The Gift in the Journey
By Cindy Leacox, of CL-Wanderings.com
The memoir of an eco-traveler. In this article I share the many gifts that naturally come with scuba diving as well as the gifts of giving back regarding volunteering time to projects that enrich the oceans and those of us who live on land.
Just the Beginning
Our journey began from our homes across the world which culminated into a joyful trip to the Placencia Peninsula of Belize. Merlin Walberg, founder and owner of DiverMojo, plans and delivers conservation scuba trips that enlighten souls, provides eco-learning opportunities and shares eco-actions in a tangible way that can be brought back home and shared with others. Often the eco-actions are adopted by locals, spreading the conservation bug globally. Our group consisted of a dozen individuals, couples and family members that quickly melded into a cohesive community of people with common goals of enjoying diving, learning more about our underwater ecosystems as well as contributing to protecting and improving the Belize Barrier Reef with Reef Conservation International (ReefCI).
Ah, Southern Belize
The Belizean sunshine greeted us in Placencia with warmth as we were welcomed to this beautiful country. We were treated to a variety of activities in both Placencia at the beginning of the trip and in the Punta Gorda area at the end of the trip.
Arriving during the Placencia Sidewalk Arts & Music Festival, we discovered treasures in the sidewalk festival and local shops and experienced the natural beauty of places like Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary and Monkey River. The festival along the Placencia beachfront included local crafts, art and jewelry as well as delicious aromas from sidewalk vendors and restaurants. We also had time to enjoy the ocean and relax on the beach.
Cockscomb Widlife Sanctuary
Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sancturary, Belize
Photographer: Cynthia Leacox,
CL-Wanderings.com
I was treated to the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary tour led by none other than Florencio Shal. Shal is a local guide and former park ranger who comes from a traditional Mayan family. Shal explained the uses of the indigenous plants and talked about the value of all elements of the environment to humans and their interconnectedness. The forest provides all that is needed to enjoy a healthy joyful life even using army ants for stitches. Shal shared so much information about the flora and fauna which inhabits the basin that I cannot possibly write all of it in this article.
During the gentle hike through the sanctuary we saw Red Brocket Deer, Tapir, Kinkajou, butterflies, countless birds and beautiful fauna. There are a wide variety of difficulty for the hikes in the park. After the exploration of the basin, we enjoyed a traditional Mayan lunch provided as a part of the tour package. Some of our group followed lunch with tubing down the Monkey River while others enjoyed more hiking, or a quiet nap engulfed in the sanctuary’s natural sounds.
Fungi cluster, Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, Belize.
Photographer: Cynthia Leacox,
CL-Wanderings.com
The ReefCI Adventure
The focal point of the trip began Monday morning when the ReefCI boats picked us up on the Placencia pier where the helpful boat staff assisted us with our profuse amount of luggage. The luggage and ReefCI staff went in one boat and our group with some of the staff in the other. We endured a splashing hour and a half choppy boat ride to begin our expedition of collaborating with ReefCI to improve a portion of the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System (BBRRS).
ReefCI has operations in the US and Belize. In Belize, the operations are centered around the quaint 11⁄2 acre island of Tom Owens Caye on the southern end of the Belize Barrier Reef. Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System (BBRRS) became an UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996 and includes seven connected marine protected areas. The BBRRS part of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef which extends up the east coast of the Americas.
Excitement was palpable. Our group of like-minded individuals was ready to jump into learning while diving, eating and relaxing. ReefCI and DiverMojo did an amazing job of ensuring that each diver was able to spend his or her time in a way that brought each of us enjoyment; none of the activities were required, yet there were many options to learn new skills and think about how our interconnectedness impacts the smallest to the largest organism, including humans.
ReefCI Queen Conch (Lobatus gigas) Survey
Photographer: Cynthia Leacox,
CL-Wanderings.com
ReefCI offers several types volunteer opportunities. While on the island we met volunteers who spent a month or more with ReefCI. During our time with ReefCI we learned about the destructive power of the lionfish, an invasive species in the Caribbean and Atlantic. To help conserve coral and the reef, we responsibly removed 217 lionfish on our dives. We also learned about and performed fish identification, queen conch surveying and much more during our 5-days of being volunteer citizen scientists.
The main building on the tiny islet of Tom Owens Caye is rustic with simple rooms that provide the essentials, except hot water! The staff kept the rooms clean. The second floor includes a wonderful shared balcony space with doors that brought the sea breeze into the rooms.
