The Blackbird Blog

Colors, Corals, and More: Dive The Aquarium

It may not be as popular as the Great Blue Hole or Half Moon Caye Wall, but no Belizean vacation is complete without a visit to The Aquarium. We promise—it’s nothing like the ones back home.

Sitting 13 miles east of Turneffe Atoll, this chunk of Long Caye is prized for its biodiversity. Brain corals, gorgonians, and sea plumes dot the shallow end of a tabletop reef; parrotfish, Creole Wrasse, and sergeant majors lead the way toward a steep dropoff.

It only gets better from there: A sheer wall, crusted with coral, stretches towards the depths. Groupers and barracudas cruise by, adding to the liveliness of this unique ecosystem. Needless to say, there’s a lot to see; and with visibility reaching 80 feet, you’ll have your chance to see it all. All that’s left to do is prep your dive gear.

Believe Us When We Say You Should Travel to Belize

Belize is such a dynamic country, there is a little bit of everything for any kind of traveler. In order to hit all of the important points of Belize, you need a plan, and we have just the one for you. If you are traveling with a group of travelers that have various interests, keep on reading! 

1. Spend at least one day lounging on the beach. Eat the local food, sip fresh juices, and soak up the view and the sun — everyone needs a total veg day in paradise. Plan a day to dive deep into the history of Belize. There are close to a thousand archeological Mayan sites around the country and they are all spectacular to see. A day on the water is also a must! Belize has fantastic snorkeling, the iconic blue hole, and other wonderful underwater areas to explore. Get wild and check out the Jaguar Reserve — it happens to be the only one in the entire world! 

Celebrate Carnaval in Ambergris Cay

Ask any Belizean the best time to visit the town of San Pedro, and undoubtedly they will tell you it is the month of February. Not only is the weather to die for and the crowds less invasive, but we are also rearing up for Fiesta de Carnaval. If you’ve never heard of Carnaval lets us explain.

Belize is primarily Roman Catholic, which means that celebrating Easter and Lent is extremely important, but before Lent begins, the country celebrates with the Fiesta de Carnaval as a way to indulge in eating, drinking, dancing and overall partying before the forty-day ritual begins. The Carnaval is celebrated all around South America, but we celebrate ours here in Ambergris Cay on February 23rd. If you plan on attending, you should be ready to dance and celebrate with local Belizean's and tons of visitors from out of town. Help us bring in the next forty days the right way during your stay in Belize! 

Deck the Halls at Blackbird Caye Resort

It’s no secret that December in Belize is a delightful time to visit—which is why we wanted to give you the breakdown of all the fun things to do this month. If you find yourself washed up on our sandy shores, it's crucial that you book a winter snorkeling excursion. The Belize Barrier Reef is crawling with gorgeous tropical fish this time of year, and the water happens to be just right for swimming. Another winter highlight is the Ambergris Caye Boat Parade—this fun spin on a traditional holiday parade is great to watch with the entire family. Sit back, relax, and see all of these gorgeous boats that have been transformed into the best holiday sea show you will ever watch. Christmas and New Years are two busy days in Belize and happen to be a  great time to get completely immersed in the Belizean culture. Celebrate alongside locals and tourists for a week full of holiday spirit you won’t soon forget! 

Conch on During Harvest Season

October 1st is a greatly anticipated date around the ocean in Belize. It’s officially conch harvesting season! Pack your flippers and your mask, because Skipper, we are going on a delicious adventure! Conch is a mollusk that is typically found in the Caribbean waters. This particular sea creature lives in a gorgeous pink shell and has soft, white meat. The shell is often used as a decorative piece around the home, sometimes used in building materials, and can even be found in jewelry. But the best part about the conch is the meat. Because of its mild flavor and chewy texture, Conch is prepared in many different ways and appeals to many different palettes. Have it fried, grilled, in soup, or even ceviche it—conch truly takes on the flavors of the Caribbean. 

Here in Belize, the season for harvesting conch has gotten shorter and shorter because of over-fishing. But sustainability and responsible ocean practices are important to us and have made us monitor the season a little more closely. If conch hunting piques your interest, be sure to stay in the know on our local practices so that you can thoroughly enjoy the experience of conch harvesting while still be responsible and mindful of our beautiful, bountiful ocean.