Hi All,

I realize that AC is on a reef. So does that mean that the entire ocean floor is basically coral bottom? I guess what I am asking is aqua shoes necessary everywhere? I also keep noticing people talking about sea grass. Is that everywhere as well?

Thanks,

Jim

Hi Jim.

This'll be my first time there, but from my experience at various other caribbean destinations, and an experienced diver, I recommend water shoes no matter where you destination is on an ocean.

Even on Mexico's nicest beaches, sharp shards of sea shells or coral can be found, or worse yet, urchins.

It's always better to be safe, than to be sorry.

Hey jim,
It dosn't mean that the whole ocean floor is covered with coral or sea grass for that matter. There are places that do have those types of bottoms. I have swam from shore and never had a problem. The Reef system is about a hundreds yards or so from the shore line and the turtle grass can be any where.But I do have to agree with Canuk-diver it is better to be safe than sorry, I always where them. Have a great trip and if you use your aqua shoes you are sure not to let your trip it get ruined from stepping on something sharp or posionis

AC is made of rock, not coral, though obviously there's a lot of coral around. Most of the seabed just off AC is sand (which may be largely coral sand, I don't know) and sea grass. I would never walk anywhere I couldn't see without shoes on, but locals do it all the time and rarely have injuries.

I just got back from 11 days of walking & wading while fishing the shoreline around San Pedro. Aqua shoes are the way to go. Wore mine almost all of the time I was there. The sea grass is no problem, but there is a lot of coral and more than a few conchs buried in the sand. Litter can be a problem, too. There's no deposit on glass bottles (subject of another thread I'm going to bring up)!

Just a note to ibbrian --- here in Belize there is a 25 cent deposit on almost all most soda and beer bottles.
The exceptions are Guinness and premium Belikin. Apparently the bottlers cannot re-use those bottles.

where do you return the bottles?

on Caye Caulker, return to any store that sells em. Never got any cash back...just more full bottles.

never got cash back? doesn't sound like much of a deposit.

He's referring to applying the return deposit to new purchases of beer. At the distributor in SP (I was buying it by the case) I paid 20 cents Bz per bottle and was credited when I returned the bottles (and $2 for the container) for a new one. We went through a few!

when i left corozal, brought back my bottles and crate to the distributor, and they gave me cash back

http://ambergriscaye.com/maps/index.html

Beachlife There are maps and other great info provided by Marty on this website.

No the entire ocean floor is not coral rock on the surface of the ocean floor. In fact in San Pedro it is quite sandy in many areas. The biomes or biological areas that support different sealife are quite different. For example in the shallow water from reef to shore it is very sandy, this is where starfish and shells would be more populated. When I was shelling, we would go to different areas for different conch shells - king, queen, milk, fire maybe? it is very orange/red/pink, helmet shells, etc.
Near the reef, along it in some locations but not in the same areas we would fish for snapper, grouper, jack, etc. Also there are many varieties of coral, it isn't all the same - black, pink, fire, brain, elkhorn, etc. The Corals are living sea creatures surrounded by a hard exterior. That is one reason why they are so fragile, if the coral dies, dead coral rock is left behind. In fact old coral is called rock by many of the locals.

Hey Pedro2 - I believe the rock that makes Ambergris Caye is actually limestone which happens to be geologically old coral!
Belize it!

I just got back from the island on Saturday, I had a great time! Great snorkeling and diving. Lots of sand as well as coral formations on the bottom. I suggest driving as far north as possible and walking in to snorkel...watch for boats, the further north the better (and if you use a dock, just make sure if you ask permission!

there is a deposit on guiness and primium bottles. guiness is 10 cents not sure about primium. but anyway.... foot ware is nice. flip flops are just fine. many of the beaches have sea grass around close to shore. Ramons is nice for swimming with very little grass

Yes, VERY old coral! Plus other odds & sods. Which is what Lighthouse Atoll/Blue Hole is made from.

For the pedants amongst us, the Blue Hole is not made of limestone, but the rock surrounding it is. And some of the caves on the side are believed to be directly linked to sinkholes on the mainland.

Thanks Pedro2 - just didn't want any Northerners expecting granite & sandstone!
So the Blue hole is geologically old - any live coral still survive there?

I've never seen any coral inside the BH, all the way to the bottom. The sides are slightly undercut, so the side profile is a cone with gently converging sides - probably too steep for coral to gain a hold. Plenty around the rim of course.

The BH is geologically new - I think it only dates from the last ice age or maybe the one before.

Thanks Pedro2 -have yet to get there!