The Belize barrier reef is one of a small group of natural sites where we have visited the “natural phenomenon” but have not actually entered the detailed boundaries delineated by the nomination (limited in this case to 7 relatively small reserves from an overall reef length of almost 300kms). This was largely because we visited it in 1985 ten years before its inscription. Now it may be that the sea is much bluer, the fish much finer and the coral much more spectacular within the boundaries!! But we are not great snorkelers and don’t dive at all so some of the attractions such as the “Blue Hole” would not have been directly accessible to us.

So what was it like? It is one of those useless travel-related “trivia” that the Belize reef is the “second biggest barrier reef in the world” (After the “Great Barrier Reef”)! However in geological terms it is quite special:- “Belize also has one of the most diverse reef ecosystems in the world, with all the main types of reef represented: fringing reefs along the mainland coast; the Barrier Reef itself which grows along the edge of the continental shelf, separated from the mainland by the lagoon; and three offshore atolls …. The presence of atolls is unusual. Most atolls are found in the Pacific, where they form on the top of submerged volcanoes. Very few occur in the Caribbean, and they differ in structure, the three in Belize for example lying on non-volcanic submarine ridges” (Sue Wells, UNDP/GEF Coastal Zone Management Project, Belize).

We certainly saw some attractive marine life when we snorkelled there but I couldn’t comment on how it ranks among the world’s marine destinations. We are happy with what we saw of the reef and enjoyed Belize as a destination, but see no need to return for more, even “inside” the boundaries. However there must also be some doubt about what we would actually see now. To quote from http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/science/nature/5064870.stm “Scientists in Belize ….. say the 297km (185 mile) reef here has suffered more than 40% damage since 1998”. As for not actually having entered the WHS, I doubt if St Peter will be quizzing me on my visit and I regard WHS “collection” as a hook to hang travel experiences on rather than as a “moral issue”!

As for Belize itself as a destination, Aldous Huxley wrote of if “If the world had any ends British Honduras would certainly be one of them”. This was back in 1934 and there are certainly many more deserving candidates nowadays but it gives a feel for the laid back atmosphere of the place. Another possibly unfair quotation is one by Norman Lewis in 1959 who said that “One of the first things that strike the newcomer to Belize who has seen anything of life in the West Indies is the mysterious absence of anything that might come under the heading of having a good time”. Indeed it may not be Trinidad with its Carnival, but the contrast between the lively Caribbean-based culture of Belize and the quieter Amerindian indigeno culture of Guatemala just a few miles away is very noticeable. We experienced it when we entered Belize overland from Tikal. From Belize City we got out to the reef at Caye Caulker on one of the frequent water taxis (around 45 minutes journey). This island (actually split in 2) is situated in the northern section of the reef but south of the main tourist resort on Ambergris Caye. Tourism here is very much “locals based” and we stayed in a fisherman’s house right on the beach. As we didn’t have an underwater camera the only photo we have of the reef is from this guest house out to the breakers about a mile away on the horizon looking over the boat we hired to take us out. Although designated as “Caye Caulker Marine Reserve” the reef here was not included as part of the WHS. The IUCN evaluation indicates that it is possible to hire boats from Caye Caulker to visit designated parts of the reef - Amergris Caye might however be better for such services?