Seasons

June marks the beginning of rainy season in Belize and this year the storm clouds came right on schedule. The first week of June it rained almost every night; days are typically sunny, hot, and humid. The lingering clouds have produced some beautiful sunsets. The constant rainfall also brings about pothole season.

In rainy season some people speak of crab season. I notice many blue land crabs peeking out of their mud holes as I walk around my neighborhood. Belize offers a lot of good seafood, but I think I'll pass on the land crabs.

June 15th is the beginning of lobster season. In the off season the fishermen were busy repairing their traps. Belize is home to the Spiny Lobster (Panuirus argus), which has no claws. Fishing communities such as Placencia and San Pedro celebrate Lobster Fest in June. Speaking of Placencia, I caught a whale shark on camera; have another look at the previous post.

In Belize's Cayo District is an amazing wet cave system called Actun Tunichil Muknal (Cave of the Stone Sepulchre). Inside the cave are many artifacts such as clay pottery, tools, and human remains. Because hundreds of water vessels were found in the cave it is believed that Actun was most used for ceremonies pertaining to the Rain God, Chac. The ancient Mayas also sacrificed humans in the hopes of appeasing the gods and bringing rain.

Once dry, ephemeral ponds are now full of water and life. A noisy chorus of frogs can be heard during the night or on a rainy day. I visited Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary to work on an environmental education project and with some free time went looking for Red-eyed Treefrogs. I saw many other frogs jumping around in the grass and surrounding trees, thick like grasshoppers in summer, but not the one I was looking for.

Finally, rainy season is the beginning of hurricane season, which is no cause for celebration. This popular Kriol rhyme traces the progression of the season:

June tu soon
Julai stan by
Aagas luk out yu mos
Septemba memba
Aktoaba aal oava.

Close Encounter with a Whale Shark

I jumped into the sea with a snorkel and fins. The water was clear, deep blue in color, with rays of light piercing into the depths below. My only frame of reference was the formation of scuba divers showering bubbles towards the surface and the group of snorkelers around me. The larger bubbles reminded me of jellyfish. Suddenly Steven, who was leading the snorkeling group, yells, "Whale Shark!" I look down and see an monstrous fish forty feet below. It swam slow and methodical in search of food.

The moon is closely connected to life at sea. The position of the moon causes tidal changes and the behavior of sea creatures are effected by the moon's phase. A full moon in spring causes excitement among fishermen in Belize because many fish gather to spawn. These large spawning aggregations will also attract predatory fish in search of east targets. From March to June, while Cuberra Snappers are busy releasing eggs and milt, chances are an enormous Whale Shark is somewhere close by.

The Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) is the world's largest fish and can reach 60 feet in length! Unlike many of its relatives, the Whale Shark is a gentle giant. It feeds with a gaping mouth and filters materials such as plankton and krill through its gills. Whale sharks are pelagic, meaning they roam the open sea, and can only be seen along the coast during seasonal feeding aggregations.

To witness this amazing encounter I travelled to southern Belize, to the tranquil village of Placencia, located on the tip of a sandy peninsula. The full moon was on Friday, June 1st, so the weekend was prime time for watching Whale Sharks. From the Sea Horse Dive Shop we headed an hour east by boat to Gladden Spit Marine Reserve, which harbors an intact spawning aggregation site for at least 25 species of reef fish. Conservation partners have created guidelines to regulate tourism and to ensure that this rare event can be seen for years to come.

Within five minutes of being in the water I saw a Whale Shark. The formation of scuba divers releasing air bubbles is said to mimic a spawning aggregation. A very entrancing moment, like watching a campfire. Suddenly the bubbles start moving horizontally towards me and the outline of another Whale Shark materializes; this time it was much closer.

Outside of the Reserve, the dive boat anchored for lunch. We enjoyed stewed chicken with coconut rice and veg. Afterwards we had the opportunity to explore the nearby reef, which had beautiful elkhorn corals, tube sponges, and sea fans decorated with brightly colored reef fish. While admiring a brain coral I noticed a Nurse Shark resting in the shadows below.

The boat ventured back to Gladden Spit for more Whale Shark watching. While waiting to enter the water a pod of three dolphins was swimming nearby. In the afternoon I saw even more Whale Sharks than earlier and observed their feeding action. One fish showed its belly as it swam in a straight column towards the surface with its mouth wide open. Peeking above the surface I could see its dorsal fin and tail sticking out of the water. Many of the Whale Sharks were breaching the surface and at one point I had to back off as I watched a Whale Shark moving in my direction. I saw at least eight Whale Sharks, although its hard to say if they were all individuals. I carried along an underwater disposable camera to catch the action, hopefully I can share some good shots with you.