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| Belize's Famous Blue Hole |
Scuba divers love these sinkholes because it's a bit different from a regular dive where you find all the interesting stuff on the bottom; in these holes all you see is darkness when you look down and the cool stuff is all along the walls. There are often underwater caves in these holes that contain stalagmites and stalactites.
Stalactites are like icicles that hang from cave ceilings. They are made from water that has a lot of minerals in it dripping from above. Stalagmites are made sort of the same way only they're on the ground and develop when the water drops... the minerals build up and form the spikes.
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| Stalactites |
If you ever have to do a science project on this subject, here's an easy way to remember the difference between the two: the word stalactites has a "c" ( think ceiling) and stalagmites has a "g" (think ground).
To learn more about caves and speleothems, click here... then come back and tell me if you have anything made from limestone in your house!
Another reason the ocean here is pretty cool is the barrier reef.
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| Barrier reef |
It is one of the longest reefs in the world and it's made up of more than 100 different kinds of coral. Coral reefs are the most diverse habitats in the world and scientists say that they have only discovered about 10 of the species that live in this reef. I wonder if I'll discover the next one!
I think the coolest part of the reef is a popular dive spot, called Shark Ray Alley. It's a spot where fisherman used to clean the fish they caught and Nurse sharks and rays started hanging around to snack on the fish scraps. Now they come right over when they see a boat! Sounds a bit dangerous but Nurse sharks are harmless and it's safe to swim with them here. I can't wait to check this out when I get to Belize... click here for more about Shark Ray Alley.
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| Shark Ray Alley |
Oh, and I almost forgot the turtles... (sorry Evan).
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| Loggerhead Sea Turtle |
There are three kinds of sea turtles that live in the waters of Belize. (Green, Hawksbill and Loggerhead) They can live between 30 and 50 years... if they're lucky. These cool creatures have a lot against them for survival. I'm sad to say that humans are one of their biggest predators. If you haven't seen the movie "Shark Water" you definitely should.
Please go to http://www.savingsharks.com/ to see how you can help.
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