Belize Scuba
US Department Of State Post Report
Tennis, fishing, boating and golf are common in the area. The Club Campestre has tennis courts and a swimming pool, as do the Club Libanes and Club Bancarious. Reasonably priced riding classes are also available at stables just north of town. Cancun and Merida both have 18-hole golf courses. All sports equipment, including tennis balls, is expensive, thus many people bring their own. The beach at Progreso, where cottages may be rented, is about a 20-minute drive by car and ocean fishing is a common pastime. Scuba diving and snorkeling are popular at Isla Mujeres, Cancun and Cozumel, all of which are accessible for weekend trips. ... [Read More]
US Department Of State Post Report
The emerald and turquoise waters of the Bahamas set the backdrop for sports at post. Swimming, fishing, boating, sailing, scuba diving, snorkeling, and water skiing are excellent year round. Instruction is available for all sports, but may entail club memberships. ... [Read More]
US Department Of State Post Report
The Bay Islands range from 20 to 40 miles off the north coast. The largest three are Roatán, Guanaja, and Utila, all available by single engine plane via La Ceiba. The scuba diving, snorkeling, and fishing in these islands are excellent. ... Honduras offers a variety of sports activities for all ages including hiking, fishing, scuba diving, snorkeling, white water rafting and horseback riding. The La Tigra National Park, a cloud forest about 40 minutes from town, offers excellent hiking opportunities. Fishing is most frequently done in the Gulf of Fonseca, about two hours away. Water sports are mostly confined to the north coast, about five hours north by car, or the Bay Islands, about five hours away by plane. Vehicle transportation within Honduras can be dangerous, however, and a high degree of caution is needed when traveling outside the city. ... [Read More]
Communities Around the Globe Protect the Underwater World, by Brian Huse, Global Issues, April 2004
In Bali, Indonesia, the scuba diving industry is large and varied, with limited communication between businesses. The dive operators recognized the need to work together to address threats to local reefs from anchor damage, destructive fishing, land- and marine-based pollution, and sedimentation from coastal erosion. The dive operators met in January this year and decided to use Dive In To Earth Day as motivation to take action. They formed a “Dive In Bali” committee, and plans are now underway to install a series of mooring buoys at various dive sites on the island to prevent anchors from damaging fragile corals. The committee is also preparing to hold a community awareness festival, underwater reef cleanup, and slide show at a village elementary school. ... [Read More]
US Department Of State Post Report
Surf and deep-sea fishing may be enjoyed on either coast where tarpon, barracuda, shark, sailfish, red snapper, bonito, blue marlin, and tuna are common. Puerto Ixtapa, on the Guatemala's south coast, has one of the most famous catch-and-release sailfish fisheries in the world. Lakes and rivers provide freshwater fishing. Sailing and windsurfing are available on lakes and at the Atlantic coast. Whitewater river rafting expeditions from Class I to IV, day trips, and extended weekend trips, are possible from Guatemala City through a local tour agency. Open-water scuba diving courses and excursions are offered through PADI certified instructors. ... [Read More]
US Department Of State Post Report
Adequate exercise and outdoor recreation are essential to morale and physical well-being in Belize. Opportunities for outdoor recreation are limitless, while those who don’t like the outdoors are likely to find life here frustrating. Jogging and bicycling are popular. Close proximity to some of the world’s most beautiful boating and swimming makes this an ideal post for water sports. Sailing, canoeing (on rivers), sea kayaking, motorboating, SCUBA, snorkeling, fishing, and exploring the barrier reef and the cayes are popular activities. From Belize City, water taxis take you out to the cayes. There are plenty of boats for hire, or bring your own. Some U.S. personnel have even purchased excellent locally built craft. Outboard motors are in ample supply and cheaper than in the U.S. Races for various classes of local and imported sailboats are held two or three times a year. Fishing tournaments, too, are held several times a year. Manatee can be seen upriver; and it is possibl ... [Read More]
Visitor Information
The cayes (pronounced keys), the offshore atolls, and the barrier reef are the main attraction to Belize. The barrier reef, which is 185 miles long, is the longest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere. The cayes are islands and/or mangroves, that are located between the mainland and the barrier reef, on the barrier reef, and on or within the barrier reef perimeters of the offshore atolls. Although the mangrove cayes are normally uninhabitable by humans, they do provide a superior habitat for birds and marine life. Many birds, fish, shellfish, and marine organisms begin their lives within the protection of the mangrove. On the other hand, the island cayes, which are distinguishable by their palm trees, have provided the foundation for the development of many fine resorts to serve water sports enthusiasts and marine naturalists. The cayes and atolls are excellent for SCUBA diving, sn ... [Read More]
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