Lionfish Captured

It was bound to happen. After 3 reported lionfish sightings at "The Arena" and "The Finger", 2 dive sites in the immediate vicinity of Hugh Parkey's Belize Adventure Lodge; we have caught our first lionfish. The difference is that this one was not out at the reef but just in front of the lodge. While conducting a routine boat cleaning in a shallow grass bed our crew noticed the lionfish swimming around a sunken log no deeper than 10 feet. Instructor Emicel Tepaz and Dive Master Roberto Carlos Vasquez managed to guide the fish into a bag and brought it up to the boat where it was placed into a bucket. The lionfish is a juvenile about 3 inches in length and similar to native reef fish species had settled in the protective area around grass beds and mangrove roots. The fish is being held in captivity and its future is yet to be decided.

Photo: Aldo Perez

Crazy 8s August 8 Day Dive Special

It's Summer time and we are going crazy with our "Crazy 8's August Special". Our 8 day dive package is being given away through the entire month of August for only USD$888.00. based on double occupancy. This includes meet and greet services at Belize International Airport, transfers from the airport to our private island, 7 nights accommodations in our over-the-water cabanas, breakfast, lunch, dinner, daily bar snacks, 6 days of 2 tank dives, at the Barrier Reef and Turneffe Atoll, tanks and weights. As usual you get complimentary use of our kayaks. No restrictions on arrival days therefore you can take advantage of last minute flight specials. You can also check out our websites for Belize Dive Connection and Belize Adventure Lodge for more information or drop me a note right here and i'll adress your concerns.

Looking Back at 2008

We have to admit that the most unique project we participated on in 2008 was a featured spot on NBC’s Today Show in November. We had the pleasure of hosting their crew for an episode of a programming block called "The Ends of the Earth," part of NBC Universal's "Green Week," which raises awareness about climate change and endangered environments. The show was aired live from different locations throughout the country. Matt Lauer, host of the show, is not a certified SCUBA diver and we had the privilege of giving him his first ever Discover Scuba Diving experience. We did the confined water training at Banyan Bay Resort in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, and one of the shows opened with him diving Hol Chan Marine Reserve under the careful supervision of our Instructor. We also took their crew out to the Blue Hole in Lighthouse Reef Atoll where we were joined by Fabien Cousteau, grandson of legendary oceanographer Jacques Cousteau who first explored the Blue Hole in 1972. After an early morning dive in the Blue Hole with Fabien and Matt the Today Show aired live from the Blue Hole.

Photo Credits: Left - Instructor Pablo Gorosica introduces SCUBA equipment to Matt Lauer for the NBC cameras. (Joel Parkey)

Right - Matt Lauer with our crew at the Blue Hole. (Romi Badillo)

SCUBA Instruction for the Summer

As the summer approaches we will be conducting more SCUBA Instruction to keep us cool during the hot months. Customized packages are always available. With 5 PADI Instructors on staff and several others on call along with a large fleet of dive boats we can handle any large number of students. An Open Water Course can be done in as little as 3 days while Open Water Referrals require only 2 days, Rescue Diver takes less than 5 days while Dive Master can be completed in less than 10 days. You can also choose to do a Dive Master Internship with Hugh Parkey's Belize DIve Connection logging your required dives in real time scenarios, conducting dive briefings, leading dives and assisting wioth students. If you are a non diver and not sure about giving it a shot you can participate in a half day Discover Scuba Diving Program and it will credit towards your certification if you wish to continue. Equipment is included in the Discover Scuba Diving class, Open Water Scuba Course, and the Open Water Referral.

Included in our calendar of activities for this summer are numerous courses to introduce Belizeans to the diving scene. We are in the process of finalizing dates for our annual PADI Open Water Scuba Diver Course for the YMCA. This is just one of the many charitable projects the Hugh Parkey’s Belize Adventures Group carries out every year to introduce the Belizean public to various marine activities available. In the past many Belizean children and teenagers have obtained SCUBA certifications through our collaboration with the YMCA in their summer programs. Also planned for this summer is our PADI Dive Master Course for locals interested in a career in the SCUBA Diving industry. Over the years we have certified several PADI Professionals who are active and productive in the tourism industry. To keep with the tradition the courses starting from Open Water will be offered to Belizeans at discount prices. An internship with Hugh Parkey’s Belize Dive Connection is also included in the course. The better part of the program is that we are looking for more staff and will hire candidates who excel in our courses provided other criteria is met including a valid tour guide license.

Photo credit: Instructors conducting confined water training in a protected part of the reef in front of Hugh Parkey's Belize Adventure Lodge. (Tony Rath)

Whale Shark Diving

Our Whale Shark Package is still available for the remainder of the season. We had our first successful dives during the April Full Moon. A weekend of diving at Gladden Spit Marine Reserve with an overnight at Pelican Beach Resort on Southwater Caye. We had more than just whale sharks during these wonderful dives. We sighted huge schools of snapper, jacks, reef sharks, and even a scalloped hammerhead along with the elusive whale shark.

Dive Master Denroy Usher stated that the guests were really excited throughout the 4 dives and the adrenaline just hiked up when the whale shark encounter happened. Spaces are still available for the May, June, and July full moons. These include 2 days diving at Gladden Split Marine Reserve, overnight at Pelican Beach Resort on Southwater caye, Marine Park entry fees, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, tanks, and weights. If you don’t have time this year you can reserve your spaces for next year. Package and detailed information are available through our reservations office.

Photos by Joel Parkey