All the locals on Ambergris Caye know that every Thursday in San Pedro is time for Chicken Drop at Wahoo’s Lounge. This is a fun gambling tradition based on chicken…um, droppings. Previously, the location of this game was smack downtown on the beach of the Spindrift Hotel building, however, it moved in the summer of 2022. So where can you find the Chicken Drop now? Don’t panic, it is just south of town by the Corona del Mar Hotel. The Lounge is right by the sea with lots of space for the festivities and even includes a swimming pool. The chicken drop tradition continues every Thursday with one of the most popular and oldest activities on the island at Wahoo’s new location!
Learning the ropes of the Chicken Drop game in Belize
The game includes a large bingo-like board on the ground where you bet on a number between 1 and 100. Eventually, the chicken will poop on one of these numbers. When you get to Wahoo’s Lounge by Corona del Mar around 5 pm on that Thursday, approach any of their staff and purchase your ticket of which number in order to play in the game. Usually, they have five rounds of Chicken Drops throughout the evening, roughly every hour.
Once the game is on, people gather around the board and a volunteer is selected to have the privilege to say the following words, “Chicken Security, bring me my chicken!” After the chicken is brought to the volunteer, they’ll swirl and gently shake it before blowing on its rear for extra good luck. Then, it’s fair game as the chicken touches the board.
Naturally, the crowd tries to stimulate the chicken to poop with loud cheers. The atmosphere is hard to resist, which men’s you’ll often join in with the number you want the chicken to drop on. A very important thing to note, no one can touch the chicken once the game begins.
What’s a backup chicken?
Photo by Dion Vansen
Even at Wahoo’s new location, it’s not uncommon for a backup chicken to finish the round. A second chicken is placed on the board to help, but not before it goes through the same ritual of swirling and blowing. And at last, whenever the chicken does indeed poop, someone from within the crowd joyfully celebrates. The winnings are usually BZ$100 or higher. But wait, before you head to the bar to get some booze to celebrate your wins, you need to clean the ‘drop’ from the ring.
This experience is undoubtedly one of the most popular on the island that always draws a crowd. Wahoo’s Lounge Chicken Drop continues to be one of San Pedro’s most traditional activities, which you cannot for anything in this world miss when visiting the island.
All images by Dion Vansen.
