This winter will be my fifth season running standup paddleboarding trips in Belize with Island Expeditions and it has been an incredible paddling and cultural experience. I feel fortunate that my life’s passion and purpose has provided me the opportunity to show clients from around the world this immersive tropical experience. My goal is to create experiences that I love and those that I want to share so I am thankful to Island Expeditions for the opportunity to partner in order to create these adventures for you.
Coral Islands Experience
Belize is a paddling paradise and Island Expeditions owner Tim Boys knew this long before anyone when his passion for adventure and exploration brought him to Belize over thirty years ago with a few sea kayaks in tow. Together we have combined our passions for people, paddling and places by providing an active vacation with the chance to explore remote islands and reefs while learning about the local culture. Great trips are always more than the sum of its parts and these trips are no different. Highlights for me have been the opportunity to paddle from white sand island to white sand island along the barrier reef within the protected SouthWater Caye Marine Reserve.
See for yourself why this area has been dedicated a UNESCO World Heritage site. Paddling the reef is unique and showcases the wide array of marine life like Sea Turtles and Spotted Eagle Rays in the shallow, clear waters. To understand a place you must understand it’s people and I enjoy the relationships I have built with the local Garifuna and Creole people. Those I work with are talented guides, cooks and support staff who have now become my friends. They are beautiful hosts and proud ambassadors of this tiny county who love sharing their culture and ways of life with you.
Another must do activity on our trip is snorkelling. I will never forget the first time I put a mask on and stuck my head in the water on the outside wall of the reef on my first trip to Belize. It was like looking into a new and different world and I was astonished at the colors and the diversity of fish and corals. Pictures do not do it justice. Our local guides are born waterman and trained coaches and they will provide a safe learning environment to for you to enjoy if it’s your first time. Our seven day Coral Islands Trip located right on the barrier reef and within the marine reserve showcases all of these highlights and more.
A New Experience on Glovers Reef Atoll for 2019
After the success of our Coral Island Trip we have added a new experience this year that I am very excited about and that I think you will love. We will be travelling to the Glover’s Reef Atoll. This adventure allows you to explore and stay on Glover’s Atoll, a protected marine park and UNESCO designated world heritage site thirty-six miles offshore of mainland Belize.
Glover’s Reef is one of the most spectacular marine environments in Belize and offers some of the best standup paddleboarding and snorkelling in the Caribbean. We will be incorporating some fun paddle surfing into this trip and we will also look to build our down winding experience in the warm trade winds that blow along the reef. Due to its isolation from the mainland, the waters are exceptionally clear with a rich reef ecosystem. This experience differs from our Coral Islands adventure as you will enjoy flexibility in your choice of paddling and daily guided activities. You and your traveling companions can do things together or separately, making it ideal for families and couples of mixed abilities.
I am excited to bring my family to Belize this winter to experience it for the first time as Glover’s provides an ideal basecamp for our family to paddle, relax, explore, swim, snorkel and fish.
We are offering both four and five day trips that I will be personally guiding and I am excited to see you this year in Belize. If your interested don’t wait as they trips are already filling up. Send an email for more information or to book your Belize adventure.
See you on the water, Norm.
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