5 Reason to travel to Belize

With the 2010 travel season rapidly approaching there are several tropical paradises to consider. We'd like to suggest Belize, as travelers can take advantages of great deals and dollar conversion rates. Belize is located in the heart of Central America and includes spectacular water adventures for the family to enjoy. Here are 5 good reasons you should check out Belize:

1. Belize has the second largest reef in world located along its entire coastline, with thousands of miles to snorkel, scuba dive, and free dive.
   
   
2. Great Blue Hole is one of the premier dive sites and is highly recommended to visit. Jacques Cousteau in 1971 was the first to promote this wonderful underwater adventure which is considered one of the "Worlds Top 10 Diving Sites."
   
   
3. If you like to island hop, you can travel to and hike Ambergris Caye, Caye Caulker, Coco Plum Cayes and hundreds of other islands (some of them are completely uninhabited and just waiting to be explored).
   
   
4. Cave Tubing is a favorite and unique activity for tourists. All one has to do is to sit back and enjoy channeling through amazing caves and waterways. It is an adventure that one will never forget.
   
   
5. With miles and miles of rain forest, one can hike and explore for days. Within the rain forests you can find several history rich Mayan sites.
   

The above tips were provided by Clayton Sikes, owner of Belize Surf & Sport, one of our favorite retail shops located outside the crew ship terminal in Belize City. Belize Surf & Sport retails everything from authentic souvenirs to Body Glove wetsuits and snorkel gear.

To contact Belize Surf & Sport, call 011 501-664-2502 (from the US) and 664-2502 (if in Belize).

- Posted by Mike Zahn of CWIC

http://www.destinationwater.com/- A C Walters Intercoastal Corporation

Whale Watching Tour in San Diego

Saturday, December 19 was a most beautiful day in San Diego, California. The sun was shining over the glassy, blue Pacific ocean and the sky was so clear that one could see all the way to the Islas Coronados just over the border in Mexican waters.

I set out with Adventure Rib Rides (www.adventureribrides.com), a whale watching tour company that utilizes US Navy SEAL Rigid Inflatable Boats (R.I.B), to share their wonders of the sea with men, women and children from all over the world. Unlike typical whale watching excursions that take place in large yachts that hold 60-200 people and allow whale watchers to view the sights from 25 feet off of the water, Adventure Rib Rides seat six passengers max. and sit an arms length distance from the water.

The tour was conducted Captains Ken and Sean who offered a wealth of information on the sights within the San Diego Harbor, whale behavior, oceanography and more.




Once we got out of port, we were amazed at the calmness of the ocean and quickly found ourselves in the middle of a huge pod of dolphins. Our new friends decided to follow us and play within our wake. I was able to brace myself near the front end of the boat and look into their eyes as they turned on their sides to get a better glimpse of us human beings.



















My favorite dolphin decided to turn on his back and swim upside down! It amazed me how fast he could move in such a precarious position. The connection I experienced with the personality-rich creatures was so very powerful...I'll never forget the moment as long as I live!

For 3 hours, we enjoyed the ocean and the refreshing sun shining above us. Since it is early in the season, we didn't see any whales...but I will take my friends and family again soon to experience the adventure of being on the ocean in a R.I.B boat.

For more information on Adventure R.I.B Rides, visit www.adventureribrides.com or call (619) 808-2822.

Post by Jen of CWIC

Whale Migration in the Pacific

It is that time of year again in the Pacific Ocean!! Thousands of whales (mainly Grey whales) are currently migrating south to breed in the warmth of the Mexican waters. Just today, I heard from a friend in San Diego that Grey whales aren't the only thing that has been gracing the waters down south -- more than a dozen Orca whales spotted off the coast this morning!

When I asked her what they were doing down in San Diego, she said that it is still a mystery to local scientists. "But you wouldn't believe it!" she said. "Local whale watching boats have reported that the Orcas were acting very similar to dolphins! They were jumping out of the water and interacting with whale watching boats like they've never seen!"

