be researching at least one particular area for the trip.

- Linda H.

Full Course Description

This is an ecotourism related trip, aimed at helping students appreciate the diversity of ecosystems found in Belize, while also developing a deeper connection to the beauty of the natural world. As a home to many fragile ecosystems, that borders Mexico on the Yucatan Peninsula, Belize is a small country in Central America. This unique area has many natural habitats from the lowland savannahs in the north to the lush tropical rainforests in the hilly south. Limestone caves are found throughout much of the interior.There are over 250 cayes on the longest barrier reef in the New World with coastal lagoons, mangrove swamps, sand and grass flats and sea bird rookies. Also there lies an exciting cultural legacy manifest in the silent ruins of the ancient Mayan and Kekchi communities, and in the Carib and Creole fishing and forest villages. The various habitats within this spectacular country are host to a variety of organisms, from jaguar, giant tapir, and miniature silky anteater, to leaf cutting ants. Nowhere in the world can one experience such diverse ecosystems as Belize’s barrier reef and tropical rainforest. Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary ( February 24 - 26), established in 1990 is world renowned for being the first jaguar reserve. This "one of a kind" reserve was established as a result of jaguar studies conducted in the area by Alan Rabinowitz. Besides being the home to Belize's largest cat, the Sanctuary protects the headwaters of two major river systems and supports an abundance of hardwood vegetation and a diverse faunal assemblage. South Water Caye (Feb. 27 - Mar. 3), time on the island will be comprised of a number of activities which will include: an island survey and mapping; an exploration of the wrack line and a beachcomber’s scavenger hunt; exploring the abundant grass beds and patch reefs located offshore; studies of marine plankton and encrusting communities; studies of mangrove habitat and the creatures that thrive in that ecosystem. In 1996, the United Nations Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) included South Water Caye in it's World Heritage list of protected sites of "universal value to humanity." They cited the reef ecosystems remarkable biological diversity and beauty, calling it an area "of great scientific value" and noting that it is a habitat for threatened species such as the West Indian manatee and a variety of sea turtles. Blue Creek Station (Mar. 4 - 9) is located in the remote, largely unexplored mountains of southern Belize. The site is situated on the banks of a clear, wild, tropical river, densely populated by many species of freshwater fish. Several trails are accessible from Blue Creek and allow for observation of hundreds of species of exotic birds and plants, and dozens of species of reptiles, amphibians and mammals. Large, spectacular limestone caves, some with Mayan hieroglyphics, are scattered throughout this area.At Blue Creek students will work with the village elders to restore a river and remove debris from the village area generated by non eco-tourists. In addition they will have an opportunity to help in the school’s library where they will interact with local school children. As well, the Ross students will plant mahogany trees around the schoolyard with their school children partners.