We ate lovingly prepared meals with a vast variety of flavors that sauntered from a tiny kitchen. The chef and kitchen staff are magic makers, serving delicious, nourishing and conscientiously planned meals.
Among the fabulous main course options we enjoyed were lionfish ceviche and baked lionfish. They creatively accommodated vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options which were all yummy!
The ReefCI team includes a cast of committed characters including Anthony Saner, holding down the fort in the US headquarters, Frank Hachmann, leading the Tom Owens Caye operations in Belize and Willie Zalidivar, ReefCI marine biologist. It takes more people to keep things going on the island like boat captains, dive guides and others who help guest volunteers and keep things running. The operations we witnessed ran smoothly with sparse setup; a testament that money raised for ReefCI largely went to the research and reef work.
ReefCI is in the process of acquiring a Coral Restoration licensing from the Belizean government which will expand their ability to help the reef and its inhabitants, which in turn brings more tourist income into the country, helping all of us enjoy this naturally beautiful marine habitat. Most importantly it will help the reef grow and recover from pollutants and climate change.
During a pre-trip interview with C.L. Wanderings, Anthony shared the vision and mission of ReefCI as well as the struggles they commonly encounter as a small NGO (non-government organization). ReefCI is committed to sharing information about how the reef systems benefit us not only economically, but also as a critical part of our terrestrial environment. The organization believes it is important for Belizeans to understand and embrace the value of their reef, educating locals as well as people from all over the world who volunteer at ReefCI.
ReefCI’s top concepts according to Anthony and Frank include:
Individual actions and choices make a difference
Educating divers, non-divers and locals
Working with local communities to understand the value of the reef system
Helping scuba divers become conservationist or expand their concepts of conservation
ReefCI’s challenges:
Tom Owen’s Caye is small and has maintenance issues .
The cost of operating the current location is funded through volunteerism, paying divers and donations. This causes budgeting challenges due to travel and economic unpredictability.
Although the ReefCI team is providing valuable research, they could do more with a license from the Belize government to restore and grow coral. This would be a powerful addition to the work ReefCI is doing.
Frank Hachmann’s background is ideal for the ReefCI organization as it includes a naturalist degree and tourism management experience as well as being a dive master. Frank talked about how important it is for locals to be involved in ReefCI; Frank being a German born resident of Belize made this conversation more interesting due to his unique perspective. He believes local involvement is the secret sauce to spreading conservation awareness. Generally, the belief is that if an individual cares about their local ecosystems, including reefs, they typically will share their joy in protecting and improving them with others. Frank says “Change is possible through daily individual actions”. Frank stated his desire to inspire change in a simple statement “[we] provide life-changing experiences while educating people on conservation and global interconnectedness.” You can imagine that Frank works to instill similar beliefs in his staff.
Marine Biologist Willie Zalidivar Caal
Photographer: Cynthia Leacox, of
CL-Wanderings.com
Another member of the ReefCI staff is Willie Zalidivar Caal, ReefCI’s marine biologist. Intrigued by this 20-something intelligent, articulate, man with an infectious passion for Belize and the reef, I sat down with Willie on Tom Owen’s Caye.
Willie Zalidivar Caa educating DiverMojo conservation travelers
Photographer: Cynthia Leacox, of CL-Wanderings.com
I had already developed a respect for his commitment and ability to educate us on a variety of interesting reef related topics with a visual and interesting style. I learned that though Willie grew up as the son of fishing parents, he took a different approach to living off of the oceans into conservation. Willie is well liked and greeted in home communities with kindness; his focus is on sharing the value of the reef to anyone who will listen as well as helping local people understand how to catch and prepare lionfish. This earns Willie the respect of his community. He even gives some of the dried fins to a local woman who make beautiful earrings with the lionfish fins. I experienced first-hand Willie’s commitment to Belize and its people as he shared his enjoyment in making life better for as many as he could reach.
Lionfish are beautiful. Are they really that bad?
Invasive species, the large red lionfish (pterois volitans), Belize.
Photographer: Cynthia Leacox, of CL-Wanderings.com
“Negative characteristics of invasive species include to potential extinctions of native plants and animals, reducing biodiversity, competing with native organisms for limited resources, and altering habitats. Recent estimates suggest that the cost of invasive species to the U.S. economy is $137 billion annually” according to a ReefCI education presentation by Willie Zalidivar Caal.
