BELIZE  BARRIER  REEF

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The Belize Barrier Reef is the second largest reef in the world and only Australia's Great Barrier Reef is larger. Just off the coast line of the Central American country of Belize the barrier reef is a wonderful and beautiful site to see.

One of the most popular activities to do while at Belize's Barrier Reef for locals and tourist alike is: spear fishing! If you never catch anything while spear fishing it is still fun and exciting and the local people will always say, “You can't get fish any fresher.”

One activity you should not expect to do while in Belize is surfing. The Belize Barrier Reef naturally breaks down waves before they reach the shore.

The Belize Barrier Reef alone brings over one-hundred-million US Dollars to the country every single year. Belize has tens of thousands of tourist visit each year just to experience this magnificent reef; one of Belize's prized treasures.

Unfortunately two major natural disasters threatened to completely destroy the Belize Barrier Reef. In November of 1998 Hurricane Mitch directly hit the Barrier Reef ripping up hundreds of years worth of coral growth. Since corals are animals and not plants they can not take root else where. Just after Hurricane Mitch, El Nino brought warmer then usual waters to the reef and literally cooked it to death. All the dead reef on the bottom of the ocean floor is known to the local Belizean people as, 'The Standing Dead.' In that fish still like the coral reef whether it is dead or alive, there has been no impact to the livelihood of local people, since, for many, the reef is their main source of food.

Over 10 years after Hurricane Mitch, Belize as a country, is recovering. Though the Belize Barrier Reef is not fully restored to its' former glory, it is well on its' way and is still a must see world attraction! ~Anthony Benjamin~

 

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