I'll be heading out to San Diego to catch some whale watching action this weekend and will bring pictures back to share. Stay tuned...

Posted by Jen

http://www.destinationwater.com/- A C Walters Intercoastal Corporation

Dive Into Your Imagination!

Annie Crawley, AKA "Ocean Annie," has become one of America's leading ocean-environ educators. Founder of www.DiveIntoYourImagination.com, her company changes the way new generations view the ocean. As an underwater cinematographer and educator, Annie has become a Les Brown Platinum Speaker.

CWIC Founder & President Cindi Walters met her at the DEMA Show 2009 in Orlando, Florida and realizing she is a true inspiration, invited her to be a contributor to our blog! We think you will enjoy Annie's perspective and encourage you to visit her site!

A Message from Annie
Breathing underwater changed my life. Originally from Chicago, I never dreamed that I would spend the past two decades living and working around the world. Traveling from Indonesia to Galapagos, Belize to Papua New Guinea, I have explored and documented underwater life on our planet! Inspired by the words of my grandmother when I was only 10-years-old, "You have to travel when you're a youngster because when you get to be my age, you can't climb the mountains!" After graduating from college with a journalism degree, I wasn't ready to get a job, start a family and do all the more traditional things that most of us are raised to pursue. So I saved my money and bought a plane ticket to Australia. There I learned to scuba dive in my second week and then didn't return back to the states for four years! Learning to Scuba dive gave me a freedom I have never experienced on land.

One of the reasons I was excited to contribute to CWIC's blog is because I would never have been able to Scuba dive if I had never learned to swim. From the time we were in diapers, my mom had us in the local swimming pool for family night swims. Eventually, I joined the swim team when I was 9 and grew up with green hair -- due to all the time we spent in the pool. What I didn't know at the time was that my mom had a fear of water and to this day she hates to put her head underwater. The amazing thing is that she didn't instill her fear in any of her children and sent us to swimming lessons. (She was a true hero, my mom...because the greatest of all heroes don't pass on their fears to those who they guide, but they help them exceed their very own limitations.) It is much easier to learn to swim when you are young, but I know that it can be done by adults who want to get over their fears of water...they too can enter into the magical world found when snorkeling and Scuba diving.

Children are 40% of our population and 100% of our future. A few years ago, I founded www.DiveIntoYourImagination.com to change the way that new generations view the ocean. I spent nearly two decades underwater and believe that real ocean animals are much more exciting than those in cartoons. A few of my favorite animals include pygmy sea horses the size of your baby fingernail; cuttlefish that communicate by changing the color and texture of their skin; and Whale Sharks, the largest fish in the ocean...some growing to be up to 60 feet in length!

I still pinch myself when I think about diving with Great White Sharks in Mexico and bottle nose dolphins in Belize. The ocean is the most magical place, and it was all possible because my mom taught me to swim and my grandmother told me to travel...and there is much more to be told.

I look forward to contributing again in the near future!!! If you have any questions, feel free to visit my website site and email!

http://www.destinationwater.com/- A C Walters Intercoastal Corporation

Symphorichthys spilurus - Sailfin snapper

http://www.fishbase.org/summary/speciessummary.php?id=214

Lo vulpinus - Foxface Rabbitfish

http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=16+2145+2203&aid=1942

AGA 2009 Contest Results Released! (post)

http://www.guitarfish.org/2009/11/26/aga-2009-contest-results-released

Amphiprion perideraion - Pink Anemonefish

http://australianmuseum.net.au/Pink-Anemonefish-Amphiprion-perideraion-Bleeker-1855

Amphiprion ocellaris - common clownfish

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Amphiprion_ocellaris.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ocellaris_clownfish

Reef Aquarium

http://www.flickr.com/photos/photosbyjj/181175318/

Labroides dimidiatus - Bluestreak cleaner wrasse

http://www.fishbase.org/summary/speciessummary.php?id=5459

I found these fascinating to keep, always on the go, but need a larger aquarium and tolerant companions!

