A Day at Lime Caye

Lime Caye is an exciting destination and snorkeling here is probably one of the most adventurous parts of your journey. While every student going to Lime Caye looks forward to the snorkeling, the little island has so much more to offer. Your days at Lime Caye are going to be full of adventure, wild life and so many memories.

Lime Caye is located within the Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve, a nationally protected marine reserve established in 1996. The island  is amongst the southern most group of islands in the Belize Barrier Reef which is the second longest barrier reef in the entire world.

As your day at Lime Caye begins you will eat breakfast, probably fry jacks, creole bread, or Johnny cake,  which are all local favorites. From there you’ll get ready to snorkel and adventure the waters near Lime Caye. Be sure to lather up with some environmentally friendly sunscreen before you hop in to the water to avoid burns and hurting the reef. On your first snorkel the Marine staff will fit you for the gear they have provided and give a tutorial about how to use it. Don’t be worried if you’re not a strong swimmer or have never snorkeled before, the buoyant snorkel vest will keep you floating and the staff is always near by if you have any questions or concerns. While you’re snorkeling you will come across many marine organisms you may not recognize. Feel free to ask the staff what they are and any other questions you have about them. Like the student pictured to the left, you may have just come across a Sea Cucumber! Before touching any wildlife make sure to ask your guide if it is okay, they know which ones you can touch and how you should handle them. Touching some of the animals or coral could hurt you or the wildlife so this is extremely important. Your snorkel trip will last anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour, then it’s time to head back to shore, dry off, and get ready for some island activities.

Lime Caye has plenty of entertainment for during the snorkeling breaks. Whether you are playing volleyball, journaling, preparing your project if you have one, exploring the island, having a hermit crab race or just relaxing on the beach, the time will fly by and soon it will be lunch time! For lunch you can usually expect tortillas, beans, rice and steamed veggies. If your group goes fishing, fresh seafood caught by you will also be served. These foods are all Belizean favorites and are staples to their meals at home. After lunch you’ll have a little bit more of down time and then it’s time to hop back in the Caribbean Sea!

Depending on how long each snorkel trip is, you may go snorkel for a third time or you may head over to Hunting Caye. Hunting Caye is an adjacent Caye where the Belize Fisheries Department and the Belizean Coast Guard will give a presentation. The presentation will be all about how they control illegal fishing, the laws of the marine reserve, and some of the wildlife you may have encountered. If a marine biologist is also at the presentation you’ll likely learn about the lion fish, the coral reef, and any project they are working on at the time. Feel free to ask them questions, they love to talk about Belize and give the students as much information as possible.

Once the presentation is over you’ll head back to Lime Caye to grab some dinner and relax for the night. You can expect food similar to lunch, a stew, or a new recipe if Ms. Sandra is feeling creative. Many students like to take a little nap in a hammock while they watch the sunset from the beach. Once you start to get tired, which will probably be early after such an adventurous day, you can grab a shower and head off to bed. While staying at Lime Caye you will be sleeping in a dorm like building, each room has two bunk beds prepared for you when you arrive. If you dare to be different, some students will stay in a tent or even sleep in a hammock.

Whether you are at Lime Caye for a night or for three nights you are guaranteed to have an adventurous story to tell about the locals, the animals and plants you saw in the sea, or even the hermit crab races. The island is calling you, get ready to answer.