Our final day at Tobacco Caye was very eventful! For the first half of the day we took some time to sort out and label all the insects we've collected from the Trek Stop and Mopan River areas. We cataloged a total of 17 orders and 79 families collected and seen so far... not too shabby!
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| Labeling insects and preserving them in vials of alcohol |
Afterwards, we still had the rest of the day to snorkel and explore different islands and mangroves near Tobacco Caye. We cruised around Bird Island first, a refuge where frigatebirds and brown-footed boobies congregate and nest.
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| A male frigatebird |
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| A female frigatebird |
Next, we were on our way to the mangroves. As our luck would have it, we spotted two manatees! We were quick to slip off our boat with our snorkeling gear to visit one of these endangered creatures up close. He/she didn't stick around for long, but it was certainly a special and unforgettable experience!
Snorkeling along the mangroves was a relaxing endeavor compared to the rolling tides along the reefs. The water was calm, and there were many interesting corals, fish, and even a sea bed covered in upside-down jellyfish to check out.
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| Upside-down jellyfish |
Our last stop in our snorkeling adventure was at a channel along the reef. The water here was clear and less turbulent, and schools of fish migrated along the corals.
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| Squirrelfish |
More updates to come soon!
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