Belize's Tourism package received a boost earlier today from the online search engine, yahoo.com. The article listed the top ten destinations tourists should visit before they disappear and Belize's Barrier Reef, particularly the Blue Hole was listed as the number one destination in the world. Although the article pointed out the diversity of sea life on the reef, the reason for the visit is because it, like so many other natural wonders, is under threat. The Yahoo article says, "the Belize reef suffered a severe bleaching in 1998, with a loss of fifty percent of its coral in many areas, including much of its distinctive staghorn coral. Since the bleaching, its decline has continued, due to global warming of the world’s seas, agricultural pollution, development, and increasing tourism, which has given rise to more coastal development and an invasion of cruise ships." The list included places such as: the poles, the Congo Basin, Madagascar, and the Dead Sea.
Channel 5