BELIZE CITY, Belize- It was just three words, the Great Blue Hole, that stuck in my head. A giant marine sinkhole in the center of Lighthouse Reef, 40 miles off the coast of Belize, the 407-foot-deep hole was such a mystery that ocean scientist Jacques Cousteau led an exploratory expedition to the site in 1971, and filmed the adventure. Which I’d forgotten. Until last summer, that is, when my wife Val and I decided to celebrate the lull in the Corona-virus lockdown with a brief vacation, one we agreed had to be outdoors, on a mountain trail, or alternatively, in the water.

Since the Colorado mountains where we live don’t offer much in the way of dive sites, the answer was a week in the Caribbean on a live-aboard dive boat. Our first live-aboard experience, it meant a 24-7 vacation with people we’d never met. But on the plus side, it promised non-stop diving, more than we would have done otherwise. It was snowing in Denver when we started to plan, but Weaver Dive & Travel Center, the Boulder travel agent we contacted, weren’t surprised to see us. These trips book up early in the year,said consultant Audrey Tobin, an experienced diver herself. After mulling over a half-dozen options, we settled on a week in Belize on the 110-foot Belize Aggressor III, one of Aggressor Adventures Company’s two Belize City-based dive boats.

Then, while studying the map, I spotted it, the Great Blue Hole, right where we would be. Competitive fishing and sunny beaches are the reason most tourists visit Belize, on the Central American coast. But it’s the 700-mile-long Reef that draws divers like a magnet. Little known elsewhere and second in length only to Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, the Mesoamerican Reef is a diver’s dream, a vibrant coral forest alive with dozens of varied marine species. You’ll be seeing the Blue Hole, too, along with some of the Reef’s most popular dive sites,said Tobin, explaining that local residents call them atolls. These were Turneffe Atoll and Lighthouse Reef, both declared a Marine Reserve in 2012, and the site of the Great Blue Hole.Depending on the wind,she added. You’re likely to see the best places, Black Beauty, Silver Caves and Chain Wall, and Half Moon Caye, Tarpon Caye and Long Caye Ridge.

To our surprise, getting to Belize and going through customs was a breeze. The morning flight to Belize arrived on time, and thanks to our vaccination cards and Belize’s organized immigration officers – English is the national language – we went through customs without a hitch. Arriving at the dock and boarding the Aggressor III, we found our cabin, one of eight, located topside with windows, ideal for Val who sometimes feels claustrophobic. Traveling light and anticipating warm weather, we unpacked in less than ten minutes, leaving time to explore the dive deck. Organized down to the last square foot, it was divided into 18 separate stations, one per diver, with air and nitrox outlets and space for gearing up, hanging up wet gear and storing it afterwards. Locating our assigned spots, we felt ready for anything.

Before casting off, Captain Jerome introduced himself, his Dive Master Monique and the crew, and we followed suit, introducing ourselves one by one. Most surprising were our fellow divers’ range of ages and experience, from 30-something friends with fewer than 50 dives to a senior couple who counted more than 3500 dives between them. And it wasn’t long before the crew won our confidence. Gearing up for the first dive and waiting to get in the water, Val, a novice with just 19 dives to her name, suddenly clutched her mask as if she couldn’t breathe. In an instant, the dive master was there with a friendly word, helping her up and into the water. Popping up, she grinned at me through her mask. From there on it was smooth sailing.

As for the Aggressor III’s daily dive schedule – and that of many similar boats, I soon learned – it followed a pattern. Each day had two morning dives at one site, and two afternoon and a night dive at a second site, for a total of 26 possible dives over the week, all in the 30 to 80-foot sport-diving range. At each dive the boat anchored to a buoy, then we stepped off into the water one-by-one, looked around to locate the wall, turned right or left, and eventually, after finning along to the turn-around point (for air consumption or time), ascended to the top of the reef. Our second dive was similar, going the opposite way. Some divers kept up the pace, but there was no pressure to dive every time. The weather was so nice that a couple of us skipped a dive for a sunny afternoon on deck.

