Belize Vacation
On November 30th, my wife and I left rainy Vancouver to visit Belize for the first time. Belize is a tiny country in Central America with a population of about 320,000. It is 290km long and 110km wide, you can literally drive around the whole country in one day if you wanted to. English is the official language which makes getting around very easy.
Due to our last minute booking we had to take four flights (Vancouver -> San Francisco -> Houston -> Belize City -> Dangriga) and a boat ride to reach our final destination, Coco Plum Island Resort. The last flight is on a small plane which lands on a tiny runway in Dangriga, just part of the adventure I suppose.
Coco Plum is on a small 16 acre private island about 15 minutes by boat from Dangriga. There are only 10 or so cabanas on the island, so it is very quiet and far removed from large resorts elsewhere in Belize. As soon as you arrive on the island, the staff make sure you are well taken care of. Bags are taken to your room, and the bartender makes you a tropical welcome drink. In our case, mosquito bites :)
The bar is a central hub of activity for staff and guests. Special thanks to Leo for being such a nice guy and a great bartender. Erwin, Bella, Sam, Crispin, and Byron also deserve special mention for making our stay fantastic. The roof of the bar is covered in t-shirts from former guests, each with its own message.
After check-in, we went to our cabana and were surprised how big they were. More than enough space for two people. Everything is very clean, well maintained and comfortable.
The ocean literally steps from the door.
The resort is beautiful, tranquil, and a great place to relax. Here are some shots from around the resort. The island in the photo below is another resort, Thatch Caye.
The long dock is one of the great features. During the day a place to relax. At night the lights attract rays, sharks (small ones, don't worry), and squid. It's also a good place to snorkel, we saw a lot of interesting creatures and I even found a huge live conch.
A large hermit crab.
Another type of crab which seemed to be unhappy about my presence.
Even an urchin which did a good job of hanging onto my hand.
The water is typical Caribbean: blue green, warm, and clear. Katie and I spent a lot of time snorkeling around the area. We also ventured out on most of the snorkel trips from the island to the local barrier reef. Belize has some of the best snorkeling I have encountered anywhere in the world and I have been to a lot of great locations. The reefs are still in great shape and there is a huge variety of coral, fish, and invertebrates. Spotted Eagle Rays are common.
A lobster trying to hide in the coral. The lobster here don't have big claws.
This puffer fish was also trying to keep a low profile, but I spotted him.
There are also a lot of birds in the area, including pelicans.
We had a few nice sunsets while we were there, though not quite as good as we had in Thailand and Hawaii.
On some days, there are several inland tours you can participate in. We chose to visit the Belize Zoo, which is small but well laid out and quite natural. Animals have large pens with plenty of room for cover. Considering that this is a third world country, the animals were well kept. Unfortunately, when we were there it was raining and a lot of the animals were not visible. We didn't get to see a jaguar, which is one of the big draws. It also made getting good photos harder, but here are a few from our visit.
On the say to the zoo, we also stopped at a gift shop that had captive Coatimundi. Similar to a racoon, they are very cute and curious animals. Unfortunately, they have to live in this small cage.
Being far removed from a large city there isn't much light pollution and on a clear night there are a lot of stars visible. Though I have almost no experience with star photography I decided to give it a shot. Here you can see the mangroves lit up from a small amount of light on the island.
I also tried to 'light paint' some of the mangroves with a flashlight in a few of the shots.
One of the cabana at night.
While the snorkeling was great, I also enjoy scuba diving and went out with divemaster Steve for two dives (thanks to Byron for setting it up!). As expected, it was amazing. The reefs are teeming with life.
Here Steve swims with a green sea turtle. This guy didn't seem spooked and just swam around with us for a while before moving on.
Pterois Lionfish are not native to the Caribbean, and are quite damaging to local species. They don't have the same predators here that they do in their native waters, and their numbers are rising. They are strikingly beautiful fish (though poisonous so don't get too close), but they should be removed from these waters when possible.
The variety of coral is just fantastic.
Some great camouflage.
Finally, a few parting shots. The bar at night.
Mangrove trees at sunrise. Shot straight into the sun, then converted to a sepia tone. I just liked the composition.
The dock at twilight, a few stars visible in the sky. In the evenings, the hut is converted to romantic dinner spot for two. I like the contrast of the warm red light in the hut with the cool blue and green tones of the surroundings.
We left a lot unseen in Belize, it will warrant a return trip some day.
