The Moto Wanderer: UnBelizeable family vacation Day 7: Diving the Blue Hole (122216)

Get up at 445 to get out of our current digs and to our next place (sandbar hostel) to drop our bags off before we have to meet at the dock for our blue hole trip. Get to the hostel and the night security guard is chilling at the desk with the lights off. We put our stuff next to the desk then head over to the dock for amigos del mar dive company as that is who we were going with (I guess a couple dive shops coordinate with each other to make it worth their while).

One of the perks of getting up so early.

Leaving the dive shop for our day of diving.

Sun starting to poke its head out.

Lone boat out enjoying the sunrise with us.

Sun getting above the horizon.

Clouds always make sunrises better. Exhibit A.

Loving the view.

Its a beautiful morning!

We have made it to the Blue hole. First of a few dives today.

Panorama of the blue hole.

Jeff just chilling on the front of the boat after our dive.

Cruising in the blue hole

The blue hole on the other side of the reef.

Bros hanging out after a dive.

We get there (have to go back for our dive cards as they will need that information) and have some breakfast after getting our gear. As the sun is rising we get on the boat and head out. All the food follows us on board. We cut across the open water which is a little rocky and this girl gets seasick (again on the way back as well - some people dont learn their lessons as both times she was up near the front of the boat and laying down). Get to the blue hole and go down. The dive isnt that great but not too bad either. Not a lot of wild life to see but you do get to swim around and between rock formations. And it is cool looking down and just seeing vast emptiness below you. We come up and scoot along the shallow area looking at the lobster and whatever else we can find among the limited coral/rocks up there before time to get out. We then head over to half moon caye to do the wall. This was cool as we snorkel over the sandy bottom to the coral, to the other side and it just drops off. We swim along the wall and reef sharks keep coming over to check us out. Cool/chilling as you can see their eyes and if they wanted to you couldnt stop them from making you a meal. Keep hovering around the coral wall with the sharks and seeing other fish before heading back to the boat. Get off the boat at half moon caye for lunch. After lunch we walk over to the red-footed boobie viewing platform and on the way realize there are tons of hermit crabs all over the island (some are huge). Birds are just nested all in the tree tops with frigatebirds flying overtop.

Left our pit stop to go do a dive but we will be coming back here for lunch in a little bit.

That is a ton of birds hanging out over the island.

About to jump off the boat to scuba towards the island.

Small island has a need for a sign to tell people where to go.

Now that is a hermit crab. Dude is huge!

Dude trying to say hello to his captor friends.

Island in paradise.

The island has some cabins you can stay in. Would be kinda nice me thinks.

Somebody just unwinding off the coast of this remote island. Nice boat.

Do you see the lizard hiding among the brush?

Frigate birds just cruising overhead.

Frigate bird flying over one of the boobies chilling in its nest.

Hard to see but the boobies are heavily populated among the canopy.

Found a nice little iguana hiding among the leaves.

Boobies just hanging out in the trees.

Walking along the path on the island.

Jeff just walking along the beach not realizing he is being watched.

Finally got his attention.

Go back to the boat and head over to our third dive, the aquarium. This was similar to the last as we were going in and out of coral with the other side being a large drop off with reef sharks everywhere (few were getting so close one of our people freaked out and ran into the underside of a rock above him as the shark was approaching him from beneath). Some of them would swim up and down the wall along the coral instead of left right which was interesting to me as I think of sharks more linearly and not slithery like an eel. After that we get back on the boat and make our way back. As we enter the middle atoll, they break out the rum and start making rum drinks for everyone. As we get close to getting back the boat stops mid-open water and turns out there are a ton of dolphins playing in the boats wake (there even was a wee dolphin in the group).

Captain slowed down the boat for some reason. Wonder what they could be.

Found some mammalian friends swimming in the water

Dolphins galore

Dolphin friend breaching the water

Watching the dolphins swim with the boat a little bit

Get back to the dock, check in to the hostel, shower, and then head out to check out some cheap eats. Grab a smoothie from the smoothie place near pizza planet then go to the main square to get a burrito from one of the food carts. Pretty tasty chicken burrito for 5$BZ. Then we go to jeffs chicken torta place from the other day and the smoothie place near our old place and sit at the soccer field to eat and drink our meal (they just finished their game which is a shame cause we were going to watch them). After that we came back to the hostel to take it easy and call it an early night as it has been a long and fun day.