Thalassoma lunare - Moon Wrasse

http://animal-world.com/encyclo/marine/wrasses/LunarWrasse.php

A friendly fish, a joy to keep but mine dug a lot.

Plectorhinchus albovittatus - Two-striped sweetlips

http://www.fishbase.org/summary/SpeciesSummary.php?id=6362

Betta splendens - Siamese Fighter

http://www.mchportal.com/aquatic-life-mainmenu-114/aquatic-life-freshwater-mainmenu-142/tropical-fish-mainmenu-148/96-fw-tropical-fish/479-betta-splendens.html

Lythrypnus dalli - Catalina Goby

http://animal-world.com/encyclo/marine/goby_ble/CatalinaGoby.php

Takashi Amano 13G

Tom Pro Series filters

http://www.aquatichouse.com/FILTRATION%20MENU_files/tomwetdry.asp

Vote for Clyde the Dog on OCRegister.com

As many of you probably already know, we are soon to launch our Body Glove Pet line of products developed especially for active pet owners and their dogs. The line will be available in-store in March of 2010!

Today we are excited to share that Clyde, the official Body Glove pup, is now being featured on OCRegister Online at the following link:

http://ocpets.freedomblogging.com/2009/11/24/pet-fashion-poll-surfing-paws-vs-santas-helper/26223

Please visit the link and vote for Clyde in the Fashion Pet Poll!

Oxymonacanthus longirostris

http://australianmuseum.net.au/Beaked-Leatherjacket-Oxymonacanthus-longirostris-Bloch-Schneider-1801

Monocentris japonica - Pinecone

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monocentris_japonica

Rhinomuraena amboinensis - Blue ribbon eel

http://www.malawicichlidhomepage.com/other/rhinomuraenia_amboinensis.htm

Apolemichthys arcuatus - Banded angelfish

http://www.fishbase.org/summary/speciessummary.php?id=7811

Centropyge

http://www.centropyge.net/

Pomacanthus (Arusetta) asfur - Purple Moon Angel

Zebrasoma flavescens - Yellow Tang

http://www.aquahobby.com/marine/e_yellow.php

Zebrasoma veliferum

http://www.malawicichlidhomepage.com/other/zebrasoma_veliferum.htm

Zebrasoma xanthurum

http://www.fishbase.org/Summary/speciesSummary.php?ID=12023

Riverbank aquascape

http://www.aquascapingworld.com/forum/aquascape-month/2559-november-2009-aquascape-month.html#post24819

The Tub is the Perfect Place to Start

Our customers are always asking for ways that they can get their children comfortable with snorkeling equipment.

Leslie Connolly of Vancouver, BC sent an adorable photo of her grandson Jake practicing in the bathtub.

Thanks for the picture Leslie!! We strongly suggest that children first practice snorkeling in the tub. It is a great way for them to learn how to breathe calmly through a snorkel and get used to the way a mask feels.

Once children have mastered snorkeling in a bathtub they can then move to the pool.

Leslie shared with me that Jake did make the jump from the bathtub to the pool. He loved using the snorkel and mask so much that he was bound and determined to learn to swim with the Body Glove Jr. Lucent/Jr. Whistle combo.

I've asked Leslie to send more pictures when the Summer returns in BC. We look forward to seeing how Jake is progressing!!

http://www.destinationwater.com/- A C Walters Intercoastal Corporation

What to Look for in a Snorkeling Spot

Planning a trip to a tropical locale for the holidays? If so, we strongly suggest you enjoy a snorkeling adventure or two! When you start researching snorkeling spots, you will notice that there are many to choose from -- so you may ask yourself, "how do I know I'm choosing a winner?"

Here are some key features to look for in a snorkeling spot:

- A protected lagoon, lake, cove or bay
- Calm waters
- Good underwater visibility
- The warmer the water the better (or wear a high quality wetsuit to keep warm)
-Lots of sea life to view - fish, sea turtles, eels, fauna, coral, rock formations and more.
-One that isn't too crowded.
- Easy entry and exit from snorkeling area

If this will be your first snorkeling adventure, make sure that you practice before you attempt to experience an ocean or fresh water environment.

