I had a general idea of what my day to day would be like in Belize, or so I thought. I knew the locations and that we would be snorkeling, researching, and ending the night with a lecture about ecological conservation. Once we settled at Lime Caye, the first island we stayed on, I soon realized I was wrong. A typical day involved waking up at sunrise to read or watch pelicans dive for fish on a beach at a tropical island which was followed by a homemade breakfast to fuel us for a morning snorkel. After lunch, we would snorkel at unimaginable reefs that preserved the beauty of marine life. Not one day on Lime Caye did I experience exhaustion or burnout, it was a dream that younger me could not have envisioned. Although superficial aquariums are not my favorite, they will never compare to seeing and interacting with wildlife firsthand.
The most memorable outing we had was a man’s eco-farm located in San Pedro Columbia. I won’t go into too much detail in case whoever is reading this takes the Belize course, I believe this one is meant to be experienced spoiler free. Eladio is an eccentric and insanely unique character and I have never met anyone like him. It is hard to find the right words to describe how passionate this man is about his life work. He has a strong dedication to establishing a sustainable way of life that keeps a balance between the jungle, its inhabitants, and his family. Eladio is determined to preserve what he can from the tiny ants to the massive hundred-year-old trees. His ultimate goal is to live in nature while having nature provide for he and his family.
