Closing out Rose’s birthday season searching for manatees and hanging out at the sand bar

Welcome to the sand bar.

It is a good day when you can say you spent some time on a boat searching for a herd of manatees.

And we did. On Saturday. En route to the sand bar.

Our captain Eddy had seen about 14 manatees around the south end of Ambergris Caye only the day before so we slowed to a halt at the same spot. Everybody  put on their best sea squints and searched the horizons.

How do these things begin? Somebody says “let’s build a pyramid!” and a bunch of people think it is a good idea. That’s life on the sand bar.

We saw some manashadows and rockatees.

No manatees.

But I am now able to add “searched for manatees” to the list of things done this past weekend. That’s not bad.

Nor is spending the day on the sand bar. The sand bar is becoming a local tradition — organize a boat for the day and run it up on the bar, just north of what is no ironically called Secret Beach. The water is crystal clear, sargassum-free, warm and barely four inches deep for as far as you can see. If you hit the place at low tide there is actually a spit of sand that pops up.

The boat ride out to the sand bar via the south side of Ambergris Caye — cool breeze, blue-green sea and (mostly) blue skies. Friends on board. Life is so good.

On Saturday, 18 of us met down at the docks for Rose’s mimosas and boarded Marcos and Karen’s C-Monkey for the trip to the back side of Ambergris Caye. Rose organized the trip to celebrate the end of her birthday season.  Our guests brought salads and pulled pork sandwiches and casseroles, chips and dips and cupcakes that were spread out on the bow. Several coolers of Belikin beer, rum punch and other beverages kept us hydrated.

It is a very uncomplicated experience, requiring almost no effort on anyone’s part. Once you arrive. The most fun is just sitting in the water and and talking with friends. Something about doing that in four inches of water brings out the best and most congenial conversations.

Another item on my to-do list, “building a human pyramid,” (see picture above) came off pretty well with no injuries.

Blair, Melaney and Emily aboard the C-Monkey.

Oh, I guess I could wax on about the sand bar but I think I’ll just let the pictures do the talking.

I’ll say this, everyone who spends time on the sand bar comes away with an overwhelming sense of gratitude for the fact that we are here, in Belize.

How do these things happen? Party hats mysteriously appeared aboard the C-Monkey resulting in a spontaneous breakout of “Happy Birthday” to Rose.

Queen and her court? Miss Rose and Marie take on royal posture aboard the C-Monkey.

The slightly submerged sand bar.

And some more photos, none of which require wordy explanations from me!

See? Just sitting and talking while soaking in four inches of warm, crystalline salt water.

Thank you for reading along. Until the next time ……

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