On Wednesday we dove in Great Blue Hole, our deepest dive , ranging from 125 to 135 feet deep. Descending in the gloom was spooky at first but you soon saw what intrigued Cousteau: Emerging through the light, numberless stalactites hung off the sides geologic features normally found in above-ground caverns. According to geologists, when sea levels rose eons ago, water gradually filled the cavern, eventually collapsing the limestone ceiling and creating the hole. To compensate for the extra-deep dive, we spent Wednesday afternoon on land, exploring the Moon Cave National Monument, a famous bird sanctuary.

The night dives were a fish of a different color. Nocturnal marine animals we hadn’t seen during daylight now swam in front of our torches, from lobsters, crabs and squid to a variety of other reef dwellers. As dusk fell, schools of Tarpons, big silver fish, gathered around the anchor line waiting for the boat’s underwater lights to blink on. In no time the rays attracted schools of smaller fish, the tarpon’s favorite meal. As the dive ended, clusters of Tarpons whizzed past, still on the hunt. Did we see sharks? Not at night. But yes, on almost every other dive, and not just one shark, but two or three. Love them or fear them, if you dive you’re going to see them said one of the crew. They’re more afraid of you than you are of them. Some were faint shapes in the distance; a few cruised close to the boat, but ignored us. One of them, which the crew called Patches, named for the two white markings on his head, was a frequent visitor.

Thursday’s schedule duplicated Monday and Tuesday, but the dive part of the trip ended Friday morning when the no-diving 24 hours before-a-flight rule kicked in. Still living on board, we spent the afternoon touring a Mayan Temple or taking a so-called cave tubing ride. Dinner was on our own, but we slept on board. Saturday morning, we packed to leave, and after many friendly email exchanges, headed to the airport for the flight home.

Like some of our fellow divers, Val and I took our own masks, fins, snorkels and my dive computer. The rest rented high-quality gear, mostly new Aqualung equipment from Aggressor. The only negative for us were the couple of nights that the bar, located next door, stayed open past midnight. My creature-sighting list included more hits than misses, with checks next to turtles, moray eels, eagle rays, stingrays, tarpons, groupers, entire schools of blennies, various angelfish, lobsters and little squid. Once in a while we spotted a small patch of dead coral, but most of the hard and soft corals were deeply colored, and healthy looking. Our fellow divers were companionable and the crew, from Captain Jerome on, were dedicated to showing us what they say is the world’s best diving. Unsung but appreciated were Chef Vanessa and J.R., whose superb meals, cooked in a tiny kitchen, earned high praise from everyone. If you want a closer look at the Great Blue Hole, visit Jacques Cousteau. Or spend a week in Belize, on a dive boat.  

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Random Acts of Canine Kindness

Cedric the Dog takes a well-deserved break after an ill-fated attempt to shut down a white supremacist rally in Lake Oahe, South Dakota.

You want a friend in Washington? Get a dog. – Harry S. Truman

MORE Dog Quotations

The Bikini

Evidence of bikini-style women’s clothing has been found as early as 5600 BC, and the history of the bikini can be traced back to that era. Illustrations of women wearing bikini-like garments during competitive athletic events in the Roman era have been found in several locations, the most famous of which is at Villa Romana del Casale.

Although two-piece bathing suits were being used by women as early as the 1930s, the bikini is commonly dated to 1946, when partly due to material rationing after World War II. The French engineer Louis Réard introduced the modern bikini, modeled by Micheline Bernardini on July 5, 1946. The was borrowed from the Bikini Atoll, where post-war testing on the atomic bomb were taking place. Réard wanted to make his sensation as spectacular as an atomic blast.

The Art of Swimming

De Arte Natandi (‘The Art of Swimming’), by Sir Everard Digby, published in England in 1587 but written in Latin, was the first treatise on the topic published in Britain. Written in an age when many people could not swim and drowning was a regular cause of death, it features advice on different swimming techniques, detailed information on how to enter the water safely and advice on what kinds of water were safest to swim in.

People claimed that they regularly saw dead bodies being retrieved from the New River in London, which sparked an interest in the resuscitation of the apparently drowned. The Royal Humane Society was founded in 1774 to aid resuscitation of the near drowned, and still exists today.

