Turneffe Atoll
Off the coast of Belize a seamount rises to the surface. Its summit forms an island and on the island is a resort known as Turneffe Island Resort. It is a paradise for scuba divers and fishermen. It charm small size of the operation and the pristine waters that surrounds it.e
Atoll we lived a week of our lives . Upon its waters of Caribbean azure blue, sun splashed, hypnotic, time rapidly slipped away. It was a blur of skimming in the dive boat, backward rolls into the sea laden with scuba equipment, weightless drifts along the sea floor surrounded by the kaleidoscope of coral and reef fish sea. Even in these idyllic circumstances danger lurks in the form of toxic sea
creatures and the physics of diving.
Our journey began at 4am in the cold and dark of Chicago's northern suburbs. Aboard the 5 am taxi to O'Hare the Russian cabbie tells of living in Kiev during the Chernobyl disaster. For some reason he couldn't drive smoothly on the icy roads the car kept surging ahead his driving because he couldn't maintain a steady speed. Or maybe it was the ancient taxi trying to cope with the icy highway. With two hours before our flight we arrived at O'Hare, checked a couple bags and fell into the nightmare that is airport security. After spending 40 minutes in line, the TSA dude informed us we had too many 3 ounce bottles of liquid in our carry on. It had to be checked, so it was through security again. No time for breakfast just on the plane to Miami where a morbidly obese woman next to us struggled to make her seatbelt stretch.
On the flight from Miami to Belize we sat next to the Mr. Klutz. He was tall and ungainly in the aisle seat. Ms. Klutz knew better that to try and share an armrest with him. He claimed the armrest and defended like a junkyard dog. She sat he the aisle across from him. Somehow his belongings made their way into my wife's foot space. Their loud conversations across aisle while being generally annoying did provide some mild amusement for the fellow passengers. As it turns out Mr and Ms Klutz will be with us all week. ot only were that also headed to Turneffe Island but they had the room next to us in our duplex cottage with the paper thin walls.
We are assailed by her whining complaints. Of course they are on our daily dives where they tread on the coral and on our and the dive master's heads. We struggled to be free of them as was our dive master was constantly pulling them off the coral fronds.
On shore they argue with one another in loud voices at great distances. That gave us fair warning to head the other way..
It took us a long time to retrieve our luggage at the Belize City airport. The porter eager for tips told us we are the last to arrive. A van was waiting. We boarded as did The Klutz's. They were going to the very same resort as us. It's driver also wanted a tip. We drove through the roughly paved roads of Belize City to the harbor where we boarded one of the Turneffe Island resort's two shuttle boats for the hour and a half cruise out to the atoll.
On the flats around the island swim the bonefish permit and tarpon so prized by the fishermen. We start getting acquainted with our fellow guests and the resort staff. When we arrive at the island the entire kitchen and housekeeping staff are on he dock to welcome us. We find our room, asked the it be changed due to the slamming of doors and needlessly loud conversation of the Klutz couple. We have dinner served family style in the communal dining room then we tired travelers all hit the sack early. Next day we are in the diving skiff with dive master Brad and captain Marcel both genial and dark skinned sons of Belize. We are pleased with the condition of the reef and Brads pinpoint spearing of lionfish. These beautiful invasive fish voraciously devour every other living thing unchecked by any natural predator. It takes a shot to the head to kill them. A spear through the body is ineffectual. Only If the are properly flayed will the trigger, grouper and snapper eat them. On the first couple of days of diving we were rewarded with several sightings of Eagle Rays' Hawksbill turtles, bearded toadfish, flamingo tongue, red tipped sea goddess. Rock beauty, queen trigger French angels, a mesmerizing and kaleidoscopic display lobsters waving their tentacles angrily large morays swimming after us grown used to the handouts of slain lion fish from the dive master.
The island is low, only mangroves and a spit of beach where the guesthouses and dining hall are arranged deprecate it from the surrounding flats. The boat dock was the center of activity each morning where the divers and fisherman met their guides and learn what adventures lay in store.
Sun splayed flats harbor the bonefish, permit and tarpon the well heeled sportsman pursue walking the flats or being poled along above the turtle grass exposed to the winds.
From Our veranda we hear the powerful unrelenting roar of the surf as it breaks upon the reef. We can see no other signs of civilization other than our compound on the Turneffe Island, a tiny spit of coconut palms and mangrove situated in the southern end of the vast Turneffe atoll.
The boat ride in. We ride atop the flying bridge protected by plastic and zippers from the stinging spray.
Luis our captain negotiates the heavy sea , cuts power, alters course to turn into the wave , the big boat rolls and pitches its way to the Belize city dock where local vendors wait trying to sell their handicrafts to the departing guests of the private and remote resort. The dock is the only place where they can approach them. The guests don't want to be approached the walk to the rad disown to use the bathroom then on to the airport. They are done with Belize for now. It's back to their communities to pay their bills in America check their bank accounts stock their refrigerators adjust their furnace for the late winter chill in St Cloud or Akron
Diving in the cold front, wind whipping the wave top, Chilling wind
Boat rocking. Out of the wind below the boat a warm ocean awaits. Under the sea the light is diffused. Subtly lit corals wave in the current, green, purple, orange, red and really red.