You want to be as comfortable as possible. And always snorkel with a friend, family member or tour group.

We would love to hear about your snorkeling adventures!! Send pictures and a description of your experience to info@cwicfluid.com.

http://www.destinationwater.com/- A C Walters Intercoastal Corporation

A Family Snorkeling Adventure

One morning, my friends Jane and Mark called me to get ideas for a family snorkeling vacation. Mark had never put on a mask, but Jane had been snorkeling many times. Snorkeling with her brother and parents in the Greek Isles remains one of Jane's fondest memories, and she was eager to share a similar experience with her own family. I suggested the Virgin Islands, where abundant marine life thrives in warm tropical waters. After our phone conversation, they took their children - Jessie, 8, and Peter, 6 - to a local dive shop and outfitted them with gear.

"Peter learned to use his mask and snorkel in the tub before we tried the ocean, and it really helped," Jane says. On their trip, they had an amazing time together: "The four of us held hands, making a big circle with our heads in the middle, and floated over a huge school of tiny florescent fish. And it was really safe for the children. The only danger was not wanting to get out of the water."

Floating on the surface of a calm, clear, sea and watching fish dance between shimmering shafts of sunlight is a pleasure an entire family can enjoy together. Even those family members who cannot swim can snorkel with the help of a life preserver. By the time children are old enough to attend school, most are able to master snorkeling techniques.

They key is to get out there! Get into the water with your family and friends, and enjoy all that rivers, lakes and oceans have to offer. Lifetime memories are created when we dare to go and discover...

- Post by Joel Simon, Founder & Owner of Sea for Yourself Snorkeling Safaris. Check out his site at www.seaforyourself.com.


http://www.destinationwater.com/- A C Walters Intercoastal Corporation

Critter Profile: Nemo the Clown Fish

In the Disney classic tale Finding Nemo, we are introduced a breed of fish that plays several roles in the vast ocean. Their beauty has the power to take our breaths away, and at the same time, they have the power save an important ocean c0-dweller from destruction and transform in ways unknown to man.


The following are several details on the clown fish that may surprise you:

- There are 28 species including the Skunk, Barrier Reef, Twoband, Mauritian, Tomato, Whitesnout, Madagascar, Pink Skunk and Saddleback.
- They live in small groups: within these groups are only one reproductive male & female. The rest of the fish in the group are non-reproductive.
- The beautiful fish lays eggs on flat surfaces and usually spawn during a full moon.
- When they are born, all clown fish are males. (So how do they mate?...you may be asking...) Some change their sex in order to mate. And...if a female dies during a mating session, another male will be promoted to female and will then change its sex. (what!? Yes, it's true!)
- Clown fish range in size from 4 to 7 inches as adults.
- They are omnivores, feeding off of algae, plankton, mollusks, and crustacean.
- Sea anemones are protected by clown fish because they feed on parasites that are harmful to anemones.
- Clown fish are one of two species that can survive the poison of sea anemones. A mucous membrane coats their bodies for protection.
- They prefer the warmer waters of the Indian and Pacific oceans.
- Find clown fish at these favorite dive & snorkel destinations: Great Barrier Reef, Red Sea, Fiji, Malaysia, Thailand, Maldives and Indonesia.

On your next snorkel or dive trip with clown fish...or in an aquarium...or Nemo on the big screen, be amazed! These lil' critters are truly heroes in their own right.

Want to win a free snorkel set? Be the first to tell us where Nemo's father finally rescued him, and you will be the winner of a Body Glove Professional Dive Set!

Go to the following link and fill out the simple form (please enter your answer into the phone number field of the form):
http://www.destinationwater.com/landing_page.asp

- Posted by Jen of CWIC

http://www.destinationwater.com/- A C Walters Intercoastal Corporation

What to Look for in the Pacific Ocean

So by now you may have heeded our advice and gotten yourself a snorkel, mask and set of fins and are about to embark on your first snorkeling experience. But wait now, do you know what you are going to look for while you're in the ocean?

