Belize Barrier Reef, Dolphins, Mayans and Oil Drilling

A brilliant travel attraction as well as a natural historic wonder of the world, Belize’s Barrier Reef, its corals and its local dolphins are all safe from off shore oil drilling. The small country's Supreme Court declared such drilling illegal and while a legal appeal has been made against this legislation, many hope that the reef and its inhabitants will remain safe.

The advocate organization Oceana has published materials to the effect that oil related Seismic testing beneath the ocean floor near the reef could deafen or even kill the local dolphins and sea turtles. Any oil spill would be devastating to the beautiful biodiversity of plant and animal life in and around the reef, all the way up onto the shores of Belize.

This area is a UNNESCO world Heritage Area deserving of some protections. Harm to the reef and its wildlife and native plant inhabitants could wreck the tourist trade of Belize as well, along with the ecosphere.

This coral reef of Belize is the second largest in world and the longest single such reef in the Northern Hemisphere and in the Western Hemisphere, making it the longest in 3/4 of the entire world. As a sort of historic natural institution of a sort and as a habitat, our allowing irreversible damage to it is not wise. Damage would negatively impact the tourist trade as well as the balance of the local ecology.

The advocate organization Oceana has published materials to the effect that oil related Seismic testing beneath the ocean floor near the reef could deafen or even kill the local dolphins and sea turtles. Any oil spill would be devastating to the beautiful biodiversity of plant and animal life in and around the reef, all the way up onto the shores of Belize.

This area is a UNNESCO world Heritage Area deserving of some protections. Harm to the reef and its wildlife and native plant inhabitants could wreck the tourist trade of Belize as well, along with the ecosphere.

This coral reef of Belize is the second largest in world and the longest single such reef in the Northern Hemisphere and in the Western Hemisphere, making it the longest in 3/4 of the entire world. As a sort of historic natural institution of a sort and as a habitat, our allowing irreversible damage to it is not wise. Damage would negatively impact the tourist trade as well as the balance of the local ecology.

Archaeological and historical evidence of the civilization and villages of Mayans and their current descendants has been found around Mexico and Central America.

This is particularly true of locations in the countries adjacent to southern Mexico, especially Belize. There, Caracol is the largest Mayan site of them all (see related links below).

An ongoing research dig in the Mexico-Belize area found a new Mayan site in southern Mexico very close to Belize and just north of the Xunantunich in Western Belize.

The newly found Mayan civilization site includes hundreds of acres of engraved upright slabs that are felt to be memorials of some kind, Mayan ball courts, tall pyramids up to 75 feet in height, and other structures and artifacts.

The links below describe some interesting aspects of Mayan history, art, and culture.

• Mayan Ball Games
• Mayan Prophecies and Calandar
• Chocolate Production
• Salsa Among the Mayans

US Embassy, Belmopan
# 4 Floral Park Road
Belmopan, Cayo District
Belize, Central America
Telephone: 011-501-822-4011
FAX: 011-501-822-4050; Email: embbelize@state.gov

Consulate of Canada in Belize City

80 Princess Margaret Drive; Belize City, Belize

Phone: (501) 223-1060; FAX: (501) 223-006; Email: cdncon.bze@btl.net

Embassy of Mexico in Belmopan

3 North Ring Road; P.O. Box: 388; Belmopan, Belize

Phone: (501) 822-0406, 822-2480; FAX: (501) 822-2487; Email: embamexbze@btl.net

The region of the Maya Mountains is the Toledo District of the country, something akin to a US State in America.

Punta Gorda is the capital of this area that is full of rain forests, caves, and sand islands (cayes) atop coral reefs. Some of the places to visit in these mountains are:

• Burton Caliz Farm and Eladio Pops Farm
• Blue Creek Cave
• Maya Mountains Research Farm
• San Antonio Waterfall
• Santa Cruz Waterfall
• Tapir Mountain Natural Preserve - The tapir is a prominent animal in this country.

The Audubon Society has a major presence in this country, with several facilities and many visitors and residents that appreciate the wildlife of the area.

Belize supoorts hundreds of species of birds to see and specialized birding trips are available.

All this activity is in addition to boating, sport fishing, snorkeling, swimming, and touring of many types.

For years, a supervisor for whom I worked spent two weeks each summer in the country of Belize. He enjoyed the seashore and its attractions, but also spent much time in Belize City. He never tired of the country as a vacation and sightseeing spot.

Belize, once called British Honduras until the 1970s, is at the top of Central America, adjacent to the southernmost part of Mexico, and co vers about 12,240 square miles of land. The Caribbean Sea lies to the east.

The local barrier reef is over 180 miles long and lies just east of Belize. Its distance from shore varies along its length, ranging from about 1,000 feet in the north to 25 miles in the south. However, at Rocky Point, it touches the shoreline. Still, sightseers need to take water transportation to the reef, because it is difficult to navigate by foot or swimming.

The area of the coral reef is large, 370 square miles near Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reserve, also close to Blue Hole Natural Monument, and Half Moon Caye Natural Monument, Ambergris Caye, and other features. Ambergris Caye is the most popular spot each year, because of the Blue Hole underwater cave, but there are plant of other attractions to enjoy.

One unique attraction that many do not know is the Maya Mountains Research Farm. In the southern part of Belize, the farm is a non-governmental organization that promotes sustainable agriculture and permaculture principles. The staff work on projects with universities in the southern USA and offer a yearly permaculture design course. Currently, one of their big projects is vanilla growing, in which the growing process naturally requires hand pollination and 9 months of growth and the curing of the beans requires 9 months more. Of over 600 plant species tended, cacao is another important small crop here.

• Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley - Snorkeling and SCUBA diving at San Pedro Ambergris Cay

  Visit coral reefs, snorkel with sharks and sting rays, experience Belize's first marine park, photos of marine life in Belize.

• Lamanai Field Research Center

  Lamanai Field Research Center promotes sustainable utilization of Belize’s natural and cultural resources for the benefit of the Belizean people, through research in the Lamanai area, and through national education and ecotourism opportunities.

• Lamanai Outpost Lodge Official Website Belize Archaeology Nature Birdwatching Tours
• Xunantunich.com — Maiden of the Rock | Belize Maya | Cayo Belize

  Xunantunich - The Maiden Of The Rock, San Ignacio, Belize, near the Mopan River.