Dive #176 - Rich Torkington's Dive Log

The chub, snappers, and sergeant majors really like the bean salad
Photograph by Ron in Belize 2004

Dive Journal: Lizette and crew fix us a tasty lunch of chicken and tuna salad sandwiches back on Half Moon Caye. We then hike through the paths that head west through the palm and mangrove forest. Half Moon Caye is a sanctuary for the red footed booby (no kidding), and we’re headed to an observation deck built in the middle of their nesting grounds.

As we approach the tower, I can smell the strong aroma of bird droppings, and it becomes easy to spot the bird nests perched on branches above by first locating the patch of droppings on the ground. The view from deck, some 25 feet up or so, gives us a vantage above the treetops, and we’re soon looking at hundreds of booby nests, which are also sprinkled with frigate bird nests. The boobies are pretty birds, white with a bluish bill and red feet. Some of the male frigate birds are especially handsome with a brilliant crimson pouch inflated in front.

Janel and Linda head back, while John and I head on a pretty hike further west to the far beach. It’s a pretty walk although I manage to stub my left big toe mightily in the process.

Our third dive of the day takes us to Long Caye and the site is called Silver Cave. We start off with a really cool swim through a wormhole-like cave that emerges out onto the wall. We spy ocean triggerfish and lots of trunkfish and cowfish here. Bo finds a big scorpionfish perched on a coral boulder.

About 30 minutes into the dive, I find a small coney in a pocket and spend quite a while studying him. Eventually I see an outbreak of activity under the boat and it’s apparent that someone has chummed the water. Thick swarms of chub, yellowtail snappers, and sergeant majors are swimming madly about. I learn later it was leftover bean salad from lunch.

Soon, a couple of us are up at the boat stern ready to climb aboard, but other divers are throwing bread from the boat, and the fish are going wild all around us. Everyone is laughing – the fish are practically jumping over our heads trying to win a snack.