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Nation with Highest Level of Skin Cancer

Australia has the highest rates of skin cancer in the world. Each year more than 400,000 Australians are treated for all forms of skin cancer, including melanoma, squamous cell carcinoma and basal cell carcinoma. More than 12,000 Australians are diagnosed each year with invasive melanoma, which is the deadliest type of skin cancer.

Queensland researchers have launched the world’s largest ever genetic study of skin cancer and are calling on more than 20,000 Australians to take part.

QIMR Berghofer Senior Scientist Professor David Whiteman said the research team wanted to collect DNA samples from the 20,000 adults – including people with and without skin cancer, and with a range of skin types – to better understand the role genes play in the disease.

That Sinking Feeling: 10 Cities Could Disappear by 2100

Global temperatures and sea levels are rising. Low-lying coastal cities are already experiencing devastating floods and working to come up with creative solutions to combat rising tides.

Some cities are sinking due to increasing sea levels slowly encroaching on their coasts, while others are sinking because of excessive groundwater pumping that creates a change in pressure and volume that causes land to sink.

Here are 10 sinking cities that are in danger of disappearing.

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Chloe McCardel: Swimmer Beats Men’s Channel Record and Quarantine

A swimmer has broken the men’s record for the number of cross-Channel crossings – and been assured her fears of falling foul of the UK-France quarantine rules are unfounded.

Australian Chloe McCardel took 10 hours and 40 minutes to complete her 35th Channel crossing, after setting off from Kent on Saturday evening.

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The Currach: The Aran Islands

With a population of 831, Inishmore is the largest of the Aran Islands. If you have just a day, this is the island you must see. Its principal village is Kilronan where you’ll find tour guides, horsedrawn carriages and bicycle rentals waiting as soon as you get off your ferry. Before you depart on your tours, stop by the tourist office, which provides a good introduction and guided tour taking you back more than two thousand years in the life and times of the Aran Islands. The tourist office demonstrates the art of currach making – a traditional island boat made by stretching a fabric over a sparse skeleton of thin laths, then covered in tar. The currach has been used on the islands for thousands of years and is designed to battle the rough seas that face the open Atlantic Ocean. Aran fishermen would not learn to swim, since they knew they could never survive any sea that swamped a currach, and would sink without a struggle like a stone.

Known around the world as a ‘fisherman sweater,’ the Aran Islands are actually the birthplace of the sweater referred to as the ‘Aran Island Sweater.’ The sweater is usually made with undyed cream-colored “bainnin” sheep’s wool, and is even occasionally weaved with unwashed wool that still contains natural sheep lanolin, making it water-repellent. There is debate about when island residents first started making the sweaters, but the popular story is that each family had a sweater with a unique design, so that if a fisherman in the family drowned and was found later on the beach, the body could be identified. In other seafaring nations, sailors and fishermen wore a gold ring in their ear, and if washed up to shore in a foreign land, the gold ring would pay for the funeral.

Cliff Diving: Ka’anapali Beach

The history dates back nearly 250 years to the legend of the king of Maui — Kahekili II — who would demonstrate his bravery by diving 400 feet into the sea from a cliffside Black Rock. Kahekili would force his warriors to do the same; showing him that they were fearless, loyal, and bold. The very same iconic Black Rock still stands at Ka’anapali Beach. The feat is emulated once a day when a diver stands at the top of the rock, recites a Hawaiian chant, offers a torch and lei to the ocean, then leaps into the sea without making a splash. I was impressed how the Ka’anapali Beach Resorts embraced traditional Hawaiian history and culture. And, after a day of activities, there was no better way to enjoy cocktail hour while marveling at the man’s heroic dive.

6 Destinations with Sunscreen Bans

The U.S. Virgin Islands recently announced a ban on chemical sunscreens that are harmful to coral reefs, outlawing all imports and sales of sunscreens containing oxybenzone and octinoxate. The bill was signed into law in July 2019, and its terms will go into effect in March 2020.