This begins a series that I will be writing on various oceans and what you can find within them. Let's start with the Pacific Ocean...

Naturally, if you are in Tahiti, the crystal clear water speaks for itself. In such places, the fish are brighter than any highlighter you have ever seen, and the coral is quite literally swarming with so much wildlife it looks more like kids around an ice cream truck. Really, being in waters that tropical is dreamlike. But unfortunately for West Coasters, few have the means to scoot off to Tahiti to do some snorkeling. What many of them don't know is that the Southern California Coast offers plenty of snorkeling adventures.

Using Laguna Beach as an example -- one can find the bright orange Garibaldi fish (the official fish of California), eels, octopus, calico bass, tree fish, bat stars and purple sea urchins. The hot snorkeling spot in Laguna by far is Shaw's Cover. You can find all of the above there.

La Jolla Cove near San Diego also offers amazing snorkeling adventures. It provides snorkelers the ability to navigate through beautiful kelp forests and hang with rays, more Garibaldi and sometimes seals and harmless varieties of sharks.

Up and down the coast, but much harder to spot than many other varieties of fish is the black sea bass. Once in a while snorkelers and divers come across them and are blown away by their mass...sometimes weighing in at more than 150 pounds. Their massiveness may inspire you to swim away as fast as possible, but there is nothing to be afraid of, they are as harmless as any creature can be. These giants are considered endangered species, so please don't get any wild ideas that involve spear fishing or trying to take one home as a pet.

Now some will scoff at the next thing that I am going to mention, but try to use your imagination. Not far from Laguna at a place called Pirate Bay, Disneyland has a pirate named Captain Jack. I've seen him and admired his boldness...and sometimes envision myself as Captain Anthony aboard the Black Swirl...on my way to Catalina to unearth the biggest booty ever discovered. Wow, I just let that one get away from me just a little :-)

Anyway, whether or not you find treasure or any of the creatures I mentioned, enjoy yourself in the water. It's hard not to. What feels better than being weightless as you sway with the gentle currents and peer down at the last frontier on our beautiful planet -is knowing that you are a guest in what is truly a miracle, our beautiful ocean...

Anthony- Intern, Blogger, Spanish Speaker, and Action Figure

http://www.destinationwater.com/- A C Walters Intercoastal Corporation

Essential to Snorkeling

In a land far away, an activity dubbed snorkeling was popular. It was "all the rage" and all the "cool kids" were doing it. That land was earth and snorkeling was the hit activity in beach towns and beach resorts. Kids and adults alike populated the reefs with one goal, actually more like a DREAM: to view the ocean in a way never before seen, as a fish! But before they could embark on their endeavors, they had to obtain one vital component. The one piece allow them to truly enjoy the ocean.

The one and the only.....snorkel keeper!

Wow. Really Anthony, did you just write a whole hook driven by the Lord of the Rings theme to explain a snorkel keeper. Yes.. oh boy...

All kidding aside, a snorkel keeper is really no bigger than a silver dollar but without it snorkeling can be difficult. Some don't even know what one is -- they may have heard the term -- but just to be clear, a snorkel keeper is a connector piece that holds the mask and the snorkel together. IT allows you to move freely without worrying that your snorkel will submerge and having the piece of mind knowing that the snorkel won't grow fins and decide to swim away; it can't, it's attached to your face!!

Most keepers come attached to the snorkel with a clip -- you then attache it to your mask strap. Once attached correctly they are quite secure, are user friendly and can be easily to be swapped with other masks.

So when you think snorkeling, don't just think snorkel and mask, make sure you have that keeper. Because without it, you just won't enjoy the ocean as effortlessly as you should. It's your little plastic key to ocean fun! Sorry, at CWIC we get a little excited about this stuff. Really, you should see us. I typed this whole blog with full snorkeling regalia on. I have to go, my mask is foggy and I need to find a body of water. Hasta Luego!

Anthony- Intern, Blogger, Spanish Speaker, and Action Figure

http://www.destinationwater.com/- A C Walters Intercoastal Corporation