For additional information why lionfish are a major challenge as an invasive species check out this blog titled “Lionfish are beautiful. Are they really that bad?”.
DiverMojo travelers enjoying the sunset, Tom Owens Caye.
Photographer: Cynthia Leacox, of
CL-Wanderings.com
Sharing space with and learning from the ReefCI crew was a profound personal experience about my relationship with nature. We learned, laughed and leapt into helping ReefCI improve the reef system.
On Friday, after a beautiful morning dive we traveled back to the mainland by boat. As we left the ReefCI staff with our caravan of damp dive luggage we said our goodbyes, appreciating our opportunity to contribute to the Belize Barrier Reef System’s health and to the ReefCI organization. The gift of giving time and money was rewarding for each member of our group.
How can you help ReefCI?
Volunteer – Go to the ReefCI site and book a week or more!
Spread the word – Let others know what ReefCI is doing.
Learn more: www.reefci.com
Monetary Donation – Not able to volunteer? No problem, donate.
Large-eye toadfish (Batrachoides gilberti), Belize
Photographer: Cynthia Leacox, of CL-Wanderings.com
Scuba Diving – Southern Belize
The diving in Belize is always so wonderful. On this trip I got to dive the Southern tip of the Belize Barrier Reef. We heard and saw a toad fish as well as juvenile fish of many varieties, squid, cuttlefish, nurse sharks, coral, sponges, crabs, lobster and many areas of noticeable coral bleaching.
Amazing marine life abundant in Belize.
Photographer: Cynthia Leacox, CL-Wanderings.com
Giant split-pore rod sea coral (Plexaurella nutans), Belize
Photographer: Cynthia Leacox, CL-Wanderings.com
Heading to the jungle
We were on to our next destination on the mainland; the Cotton Tree Lodge in San Felipe, Belize in much appreciated air conditioned vans and some not so appreciated bumpy roads. Cotton Tree Lodge is a uniquely beautiful find in a remote area of Belize worth the jarring roads the lead you to the humble entrance. The owners and staff greeted us in the spectacular grand room built in traditional Mayan style that serves as a dining and gathering area with tables, comfy chairs, charming wood canoe couches as well as games to play. While at Cotton Tree Lodge we stayed in lovely cabanas, many of which opened to decks facing the Moho river and all had plentiful hot water! Strikingly delicious meals were crafted largely from the on-property organic gardens with additions from locally grown and procured items. I personally started my stay with one of the best deep tissue massages of my life while listening to the music of the jungle sounds, including distant howler monkeys. Others enjoyed the rope swing into the river or other water adventures.
Walking the grounds was both informative and peaceful as there were signs identifying the flora. We were treated to gentle morning yoga with the jungle singing around us. DiverMojo prearranged tour options and Cotton Tree Lodge delivered the excursions with well informed, helpful guides and transportation to the Lubaantun Mayan Ruins, a Chocolate manufacturing tour or Blue Creek Cave. I experienced the Blue Creek Cave in the rain; it was fun and wonderfully interesting. Our guide, “Pops” is a local Mayan who knows his stuff! He shared information about the jungle and Mayan historical use of the cave. The cave adventure requires hiking and swimming. Clambering up to the large cave opening you scramble across wet rocks and carefully pick your way through the water, sometimes walking, sometimes swimming, sometimes sliding all while being amazed at the stunning cave.
What a gift. Traveling with DiverMojo is straightforward and delightful. Merlin Walberg of DiverMojo plans and delivers trips that enlighten souls, provide opportunities to learn and share eco-actions in a tangible way that can be brought home and shared with others. On this trip, we contributed to the health of the Belize Barrier Reef system through ReefCI, did beach clean-up on a different island, learned loads and enjoyed scuba diving!
Additional Information is available at...
All photographs in this article are (c) 2020 CL-Wanderings.com.
Check out CL-Wandering.com blogs, images and online shop for creative art, eco-friendly products and eco-action information.
For additional information about Reef Conservation International, check out their web site ReefCI.
For information about custom and planned conservation scuba travel contact DiverMojo Merlin@DiverMojo.com or DiverMojo.com.
Thin lettuce leaf coral (Agaricia tenuifolia) small colony, Belize
Photographer: Cynthia Leacox, CL-Wanderings.com