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Famous Hawaiian Quotations

Hawaii is not a state of mind, but a state of grace. — Paul Theroux

The loveliest fleet of islands that lies anchored in any ocean. — Mark Twain

Hawaii is paradise. It sounds cheesy to say it, but there’s music in the air there. — Bruno Mars

Hawaii is the only place I know where they lay flowers on you while you are alive. — Will Rogers

That greeting is Aloha – love, I love you, my love to you. Good day — what is it more than an impersonal remark about the weather? How do you do – it is personal in a merely casual interrogative sort of way. But Aloha! It is a positive affirmation of the warmth of one’s own heart-giving. My love to you! I love you! Aloha! — Jack London

Drowning

Drowning is the third leading cause of unintentional injury-related death, accounting for 7 percent of all injury-related deaths. This issue is truly a matter of life and death for children and adults around the world.

On the Beach at Fontana

by James Joyce

Wind whines and whines the shingle,
The crazy pierstakes groan;
A senile sea numbers each single
Slimesilvered stone.

From whining wind and colder
Grey sea I wrap him warm
And touch his trembling fineboned shoulder
And boyish arm.

Around us fear, descending
Darkness of fear above
And in my heart how deep unending
Ache of love!

Send Deb your favorite travel poems

Most Popular Beach Vacation Activities Worldwide

Walking: 70%
Swimming: 65%
Sunbathing: 53
Reading: 48%
Napping: 47%
People-watching: 45%
Listening to music:39%
Drinking alcohol: 39%
Getting a massage/spa treatment: 30%
Partying: 25%

— Statista Research Experts.

Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin: American author, printer, political theorist, politician, postmaster, scientist, inventor, civic activist, statesman, diplomat, Founding Father and swimmer. Franklin was an avid swimmer throughout his life and an early advocate for the benefits of the sport. As a result of this passion, he invented swim fins when he was just 11 years old; they are regarded as being his earliest invention. He wrote, the exercise of swimming is one of the most healthy and agreeable in the world. His advocacy for swimming was recognized by his induction into the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 1968.

Captain Webb: The First Person to Swim the English Channel

On August 24, 1875, Captain Matthew Webb of Great Britain becomes the first man to successfully swim the English Channel without assistance. After the feat, Webb became an international celebrity, admired for both his prowess in the water and his penchant for risk-taking.

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Earliest Snorkels were Hollow Reeds

The earliest free divers can be traced back to 3000 B.C. and they were the sponge farmers in a Greek island called Crete. The modern snorkel was developed later but the earliest snorkels were just hollow reeds.

Embracing Solitude & Other Beach Quotations

To go out with the setting sun on an empty beach is to truly embrace your solitude. — Jeanne Moreau

To myself I am only a child playing on the beach, while vast oceans of truth lie undiscovered before me — Isaac Newton

We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of that missing drop. — Mother Teresa

Even castles made from sand fall to the ocean. — Jimi Hendrix

Coconuts Kill More People Than Sharks

“Coconuts kill around 150 people worldwide each year, which makes them about ten times more dangerous than sharks,” says Brent Escott, managing director of Club Direct.

The news follows reports from Queensland, Australia, that coconut trees are being uprooted by local councils fearful of being sued for damages by people injured by coconuts.

Scuba Diving

In 1942, during the German occupation of France, Jacques-Yves Cousteau and Émile Gagnan designed the first successful and safe open-circuit scuba, a twin hose system known as the Aqua-Lung. Their system combined an improved demand regulator with high-pressure air tanks. This was patented in 1945.

The Sea

The heart of man is very much like the sea, it has its storms, it has its tides, and in its depths it has its pearls too. — Vincent Van Gogh.

The Dylan Thomas Trails and Wales Coast Path

Spread across South West Wales, the Wales Coast Path showcases quaint small towns, and the remarkable land and seascapes which inspired Dylan. The Gower Peninsula features the fishing village of Mumbles and the stunning beach of Rhossili, where Dylan would camp and often walk the Gower cliffs. Two of his best loved short stories, ‘Extraordinary Little Cough’ and ‘Who Do You Wish Was With Us?’ are set in ethereal Rhossili. If you’d like to hike further, the 870 mile long Wales Coast Path spans the length of the Welsh coastline.

