“A murder mystery I saw on TV made me want to visit Belize. I called a friend and he had a friend who had an outpost on Turneffe Atoll. Some of the more remote islands, you have to prepare yourself for a wilderness experience rather than a resort vacation - it’s very different. Other parts of the Caribbean have big resorts, and that can be a wonderful experience, but a more remote place like Turneffe Atoll - the reward is surrounding yourself by nature. It’s two very different experiences. Some people might not be able to handle the biting flies, no pool accommodations, no bar. But the coral reef is still intact, marine life is still intact, you're face to face with manatees, and there are attractions like the Blue Hole, which is not a common thing - that you can just swim up to and enjoy.
To some people a wilderness might be a prairie or elk running down the mountain, but Turneffe Atoll to me is definitely wilderness. The idea of wilderness conjures up different things from one person to the next. It might be no cell phone reception, trees for miles and miles, or a place where you can go and see other inhabitants other than humans in their natural place. - the word brings a different image into everyone’s head.
To me the reef in Belize is a wilderness, but to other people it might not. The ocean comprises most of the planet - certainly parts of that ocean are wilderness? When you are snorkeling in the Blue Hole, barracuda snarling and reef sharks circling - don’t you feel like you are in the wilderness? Crystal clear waters, an abundance of marine wildlife and large-scale things I’ve never seen before. And the most turquoise surroundings, it’s pristine.
In the words of Sylvia Earle, 'No Blue, No Green', man.”
- Patrick Blake
Business Manager, Ocean Advocate
17°18'09.3"N 87°48'07.6"W
