Wednesday 7 May 2014

SPECTACULAR SNORKELING AT HOL CHAN MARINE RESERVE & SHARK RAY ALLEY

May 7th 2014 by Oscar Castaneda for Balaam Eco Adventures
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Two hours flight from the US, a short 15 minutes domestic flight and you arrive in Tropical San Pedro Ambergris, Caye recently named this year as the # 1 Island in the world by over a million reviews on trip Advisory.   The first thing you need to do once you arrive is go slow…….   Many tourists visit this little Island off the coast of Belize and immediately fall in love with it’s lifestyle, people, sunny days, white sandy beaches, seafood and a plethora of Belize Adventure Tours and excursions to do.
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The country is so tiny that you can be climbing a Maya Ruin in San Ignacio (border with Guatemala) in the morning, Cave Tubing in the evening and enjoying a delectable meal over a glass of wine at dinner on your porch, the pier, your resort restaurant or in downtown San Pedro at Elvis Kitchen or other restaurants with great dinning experiences.
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The most spectacular snorkeling awaits you at Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley just off the Great Barrier Reef close to San Pedro Ambergris, Caye (pronounced as Key by the locals).  This tour leaves at 9am or at 2pm and is a half day tour leaving you lots of time to relax and enjoy of your Belize Vacation Package.   Over 160 species of fish have been identified at Hol Chan  Marine Reserve & Shark Ray Alley along with nearly 40 species of corals, 5 sponges, 8 algaes, 2 seagrasses, 3 marine mammals and 3 species of sea turtle.
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Many people have have snorkeled all over the world – in Hawaii, The Bahamas, Fiji and more and nothing compares to the incredible diversity and beauty of Hol Chan Marine Reserve.  Shark Ray Alley is also a very intense experience as you come face to face with harmless Nurse Sharks, sting rays and horse eyed jacks!! Incredible!
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Snorkel the Great Barrier Reef as you see prestine coral reefs, Manta Rays, Star fish, a myriad of tropical species of fishes, friendly Nurse Sharks, and enjoy the marine wildlife.   Never snorkeled before? No worries as this tour is for both amateurs and experts alike.
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The Hol Chan Marine Reserve & Shark Ray Alley are the most popular diving and snorkeling sites in all of Belize. This is due to the close proximity of San Pedro the large amount of fish life found at Hol Chan Marine Reserve is accessible by snorkelers and beginning divers. The diversity of marine life encountered throughout the 4 zones of the park and the excitement and novelty of swimming with large numbers of nurse sharks and sting rays makes this a must do tour.
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Due to the protected status of Hol Chan Marine Reserve the fish populations have exploded. In waters as shallow as 5 feet large schools of jacks, groupers, snappers and barracuda abound.  Healthy stands of corals and seagrass abound in shallow water which is perfect for the beginner snorkeler. The more experienced swimmer can swim experiencing shallow reefs, drop offs over the steep sides, seagrass and sand beds in the middle of the channel.
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Shark Ray Alley is a recently discovered snorkel and dive site which has been selected as one of the seven best "animal dives" in the Caribbean according to SKIN DIVER MAGAZINE. When the dive operators of San Pedro found out about this, "Shark-Ray Alley" quickly became a very popular dive and snorkeling site.  The sharks and rays hear the dive boats approaching and begin to school in anticipation. When you arrive you will see the surface with Nurse Sharks and sting ray wings.
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These creatures have a great tolerance for divers and snorkelers. The rays have a 'wing-span' of two to four feet and swim directly towards the divers and snorkelers. Others swim in circles around the divers and snorkelers. These docile Nurse Sharks average four to six feet in length than the sting rays.
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Creating lifetime memories one vacation at a time.

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Saturday 26 April 2014

LAST MINUTE DEALS FOR MOTHER’S DAY 2014




BLESSED ARE ALL THE MOTHERS. TAKE ADVANTAGE OF OUR LAST MINUTE DEALS ON OUR PACKAGES !!! NOW FOR A LIMITED TIME AND FOR ONE DAY ONLY !!! BOOK YOUR PACKAGE ON MOTHER’S DAY, MAY 10th, 2014 AND SAVE!!! 20% OFF ON PACKAGES!!! VALID UNTIL DECEMBER 31ST, 2014.  

 READ ALSO :  BELIZE BEACH OR JUNGLE GETAWAY? THE PERFECT VACATIONS IN BELIZE
Happy Mother’s Day 2014 from the Management & Staff  of Balaam Eco Adventures.

Creating lifetime memories one vacation at a time.