A couple of people have asked what type of camera I used. I have a bit of info about some of my gear here, but specifically for these images I used:
- Nikon D800 DSLR camera
- Nikkor 14-24 f/2.8 lens (the wide angle zoom)
- Nikkor 24-70 f/2.8 lens (the normal zoom)
- Really Right Stuff TVC-33 tripod and BH-55 ball head
For the underwater photos, I use:
- Canon PowerShot SD870 IS Digital ELPH
- Canon WP-DC17 Underwater housing
The Canon camera and housing is a relatively inexpensive way to get decent underwater photos. The housing is good to 40m of depth and suitable for recreational diving. The major drawback is that I can't shoot in raw and adjust white balance in post processing. White balance adjustments are needed much more for underwater shots then for photos on the surface. Unfortunately, I can only do so much with a jpg file.
Vancouver's CRAB Park at Portside
We had a small break in the rain tonight so I decided to head out to catch the last bit of daylight. I visited CRAB Park at Portside (Create A Real Available Beach), which is close to Canada Place and the Vanterm TSI Container Terminal. I didn't have much time but did get a few shots before heading home. It is certainly a place I will visit again soon.
One of my first shots when I arrived. Unfortunately in my haste I didn't check my settings and shot this image at ISO 3200. I had to apply a lot of noise reduction so it's softer than I would want. Still, the sky was very dramatic and I'm happy I got the shot.
The Vanterm TSI Container Terminal. An active port in Vancouver's Burrard Inlet with the North Shore mountains in the background.
Tug boats at the port.
I found a small pond which created some great reflections.
And finally a long exposure on my way out. Needs a return visit to try and get something better.
Ucluelet Vacation
In early October my wife and I decided to visit Ucluelet, BC. It had been too many years since I made a visit to the 'real' west coast of BC. I forgot how beautiful and how close it is. From Vancouver it is only 200Km plus a 1.5 hour ferry ride. The weather was truly amazing, it was unseasonably warm for October and we made the most of it. At night it got quite cold but during the day it was in the mid 20's and sunny. I wore shorts, t shirt, and sandals, we couldn't ask for better weather.
On the way to Ucluelet, we stopped at a river to let the dogs have a break and enjoy some time out of the truck. Cedric immediately ran into the water and started to pull out sticks.
Jammie almost took our her eye by running through the forest.
Then she did her best impression of a wolverine.
We also stopped along one of my favorite spots along the drive. Here the river (I can't remember the name, if anyone can help please post in the comments) cuts into the bedrock leaving deep green pools and amazing formations. It is a busy spot in the summer, but now there was almost no one there.
Once we arrived in Ucluelet, we went to our condo which was fantastic. Located right on Big Beach and near the Black Rock Ucluelet Resort facing west for a fantastic sunset view.
Upstairs, Katie immediately took advantage of the chaise to relax.
I also managed to lure a resident blue jay in for a photo with some crackers.
Our condo from the front.
The first night we were there, we were treated to a beautiful sunset. I find that sunsets over the open ocean are often amazing and I have seen them from several spots in the world. With no obstructions and a completely flat horizon you have the most vibrant colors.
A few minutes later. The contrast between blue and orange is great.
Katie and I spent a lot of time at Florencia Bay, it was a 20 minute walk to get there but we usually had the beach to ourselves. It is a nice walk through the forest and we saw a ton of different types of mushrooms so we dubbed Ucluelet the 'mushroom capital of BC'. Here are a few of them.
These are some of the best mushrooms to eat, I grew up collecting these with my family. Common name is the Saffron milk cap (genus: Lactarius).
No idea what this is, but looks like fungus so I'm throwing it in. If anyone can help identify it please post in the comments.
There were more, but I would just fill up this post mushroom photos. At the trail head to Florencia Bay, there was a funny sign. I guess you if you are going to deface a sign you have to do it right and in both languages.
Once on the beach, the dogs could run around and we could walk for ages and not see anyone else. There was bull kelp all over the place and the dogs loved to play with it.
I also found that it was hard to take a good photo of the waves.
The second night, I decided to venture out on the rocks at Big Beach for some sunset photos.
Also took a long exposure shot using a neutral density filter. I definitely need more practice with this, but it does give the water an interesting texture.
On my way back to the condo, I saw a couple of black tailed deer in the parking lot of the condo complex. They didn't seem to be too scared so I watched them for a few minutes.
