Check out this local catch of fresh lobster, which was part of opening day of the Lobster Festival on Caye Caulker, in Belize. They even had a parade! Catch, clean, cook, consume. You can be sure I partook of this delicious crustacean later in the evening. Mmmmmm…lobster!

Caye Caulker is a chilled-out, relaxing caye one mile west of the Belize barrier reef. Only 5 miles long with a population of about 1,300, this island is a blend of several distinct cultures, including the Mestizo, Maya, Garifuna, Creole, and Mennonite.

“Cay Corker”, as it was spelled on early British maps, was known for its supply of fresh water, and it was where sailors could replenish and cork up water bottles. The Spanish call it Cayo Hicaco, which means “island of the cocoplum”. It is known for its fishing industry (especially lobster) and also for its tradition of ship-building.

This picture shows a typical flat fishing boat, which can be pushed/pulled with a large rod or stick in the shallow waters.

As they say on the island, “No Shoes, No shirt, No Problem!”

Adventure on,

Kristen

Sorry for no posts recently, but Miss Gill has gone fishin’! I just recently came back from a month+ trip to Belize and Guatemala, and am just now sorting through literally thousands of photos. Here are some from a recent fishing trip that I took off Ambergris Caye in Belize.

I started out the day early (had to wake at 5am and be on the boat dock by 5:45am). Here’s me looking not so lovely at that dastardly hour of the morn. I seem to have good luck wearing skirts while fishing. Works like a charm.

Our guide’s name was Omar, and he was a pro at finding good spots for us to fish. But first we had to go get our bait. No ordering from a bait shop here. We headed out to a certain section of water to cast for sardines, which we caught and later used as bait for the bigger fish. Sardines were found in this area:

Our goal was tarpon, but we didn’t catch any of those. Even though we spotted many, they were quite elusive. I did catch a barracuda! Nice teeth! The one I caught was only about 1.5 feet, but a guy on our boat caught a four-footer.

I cannot explain in words how beautiful this water is. Hopefully my photos can!

Mangroves and shallow water, where the tarpon and barracudas hang out:

Conch fishing and the cleaned out shells:

Fisherpeople: 

And their rods:

And, the obligatory beer:

Catch and release, baby!

Kristen