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Wednesday 23 April 2014

BELIZE BEACH OR JUNGLE GETAWAY? THE PERFECT VACATIONS IN BELIZE


April 23rd, 2014 by Oscar Castaneda for Balaam Eco Adventures


Planning a Belize Vacation and not sure if you want to be at the Beach or the Rainforest?  Should you enjoy the beach with its proximity to the Great Barrier Reef, the Great Blue Hole and numerous white sandy beaches and numerous Prestine Islands for snorkeling? Or stay in the midst of the rainforest as you have daily expeditions to cascading waterfalls, Mayan Ruins, exploring caves where the ancient Mayas walked more than 1000 years ago? With our Balaam Ultimate Adventure Package (7Nights/8Days) you can do both and enjoy the best of both worlds Belize has to offer.


This eight day and seven nights Balaam Ultimate Adventure Package (7Nights/8Days) gives you the best of Rainforest, Ruins and Reefs adventures.   Indulge in delectible international and Belizean cuisine and your choice of the best luxury Resorts in San Pedro Ambergris and San Ignacio. Live your own Indiana Jones adventures with the most stunning adventures in Belize and have stories to tell you friends for a long time.  


The Balaam Ultimate Adventure Package (7Nights/8Days) has plenty of thrilling excursions and adventures to keep you busy. Climb ancient Maya Temples, Palaces, Pyramids in the City of “Ox Wit Za”  Snorkel one of the most stunning reefs in the western hemisphere.  Dive The Great Blue Hole, journey into “Xibalba at ATM Cave.


Our dedicated staff will help you discover the best that Belize has to offer.  We choose the best luxury resorts in Belize to work with because they share our commitment of customizing, personalizing and tailoring a package for you.


With our Private tours which are customized and tailored for you, the best meals, accomodations, incredible service, remarkable beauty and a stunning country you will never want to leave Belize!!! Start your unforgettable journey with us amid mysterious jungles, gorgeous beaches, prestine reefs and personalized service.



Balaam Ultimate Adventure Package (7Nights/8Days)

Exploring  Nature with Expert Naturalist…..
Explore Nature with Expert Naturalist on this Balaam Ultimate Package.   Your Adventure takes you to the most impressive sites in Belize from Rainforest to the Great Barrier Reef  in Tropical Paradise.
Climb to the top of Caana “Sky Palace” at Caracol and go on a River Safari and Jungle tour at Lamanai.   Visit Rio Frio Cave and enjoy a refreshing swim at Rio On Pools.   Hike a jungle trail and take a  journey into Actun Tunichil Mucknal, one of the most phenomenal caves where stalactites, stalagmites, ceramics and burials have been found.

Enter  ”Xibalba” on a  Cave Tubing Adventure sitting  on your inner tube and go Zip lining for an adrenaline rush like no other.  Enjoy a great dive at The Great Blue Hole and Snorkel at Shark Ray Alley and Hol Chan Marine Reserve.



Package Itinerary

Day 1   :  You will be picked up at the Airport and transfered to a Resort of
              your choice in Cayo.
Day 2   :  Your Adventure tour takes you to Caracol, Rio Frio Cave and Rio On Pools
Day 3   :  Journey into Xilbalba at Actun Tunichil Mucknal.
Day 4   :  Cave Tubing and Zip lining Adventure then transfer to San Pedro     
              to resort of your choice.
Day 5   :  Dive  The Great Blue Hole (3 tank dive)
Day 6   :  Jungle and River Safari to historic Lamanai.
Day 7   :  Snorkel at Shark Ray Alley and Hol Chan Marine Reserve.
Day 8   :  Transfer to the Airport.

PRICE: $1455.00  US  per person

What’s included:  Transport, lunch, entrance fees, equipment rental and guided tours.
What’s not included: Accomodation & Taxes and 12 .5 % tax on Package.

Book Now
THINGS TO BRING FOR TOURS
Camera(Water proof for water activities)
Bottle of water
Towels
Change of Clothes
Closed water shoes for Cave Tubing
Sunscreen
Insect repellant
Rain coat (Rainy season from June-Oct)
Snacks
Medications that you need
Extra money to tip guides


Get the best of Belize, both worlds with Balaam Ultimate Adventure Package (7Nights/8Days).

Still have questions? We are ready to answer them all for you.  See you soon !


Creating lifetime memories one vacation at a time.  