Origin of Polynesians

There is no definitive answer to the origin of Polynesian people, though everyone seems to offer an opinion. Many believe the Polynesian cultures descended from a single proto-culture established in the South Pacific by migrant Malayo-Polynesian people, while others point to the Easter Islands. Everyone seems to agree that these ingenious explorers were ultra-sophisticated sailors, with a highly complex navigational system based on the observation of the stars, ocean swells and flight patterns of birds. Their primary vessel was a 50 to 60 feet long canoe, consisting of two hulls, connected by lashed crossbeams. A precursor to the modern catamaran, the sails were made of matting drove. Long steering paddles enabled the mariners to keep it sailing on course. The canoes could accommodate roughly two dozen people, food supplies, livestock, and planting materials, essential for the long expeditions and the eventual founding of new island colonies. Like athletes they would go into vigorous training prior to voyages, even conditioning their bodies to deal with less food and water. — EB

10 of the Most Popular Topless Beaches Around the World

The most popular topless beaches are nice and well-kept, and mainly found over North America, the Caribbean Sea and in Europe. But, as most of us can assume, being at a topless beach definitely isn’t for everybody. But here are the ten most exclusive topless beaches:

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Pearl Hunting & Diving

Pearl hunting, also known as pearling, is the activity of recovering pearls from wild molluscs, usually oysters or mussels, in the sea or fresh water. Pearl diving began in the 1850s on the northern and north-western coast of Australia, and started in the Torres Strait, off Far North Queensland in the 1870s.

Pearl hunting used to be prevalent in the Persian Gulf region and Japan. Pearl diving began in the 1850s on the northern and north-western coast of Australia, and started in the Torres Strait, off Far North Queensland in the 1870s.

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Predicting the Future of Travel in 2040

Allianz Partners’ Futurology Report Predicts Airline Passenger Numbers will Double, ‘Faces’ via Facial Pattern Recognition Systems Will Replace Passports and Boarding Passes

Courtesy Allianz Global Assistance

By the year 2040, international travel will be a faster, easier and more ecologically sustainable activity than ever before, according to a report commissioned by Allianz Partners to help prepare for the travel-related needs of their customers in the future. Allianz Partners is a world leader in B2B2C assistance and insurance solutions, delivering global protection and care, and offers dedicated travel insurance services through the Allianz Travel brand.

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Balicasag and Panglao are just two of the many destinations in Bohol, an island province in the center of the Philippine archipelago. Bohol is well-known for its cute, large-eyed tarsiers and the remarkable Chocolate Hills but there’s so much more to see and experience in this province. A large number of white sand beaches await sun worshippers while crystal-clear waters teeming with marine life beckon snorkelers and divers. Just inland are several waterfalls, caves, cave pools, rice terraces and historic churches waiting to be explored. Green, jungle-fringed rivers ideal for kayaking, paddle-boarding or – if you’re feeling less adventurous – touring in a large boat while leisurely enjoying lunch, are there for the taking.

We were therefore faced with a bewildering array of choices upon arriving at Panglao Island where we checked in at a seaside resort. Deciding to go with the popular spots first, we drove for the Chocolate Hills Complex at Carmen town in the central part of the island.

The Chocolate Hills are a collection of at least 1,268 – but perhaps as many as 1,700 plus – grass-carpeted limestone mounds. It was the start of the hot and dry season when we arrived here and the hills had already turned a yellowish green. Those colors would soon morph into brown at the height of the dry season resulting in a slight resemblance to chocolate kisses, hence the name. During the peak of the rainy season in August to September these hills take on a more verdant green hue.

Next on the itinerary was the diminutive and lemur-like Philippine tarsier. There are a number of wildlife sanctuaries in Bohol that accommodate a few of the nocturnal primates and we selected the one in Bilar town since it was along our route. Most of the tarsiers in this sanctuary were asleep when we arrived, clinging to trees along a path that snaked its way through a forested area. Some eventually woke up even as we silently trudged along the pathway, their disproportionately huge eyes casting a shy stare in our direction. Those large eyes provide tarsiers with excellent night vision for hunting their prey.