One morning, I decided to try and photograph a sunrise instead of a sunset. I went to the lighthouse at the south end of the peninsula, it's near the Tofino MCTS Centre but it's actually in Ucluelet (go figure). This was taken just before the sun came up over the horizon. I was the only one there, very peaceful and quiet.
Shortly after the sun came up over the horizon.
Soon after the sun came up, another photographer joined me and said he could see a whale off shore. After a few minutes of looking, I did see a humpback whale breaching in the distance. I tried to get some photos, but it was just too far away to get a decent shot. Not long after this sighting, a gray whale came cruising by much closer to shore. Having seen two whales that day, I decided to check into a whale watching tour.
On the way to Tofino, we stopped at Long Beach. It was a foggy morning so we didn't stay long. I think other beaches in the area are much nicer but this is popular with the surf crowd.
Katie and I decided to go out with a tour company in Tofino. We did try to find a humpback but were unable to do so. However, we did get very close to two gray whales feeding. A great experience.
Two gray whale spouts.
A rainbow created by the spout of a gray whale.
Considering how big these animals are, they are very graceful in the water. Even the giant tail fluke barely makes a splash as it sinks below the surface.
One more walk on the beach, here Katie is enjoying the sunshine and solitude with the dogs. It turned out to be one of my favorite photos from the trip.
We had a beautiful sunset every night we were there but the last one was the best. Clouds always make a sunset more interesting and colorful, this one was taken from our condo.
Nikon D800 vs iPhone 4S
I was at Newell Lake near Brooks, Alberta with my brother a few weeks ago and as the sun was setting I tried to capture a few photos. It was a warm evening which would have otherwise been pleasant if it wasn't for the swarm of mosquitoes. I was literally getting destroyed by the things, but pushed on and got some shots. The specific location for the shots was this small peninsula.
First, the iPhone photo (showing the Nikon D800).
Next, the image from the Nikon D800 with Nikkor 14-24 f/2.8 lens. This is actually a 7 shot exposure bracket combined in an HDR image using Photomatix.
Both images scaled to 2048 on the long edge. If you look close, I think you will agree that the D800 has a slight edge in image quality here :)
Photo: Sunset in Belize
Sunset in Belize. Taken on a small island off the coast of Dangriga. Very quiet, only a few people. A fantastic spot to get away from reality for a break.
Photo: Sunset in Ucluelet, BC, Canada
Sunset at the edge of the continent. Taken in Uclulet, British Columbia in early October 2012. My wife and I stayed in Uclulet for a few days and were treated to great weather and fantastic sunsets every day we were there. The best sunset was the last one as some clouds rolled in and made the sky light up. The best sunsets always seem to be over the ocean, I’m just glad I was there to see it and capture the moment.
Photo: Pacific Sunset
Sunset at the edge of the continent. Taken in Uclulet, British Columbia in early October 2012. My wife and I stayed in Uclulet for a few days and were treated to great weather and fantastic sunsets every day we were there. The best sunset was the last one as some clouds rolled in and made the sky light up. The best sunsets always seem to be over the ocean, I'm just glad I was there to see it and capture the moment.
Sunset In Alberta
Despite swarms of insects, I managed to push through and get this shot. Taken at sunset on Newell Lake near Brooks, Alberta.
More photos from Alberta here.
Sunset On The Lake
Despite swarms of insects, I managed to push through and get this shot. Taken at sunset on Newell Lake near Brooks, Alberta.
More photos from Alberta here.
Abandoned Farmhouse
An abandoned farmhouse and tractor in rural Alberta. I'm sure that this old house has some interesting stories to tell.
More photos from Alberta here.
Photo: Amari Vogue Resort at Sunset
A photo from the pool at the Amari Vogue Resort in Krabi Province, Thailand. I was worried about dropping the camera in the pool, but managed to get the shot. The sunsets in Thailand are some of the most stunning in the world.
Photo: Kayak Sunset
A photo from a kayak camping trip in the British Columbia Gulf Islands. This was on Valdez Island, kayaks were put to bed and the sun was setting after a long day on the water.
Photo: Vancouver Skyline At Sunset
Another beautiful sunset in Vancouver. Taken from the west side of the Cambie Street Bridge.
Photo: Vancouver Sunset May 2011
I visit this spot often, it is the west side of the Cambie Street bridge in Vancouver. Depending on the time of year, the sun sets in different spots. It's always changing and always beautiful.