 
"Exploring Nature With Expert Naturalist"
Balaam Eco Adventures
Office: (501)620-1811
info@balaamecoadventures.com
http://www.balaamecoadventures.com
https://twitter.com/BalaamEcoTours
http://balaamecoadventures.blogspot.com
http://www.linkedin.com
https://www.facebook.com
http://www.packforapurpose.org

Tags:Balaam Eco Adventures, Belize Vacation, cascading waterfalls, Mayan Ruins,caves,  Balaam Ultimate Adventure Package (7Nights/8Days), Belizean cuisine, San Pedro Ambergris, San Ignacio, Belize, “Ox Wit Za”, The Great Blue Hole,  ATM Cave, Caracol, Lamanai, Rio Frio Cave, Rio On Pools, Actun Tunichil Mucknal, Cave Tubing, Zip lining, The Great Blue Hole.


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Friday 11 April 2014

ONE OF THE MOST AMAZING PLACES ON EARTH AND THE WORLD’S # 1 DIVE DESTINATION- THE GREAT BLUE HOLE


April, 11th 2014 by Oscar Castaneda for Balaam Eco Adventures


If you are a diving enthusiast, this Blue Hole in Belize is a must visit spot on Earth. Like a giant pupil in a sea of turquoise the Belize Blue Hole has become the most famous dive site in all of Belize and continues to attract divers from all over the world who are eager of exploring the numerous wonders of this spectacular geographical phenomenon. The Great Blue Hole is a world class destination for recreational scuba divers attracted by the opportunity to dive in crystal clear waters and see a myriad of marine life including tropical fish and spectacular coral formations.   


In 1836 the famous biologist and evolutionist Charles Darwin paid homage to these remarkable formations when he said the British Honduras Atolls now called Belize atolls and the Belize Barrier Reef constitute “..the richest and most remarkable coral reefs in the entire western Caribbean.” 


Jacques-Yves Coustea, the popular naval officer and ocean explorer revealed the secrets of The Great Blue Hole to millions of viewers in 1971 through the television series "The Undersea World of Jacques-Yves Coustea." Jacques Cousteau’s famous Calypso made its famous investigation of the Great Blue Hole and the Belize atolls which corresponds to the arrival of dive travel to the region.  The Great Blue Hole is a large underwater sinkhole  measuring 1000 feet around with a depth of 480 feet located near the centre of Lighthouse Reef a small atoll 100 kilometres (62 mi) from the mainland of Belize City.


The hole is circular in shape and it was formed during several episodes of Quaternary glaciation when sea levels were much lower. Blue holes formed during past ice ages 65 Millions years ago when the sea level was as much as 100–120 meters lower than at present.  According to Geologists and scholars these holes were formed by deeper groundwater gradually dissolving the limestone until the ceiling of these voids collapsed. Later the sea level rose and filled the holes with water.


The analysis of stalactites found in the Great Blue Hole shows that formation has taken place 153,000, 66,000, 60,000, and 15,000 years ago. As the ocean began to rise again the caves were flooded.  It’s the world’s largest natural formation of its kind and The Great Blue Hole is a part of the larger Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, a World Heritage Site of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). In addition, they’ve recorded chambers filled with magnificent stalactites and stalagmites which only form in dry caves. Being the #1 top dive site in the world and the most popular diving destination in the world out of the top 10 dive sites as compiled by Lonely Planet.   Divers from all over the world come to Belize to go scuba diving at the World famous Blue Hole.


 Found on both land and in the ocean throughout the Bahamas and the national waters of Belize are deep circular cavities known as Blue Holes which are often the entrances to cave networks, some of them up to 14 kilometres in length. Blue holes are so called for the dramatic contrast between the dark blue, deep waters of their depths and the lighter blue of the shallows around them. The intense blue color is created by high transparency of water and bright white carbonate sand. Blue light is the most enduring part of the spectrum; other parts of the spectrum - red, yellow, and green - are absorbed during their path through water and blue light manages to reach the white sand and return upon reflection.


For more information about the Great Blue Hole and our Belize Adventure Tours and Belize Traval Vacation Packages contact us at info@balaamecoadventures.com and we will be more than happy to help you plan your Belize Vacation 2014.


Enjoy this video about The Great Blue Hole and let us know if you have any questions or comments.  Hope that you are convinced to come and explore for yourself and see the amazing beauty of Belize.



Creating lifetime memories one vacation at a time.  

 
"Exploring Nature With Expert Naturalist"
Balaam Eco Adventures
Office: (501)620-1811
info@balaamecoadventures.com
http://www.balaamecoadventures.com
https://twitter.com/BalaamEcoTours
http://balaamecoadventures.blogspot.com
http://www.linkedin.com
https://www.facebook.com
http://www.packforapurpose.org

 Tags: Balaam Eco Adventures, Belize, Belize Barrier Reef, The Great Blue Hole, Belize Adventure Tours, Belize Traval Vacation Packages.



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