Expedition Questions and Answers
TRAVELING TO BELIZE
• How did you get to Belize?
We flew in a jet plane from Irvine, California to Dallas, Texas. In Dallas we changed planes and flew to Belize City, Belize.
• Was it fun traveling to Belize?
Yes. We have fun seeing new things, learning about new places, meeting new people, and exploring interesting marine environments.
• Do you like Belize?
We love Belize. We love it so much that this is our fifth visit to Belize.
• What is it like in Belize?
The Belize people are very friendly and helpful. Belize has many unusual and interesting animals, not just underwater buton land in the rainforests, too. We saw crocodiles, boa constrictors, toucans, and iguanas.
• What does Belize look like?
Off the coast of Belize is the world's second largest barrier reef. Along the barrier reef several islands have formed.These islands are mostly small, flat sandy islands, called "cays" (KAYS). The islands are usually covered with coconut trees and small trees and other plants. The mai nland of Belize has lots of rainforests, so it is very green. The coast of Belize is very flat. As we get away from the coast we get into hills and mountains. This is the area where we found the underground caves that we explored.
• How does the Belize barrier reef compare in size to the Great Barrier Reef by Australia?
The barrier reef off Belize is the second largest barrier reef in the world and is about 200 miles (124 kilometers) long. The Australia Great Barrier Reef is the largest barrier reef in the world and is about 1,250 miles (776 kilometers) long.
ABOUT OUR EXPEDITION
• What is the temperature of the water?
The water temperature this time of year in the Caribbean Sea is around 78-80 ºF.
• How did it look underwater?
Underwater we see lots of interesting things. When we were underwater in our shark cage there wasn't much we could see. From our cage we could just barely see the sea floor about 30 feet below us. When the shark wasn't around we did see fish when they came around to nibble on the food we had floating in the water for the shark. One time, while we were waiting for the great white shark, we did see a stingray swim under our cage.
• Did you take coral samples?
We always try to leave coral alone and study it were it lives. Any coral taken out of the sea kills it and causes reef destruction.
• Did pet the nurse shark you found?
Yes. While the nurse shark was under the coral ledge we had a chance to gently pet it.
• What did it feel like to pet the nurse shark?
Sharks feel like sandpaper. Shark skin is covered with thousands and thousands of tiny, little teeth, called dermal denticles. We don't rub on the shark too hard because its skin could scratch our skin.
• Why did the nurse shark ignore you?
Sharks don’t go looking for people to eat. Sharks are usually scared of people. We are usually bigger than most sharks. Nurse sharks are also a very docile shark.
Click here to see the nurse shark we found on our expedition (DAY 10).
• Did you get bit by anything while you were diving?
We get bitten all the time when we go diving. Little fish sometimes try to scare us away from their area by biting the hair on our head or biting our wet suits. Fortunately the fish that bit us only have little tiny teeth and don't hurt us. It is funny to watch them attack us as they try to scare us away. One of the fish that tried to bite us and scare us away was the dusky damselfish.
Click here to see the damselfish that attacked us on our expedition (DAY 3).
• Did you see an underwater shipwreck?
Not on this expedition. We have found underwater shipwrecks on our other visits to Belize. This time we spent all our time studying the coral reefs.
ON THE DIVE BOAT
• Was your boat big?
The Belize Aggressor III is120 feet long and 22 feet wide.
• Was the trip on the boat fun?
Yes. The boat trip was fun. The most fun part was when the boat was anchored so we could go scuba diving. We also liked using the hot tub that was on the boat.
• How far did you travel on the boat?
During our expedition the Belize Aggessor III probably traveled over 60 miles.
• Where did you sleep on the boat?
Under the main deck we had our own air-conditioned bedroom and bathroom .
• What would you do if a storm came up?
Fortunately we were visiting when it was not huricane season so we were not worried about big storms. If a storm came up we would have waited inside the boat for the storm to pass by.