"Hi, is your name Kevin?" I asked uncertainly, thinking I recognized him.
"No, my name is Joe, but I can be Kevin if you want me to," he quipped. His response elicited good-natured laughs from everyone, easing the strangers-meeting-strangers awkwardness. By the time we had been fitted with life jackets, flippers, goggles and a snorkel, we were chatting easily.
After several days of wind and high waves, the weather was finally perfect for a boat trip to the Isla Contoy National Park. The three of us, our neighbour Andy, my niece Renee, and I, had been waiting all week for this day.
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| Lovely and quiet |
"Okay, today is the day. Let's go!" Captain Tony Garcia's brother, Alberto, and his nephew Noah, were our captain and first-mate for the day. Tony hopped into our boat for a few minutes to give us a rundown on the rules: wear your life jackets, don't touch the underwater critters, and stay with the guide when snorkelling the reef. Pretty simple.
We left the docks promptly at nine in the morning and arrived at Isla Contoy shortly after ten. Paradise. Tucked into a crescent-shaped bay was a clean sweep of white sand, a handful of palm trees, two or three communal outdoor grilling areas, plus a couple of National Park service buildings. That's it. Wild and relatively untamed, the island is home to thousands of nesting birds, a few boa constrictors, and crocodiles in the jungle areas.
Our crew suggested that we explore the island pathways, keeping an eye out for the meaner residents, or go for a refreshing swim in the bay while they cooked up a meal for us. They chopped, and peeled, and sliced, and diced, creating a scrumptiously fresh meal of grilled chicken, grilled fish, pineapple and tomato salad, plus guacamole. The guacamole was so good, "Kevin/otherwise known as Joe," and I were reluctant to share with anyone else.
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| Noah Garcia - cooking up a great meal |
It was a bit early in the adventure for a meal, but when the crew explained the reason, it made sense. Tony likes to ensure that his boat is the first into the dock, and the first out to the reef, allowing his customers an hour of quiet bliss in paradise before the arrival of the other tourists. Sitting on rustic wooden benches, under a cool palapa, we enjoyed our delicious meal, finishing as three more boats arrived at the dock. The new arrivals spoke a profusion of European and Asian languages, each with its own multilingual guide informing and educating the groups. I much preferred our easy, no structure, explore at your own pace experience.
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| Alberto Garcia - captain and chef |
After lunch, we floated in the refreshing ocean while the guys packed up the remaining food and beverages. We then headed out to the nearby reef for a bit of snorkelling. Alberto secured the boat to a mooring buoy just a short swim away from the reef. Puffing and splashing, I struggled to catch up to the group, and then realized that I had forgotten my waterproof camera on the boat. Darn! Swimming back, I could hear my fellow travellers babbling excitedly about the huge black and yellow grouper that Noah had located.
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| Noah Garcia, many talents, snorkel guide |
"Hurry up. Get your camera!" Yeah, yeah. Easy for you to say, I have two speeds when I swim: slow and slower. I never did see the grouper. At the speed I was swimming, he had plenty of time to relocate to another reef or perhaps even another island. I did, however, see beautiful conchs, starfish, angelfish, butterfly fish, a barracuda, and a whole school of yummy-looking dudes that were floating under me. They didn't appear to be worried; perhaps they know they are protected by the National Park.
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| Getting back on the boat |
And then it was time to return to the boat. Thank goodness for the availability of a good study swim ladder to help us reboard. It's always such an awkward exercise removing swim fins, balancing on the ladder, and trying to sling a leg over the side while the boat bobs and dips in the waves. Jacques Cousteau, I'm not.
As we puttered along the shore of Isla Contoy, Alberto slowed the boat to show us a magnificent Manta Ray.
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| Beautiful Manta Ray |
The muscular wingspan of an adult ray can reach up to seven or seven and a half meters across. (That's about 25 feet for my metric-challenged friends.) This Manta Ray cruises around in the sandy shallows of Isla Contoy slurping up its food of choice, tiny inch-long krill, through a wide, forward-facing mouth. Impressive and beautiful, they are endangered in many countries due to commercial fishing of krill, pollution, entanglement in fishing nets, and, recently, the demand for their gill rakers for some types of natural medicines. We didn't disturb him, but we did try to capture the beauty of his enormous wingspan with our cameras.
Our second stop for snorkelling was located on a small part of the nearby Belize Barrier Reef. It is the second-largest barrier reef in the world. It runs along the Mexican coastline from the state of Yucatan, 220 kilometres south to the Gulf of Honduras. The jagged coral beds slow down the rougher ocean waves, but the swimming is considerably more challenging in the resulting currents. I stayed on the boat, enjoying the sun, and let my hardier companions experience the surf. Here, the major excitement was the discovery of a nurse shark lounging in the lee of the coral reef, resting. Perfect. She can rest there, and I'll rest here on the boat.
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| Getting wet - Lynda and Kevin/otherwise known as Joe |
Then we were homeward bound, bouncing through bumpy seas. The waves slapped the bow and splashed over the port (left side) of the panga. One of our boatmates, Doug, wore his snorkel and mask as the warm water splashed over him. It was a wet and laughter-filled ride home.
Sun-baked and tired, we disembarked on the beach, waving goodbye to our new acquaintances.
I needed a shower, a cold drink, and a nap!
Great adventure; thank you, Tony, Alberto and Noah Garcia.
Cheers, Lynda, Lawrie, Sparky, and Thomas the Cat
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| Boatmates! |
The cost includes equipment, cold beverages and a delicious lunch.
Bring a towel, sunscreen lotion, sunglasses, and a camera. Wearing your swimsuit is the easiest solution, as you will be wet several times during the excursion. A long-sleeved shirt to protect your arms from sunburn is also a good idea.
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| Grilled chicken and grilled fish. Yum! |
Murder. Mayhem. Revenge. Romance.
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