After our encounter with the tarsiers and on the way to our next destination we passed by the Manmade Mahogany Forest in the town of Bilar. After sweltering in the warm tropical surroundings in Carmen and Bilar we were soon relishing the crisp, cool air afforded by the thick canopy of the mahoganies. Carpets of fallen red and brown leaves cloaked the forest floor adding a colorful contrast to the thick green foliage of the mahogany trees that almost completely blocked out the sun.

A Bohol countryside tour allows one to have lunch on the fly while touring a scenic river. That’s exactly what we experienced on the popular Loboc River tour where lunch buffet is served on a wide-bodied boat while cruising down the jade-green body of water. This tour also allowed us to have a splendid view of everyday life in the typical Boholano barrio: locals at work in their backyards along the riverbank, others paddling around in small bancas and children jumping from tree branches into the waters below. A teenage show-off displayed his Tarzan-like skills, swinging on a long rope from a tree on the riverbank almost into our moving boat and practically kissing the people lined up on the starboard side. Dangerous for him perhaps but pretty impressive.

During the river tour a father-and-daughter team was serenading us with a wide range of songs from The Stylistics’ Betcha By Golly Wow to Dolores O’Riordan and The Cranberries’ Linger. Then, as our boat swung back for the return trip, our tour group was treated to a special dance and music cultural presentation by locals aboard a floating hut. Such is the Boholanos’ love for dance and music.

Caves and waterfalls abound in Bohol but we could only drop by the Hinagdanan Cave on Panglao Island which is connected to the main island via 2 causeways. Beautiful stalactites and stalagmites as well as a crystal-clear green pool with a depth of 10-12 feet greeted us as we descended into the cavern from an opening in the ground. The cave was is well-lit but there are no manmade lights here; all of the lighting is natural. Several holes high up on the cave’s ceiling let sunlight in which then bounces off the rugged rock and crystal formations to create interesting lighting effects.

Just like all of the provinces in the Visayas, the group of major islands in central Philippines, Bohol is home to several gorgeous beaches and colorful waters. We’ve already mentioned Balicasag Island which has been a favorite of divers for some time now. Panglao Island has a collection of white sand beaches including Alona Beach, Dumaluan and the adjoining Libaong Beach. Alona Beach is the most popular beach in Bohol and probably has the densest concentration of hotels, resorts and restaurants in the province.

Wanting to shun the crowds and resorts at Alona Beach on our penultimate day in Bohol, we booked an outrigger boat to take us to the aforementioned Balicasag Island and Pungtud Island, the latter more popularly known as Virgin Island. Unlike Balicasag and Panglao, Virgin Island has few activities to offer but makes up for it in terms of looks. We could bask all day in its long white sandbar and surrounding crystal-clear turquoise waters. The only problem was that dozens of other boatloads of tourists had the same idea and we were soon sharing a lagoon near the sandbar with several other visitors (see also top photo).

The attractions in Bohol aren’t all natural. Practically each town has it its own historic church – a throwback to more than 300 years of Spanish colonial rule beginning in the 1500s. Some of these churches have been proclaimed as Natural Cultural Treasures by the government. The most famous among them is the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary Parish Church in Baclayon town, often simply referred to as the Baclayon Church. First built in 1596, the present structure was reconstructed in 1727. A major earthquake in 2013 heavily damaged this building, with the portico and bell tower collapsing, but restoration works were completed in 2017.

We might have visited a wide variety of destinations in Bohol but looking back now we realized we’ve only scratched its surface. Our visit was confined to the western side of the island and a part of its central section. The rest of the province still contains a treasure trove of natural and manmade wonders including more beaches and coral reefs that rival those of Panglao in the coastal towns of Anda, Jagna and Dimiao; green and gold rice terraces, cobalt-colored cold springs and turquoise cave pools in Candijay and more caves and rice terraces in Jagna just to name some of them. And a large number of waterfalls scattered about the whole province. We definitely have to be back. Now if only this pandemic will end soon…

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