It was great to be back in Placencia and to be diving with the Splash Dive Family during the 2011 holiday season. I arrived on Christmas Day, and despite it being a holiday here in Canada, I was warmly greeted at the airport by Patty who informed me that there was a boat out diving that day! I guess the reef never rests, so neither should the divers who visit it. It was wonderful to see the new Dive Center building getting better and better, with full dive retail items for sale, air/nitrox available on site and even lovely breakfast treats to greet the divers in the morning. The attention Patty and her staff show to all the customers, whether they are divers, snorkelers, or heading out on a land tour is fantastic! I have been diving in Placencia for many years now, and it is great to see Splash just getting better and better.
The diving was excellent, as always, and this trip I got to see a 15 foot Manta Ray! Manta rays are very rare in Belize, and many of the Divemasters in Placencia have never seen one in thier careers. But that is what makes diving in Belize so wonderful–you never, ever know what surprises you will see underwater! Along with the manta, I also got to see a hammerhead shark, heaps of turtles, nurse sharks, squid and all the hundreds of regulars of the reef (and my favourites, the trunk fish :-)).
During my time down there this Christmas, I did a day trip to the Blue Hole with Splash, and we were the first to arrive and had the whole site to ourselves–what a treat! The Blue Hole was full of reef and bull sharks, and there is nothing like looking up from the depths and seeing these amazing creatures in silhouette. Amazing way to start the day!
I am already preparing my trip down in April or May 2012 to dive with the Whale Sharks again! And we can’t forget all the dolphins and other sharks that come to visit when the whale sharks make thier appearance!
Thanks Patty, Prince, Warren, Lennox, Dean, Brian, Mark, Max and everyone else for making my visit as warm and wonderful as always 🙂