Belize Update - Setup for our 25th Season

I always love arriving in Belize. I get such a great feeling from all the smiling faces and warm welcome. It is exactly as I remember the greeting I have always received beginning with the first time I came down to Belize and every year after that since 1992. All you guys traveling back to Belize with us this year know exactly what I am talking about. We are now 5 days into season set up; the office is open, phones and internet on, kayaks are on the racks and vehicles are all serviced, licensed and ready to roll. I made my first reccy to Halfmoon Caye at Lighthouse Reef and the island is looking great. The Belize Audubon crew have been working hard cleaning debris from the beach and gathering the fallen trees and branches from back to back storms. I got my first glance of the fallen historical lighthouse and got a chance to meet with island staff and Belize Audubon directors. I am amazed at how the boobies, pelican and frigate survived the hurricane but even more by how quickly they have rebuilt their nests just in time for the start of nesting season. On a sad note some turtle nests were washed away during the storm. Similar beach clean up has been completed at Tobacco and Southwater Caye. Reports from Glovers are that all infrastructure is intact and affects from the storm are mostly debris, washed up logs and a few fallen coconut trees.  There are some reports of erosion on one of the beaches but as nature often does there is a large build up of sand 60 yards down beach to the west.  Tomorrow we will be heading out there with a crew to begin cleanup, setting basecamp and getting some Caribbean sun and ocean salt on my skin. The mood in Dangriga town is great! Garifuna settlement day is around the corner, tourists are already flooding into town. We are all getting excited, the weather is awesome and we await the arrival of our next Paradise Islands kayak and snorkel trip arriving next week.    Denver Willson-Rymer Director