No trip to a country along the Caribbean Sea is complete without some water-based activity. While some are content with swimming or boating, others are interested in catching some of the many species of fish that swim off the coast of Belize. While some of these anglers are content to break out a fishing rod, spearfishing is also a viable approach. Whether you fancy yourself an experienced fisher or you are looking for something novel, why not try spearfishing around the 450+ cayes in Belize?
What to Anticipate
Expect lots of barrier reefs. While the waters are calm and shallow, you could fill entire books with the variety of fish species that swim within them.
Where to Go
The sheer number of venues for spearfishing means that there are dozens of charters you can take. Ambergris Caye will let you check out what swims in the heart of the Caribbean. Skip the beaches of San Pedro to tackle cobia, grouper, jack, and snapper. The waters near Dangriga, Hopkins, and Placencia, are overrun with tasty catches, including mackerel.
Dangers to Be Aware Of
Lionfish have become the dominant species of fish in Belize since their introduction to the environment in the 1980s. A single female can lay up to 2 million eggs and subsequently wreck 80% of an entire fishery in under two months. A lot of Belizean spearfishing entails catching this invasive yet tasty species. While nurse sharks and stingrays also swim in Belize’s waters, a professional guide knows what to watch out for and when to tell you to leave the water.
How to Prepare
Belizean fishing charters always offer spearfishing gear. Just remember to remind your captain in case there’s a surcharge and ensure the crew remembers to bring it. Beyond the spearfishing gear, you do not need to bring anything with you beyond a swimsuit and a towel. Most charters either offer lunch, if it is a full-day trip, or drinks and snacks. With luck, you may be able to have your catch cleaned and cooked on the trip back.
Belize’s waters are teeming with gorgeous and delicious fish. Why not get the best of both worlds, seeing and tasting those fish, by booking a spearfishing charter? You get to go fishing in an interesting manner, catch delicious fish and even help keep an invasive species’ numbers in check.
Written by Larry Waight
