The "Unbelievable Visits" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Leafing through a few old magazines when I came across a magazine known as Wanderlust.  Magazine that had beautiful photography as well as interesting stories.  The following are two photographs that I found in the magazine that reminded me of our trips to both the Bahamas as well as Belize.  Check out the photos, which I can't claim as mine, but which I too snapped photos of while on vacation on the island of Belize as well as the Bahamas.

The BAHAMAS...

With around 700 sand-fringed coral islands scattered across shallow turquoise waters, the Bahamas' chief natural attraction could said to be it's marine life.  And, it's true that a number of really big draws thrive under the waves - not least the giant marlin that Ernest Hemingway loved to reel in around Bimini.  Yet today that accolade is stolen by the West Indian flamingo - and the world's largest breeding colony of this leggy supermodel is found on Great Inagua Island.  Following a steep decline driven by hunting and habitat disturbance, the flamingos' fortunes were turned around with the creation of the Bahamas National Trust and the designation of the 32,000-hectare Inagua National Park in 1965.  Today, around 70,000 flamingos gather on the saline lagoons and saltmarshes of Great Inagua, which is a birdwatcher's paradise: among more than 140 other species recorded here are roseate spoonbills, which rival the flamingos with their lurid pink plumage.  Spring, when female flamingos form huge flocks before laying their eggs, is a magical time to visit.  

BELIZE...

Manatee Magic...  Antillean manatees are gentle seagrass grazers that can bulk out to 600kg.  These pudgy sea cows swim leisurely through shallow coastal and freshwater environments, propelled by powerful tail flippers.  They're also endangered, their numbers hit by boat strikes and other human impacts.  The largest population of these delightful marine mammals lives along Belize's beautiful Caribbean coast - an estimated 1,000 individuals.  Strong conservation measures are being enacted to protect them, including the designation of key locations such as Swallow Caye and Gales Point as wildlife sanctuaries. If you join a goat tour to visit their habitat, please choose not to swim with or touch the manatees - it causes stress that they could do without.   It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.