Belize creatures from the deep...

So here's to the imagination and creativity of local craftsmen in Belize. This is made from a tree root, with a couple of pieces added on, but I couldn't tell where.  It is quite a good replica of the Belize spiny lobster (certainly not to be confused with a Maine lobster) and obviously not a miniature! I'm not sure where we are going to finally plunk this thing... but we'll find a spot. By the way, these guys are commonly seen in the water right off The Maine Stay beach.

Jaguar...

Nice  New York Times article, with commentary and video of Alan Rabinowitz, author of the book "Jaguar: One Man's Struggle To Establish The World's First Jaguar Preserve."

The Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary is beautiful, visited by many of our guests, and is located very near us in Belize. Hiking trails include gorgeous waterfalls and river tubing.

Big Boy Belize Iguana... "El Garrobo"

This afternoon, at a friend's place, we saw this quite large Iguana. The tip of his nose is 18 inches off the ground and from nose to tip of tail is 5 feet.
Apparently, in Spanish... "El Garrobo"

Belize "Mountain Cow"

This is the national animal of Belize.

"Reaching a weight of over 800 pounds the Baird's Tapir is the second largest of all tapir. The Malayan Tapir is the largest of all tapir species. A Baird's Tapir can grow as tall as 4 feet and as long as 6.5 feet."

See more information here and here.

Critters in Belize

Praying Mantis

It's fun to see these guys "up close and personal" and here are two very different examples of nature's best.
Both photos were taken on the same day right in our garden palapa.


Blue Crab

Get Outta My Yard!

They may not be quite so brave if they get any closer...

Name that Toad...

This little guy has decided to make my desk and work space his home territory. So let's name that toad...
Maybe if I start having conversations with him he'll stay out of my printer!

Any ideas?

Are the Iguanas in Belize Spying On Us?

So I was up early one morning and heard a rustling noise as I sat out in the garden palapa. Took me a while to figure out where the noise was coming from. When I spotted him, this guy just calmly and slowly moved his head back and forth eye-balling me... one at a time! While sitting in that comfy gutter, I'm sure he was probably thinking about what he was going to tell the rest of his crowd about the nice digs he discovered.

Lazy Belize Day in the Sun...

Lazy Day in the Sun
Originally uploaded by traversbelize

Do you suppose these guys are resting from their tireless efforts to keep away the various monsters that try to invade the Kokomo compound? Or maybe they just need a break from the run out to the Marina and quick dip in the water (well... not Little Bit!). Bowdoin (on the lounger) and Sir Charles seem totally unfazed by the whole thing.

Shirley's Hummingbirds Update...

Two weeks ago, they were no bigger (l) than a small marble!



Now look at them... quickly... because they won't be in that nest long!

Leaf Cutter Ants

While waiting for Karen to have her residency interview at the Immigration office in Belmopan, I was wandering around outside and came across this colony of leaf cutter ants... pretty amazing creatures!

More Hummingbirds!

Everything happens in clusters! Our next door neighbor, Shirley, has a hummingbird nest in a tiny little tree in her front yard. Very easy to get some amazing photos. The nest is the size of half a chicken egg! Updates to follow...

Hummingbird Hospital...

Yesterday, Karen was in our gigantic (well, it is pretty big) living room palapa, and a hummingbird wandered in under the edge of the roof and became confused and trapped in the peaked roof area. It eventually exhausted itself and plopped on a reclining chair to rest! Problem is... it couldn't find its way out. It just kept wanting to fly higher. It became so pooped, that she decided to feed the poor thing to get energy enough for us to let him/her loose. So, in Karen goes to the Hummingbird Hospital (our kitchen) and proceeeds to hand feed it with an eye-dropper. It was just amazing watching the looong tongue dart out hungrily to get sugar water! So, after one attempt at release and another "refueling" it finally had the energy to soar off in the sky!

Whale Shark Season

Guests of The Maine Stay have had wonderful experiences diving and snorkeling in Placencia, but none can surpass the thrill of seeing and being close to a whale shark. These pictures were taken by Bryan White, one of our guests in 2008.

For those folks planning their trip to Placencia, the hub of Whale Shark activity in Belize, here are the time slots associated with the full moon. The Destinations Belize website has wonderful detail.

WHALE SHARK TIME SLOTS 2009:
* 9 MARCH - 20 MARCH
* 7 APRIL - 18 APRIL
* 7 MAY - 18 MAY
* 5 JUNE - 16 JUNE

Friends of Nature in Belize also has more details on whale shark activity.

Dragon Fly

Swarms of dragon flies frequently appear... not bothering anything. Then there are the Monarch butterflies that I have to get shots of.

Quash (Coatamundi)

There are a surprising number of these interesting creatures on the Peninsula. One of our neighbors treats this one as a semi-pet, so it hangs around a lot and loves to patrol the fence around our house. Of course, this drives our dogs absolutely nuts. Read about these critters highlighted at the Belize Zoo here.

Osprey...

Our immediate neighbor on the beach, John Ford, took this incredible photo of an Osprey perched in the whispering pine tree in their beach yard. I hope this is indicative of us beginning to see more of these magnificent creatures around the area.

photo by John Ford

How long do you suppose the guy with the big nose has been waiting for someone to come by and notice him?


And then there's the toothy grin just waiting for the right camera angle...

Visiting Iguana

Today, while tending to a chore in the garden nursery, I was holding a pump waiting on Louis to return from the shop with something. I couldn't really let go of the pump and as I stood there this medium size 2.5 foot iguana walked by my feet and proceeded to explore what I was doing and then climb the bougainevillea tree. We see iguanas almost daily, but not usually this "up close and personal."