Shark and Sting Ray Alley, Belize

Ship: IslandBreeze (Premier Cruises)

Sailing Date: March 28, 1999

Date of Snorkel: April 1, 1999

Equipment Availability: we have our own which we take with us, but snorkels, masks, fins and vests are included in the price of the excursion and were fitted for all passengers at the boat owner’s office on an island en route to the site.  All equipment appeared to be clean and well maintained.

Water Access: Ladder off the back of the speed boat.

This excursion ranks as one of the best, and certainly one of the most memorable, snorkeling trips we have ever taken!  The snorkeling was fantastic, especially since two snorkeling stops were included (one before and one after lunch), both excellent, but it is the luncheon itself that tickled us! Read on…..  

Due to her deep draft, the IslandBreeze had to anchor off Belize City, so the passengers on the ship who had signed up for this excursion were picked up very early in the morning by a series of speed boats for the day-long trip from the ship.  Each speed boat carries approximately 15-20 people; there were three on our excursion.  The speed boat ride was comfortable, but there is very little shade on the boat and the wind was stiff, especially owing to the speed of the boat.  Derek’s baseball cap blew off and was kindly retrieved by our boat driver, Michael.  A native of Belize, Michael knew the way to thread our speed boat among the scaries, reefs and islands en route to Shark Ray Alley—impressive! We stopped for about 30 minutes at the boat company’s headquarters on Cay Cauker to get snorkeling gear for the other passengers.  In total, it took about 2 hours to get to Shark Ray Alley.

Once on site, we were amazed to see any number of Sting Rays swimming towards us in the shallow water.  These animals must know that the sound of the boat’s engine means food!  The Southern Sting Rays were incredibly impressive—perhaps as many as 50 animals ranging from about 6 foot across, to as small as 1 foot across.  They were fed by Michael and his helper, although passengers who wanted to give it a try were welcome to—we declined.  Fins could be worn at the site, but we were warned to be careful not to come into contact with any of the animals, especially their stings!  We did see (and photograph) one 6 foot nurse shark, but it was just as frightened of us as we were of it! Visibility was excellent (we were the only boat on site, the other two having gone to the “other” snorkeling site first) and just seeing the sting rays alone was incredible, although there were some other fish in the water.  Be warned that it is difficult to maneuver amongst all the excited passengers and the numerous equally excited sting rays—at one point, Derek swerved to avoid a gaggle of swimmers, and a large sting ray swerved in the other direction for the same reason.  They crashed into each other on the other side of the group of swimmers, as predicted by Peg who got a shot of the event!

Following an hour’s swim, the boat headed for the island of San Pedro for a lengthy break—food, drinks and shopping.  We did not get the name of the restaurant (most unfortunately), but were surprised to find it owned and run by a series of very pretty ladies, all dressed in skimpy shorts and bikini tops.  They were attentive and friendly; Peg could not eat the onion-filled cheese enchiladas that they gave us for lunch, so her plate was swiftly removed and replaced with a fresh one specially prepared for her without onions!  We only had to pay for drinks.  Chatting with the ladies revealed that they were all British and American citizens, transplanted to Belize by choice, and all were former Playboy bunnies! To say that we were bemused does not begin to cover it! Walking around San Pedro to shop was interesting and fun, with a splendid variety of small shops each offering various souvenirs and especially local clothing.  Peg brought her first “cruise shirt”—brightly colored tropical fish all over it!

The afternoon swim took us to the “other” snorkeling site where our fellow passengers had been in the morning (they now had their chance to see the Sting Rays).  Snorkeling was excellent along the well developed reef, with numerous fish, both in terms of variety and quantity.  We were still in awe of the sting rays we had seen that morning, but had a wonderful time anyway!  Visibility was excellent and the site was extensive.  We could have spent the day here too and been perfectly happy!

Snorkeling Grade: A+