In April 2015, Becky (my wife) and I took a Western Caribbean Cruise. One of our stops was the Caulker and Ambergris reefs in Belize. 

     The Belize Barrier Reef is the longest in the western hemisphere and the second longest continuous reef in the world.  The reef runs roughly parallel to the coast, from Belize’s border with Mexico in the north to Guatemala in the south.

     The sea between the reef and the mainland is a shallow lagoon that is less than 5 m deep.

     Just offshore and protected by the reef, are more than 200 islands know as cayes.  Becky and I visited Caye Caulker and Ambergris. 

     Lettuce corals were the most common corals that we saw snorkelling on the Ambergris Reef.  There were a few staghorn corals, but not a lot. The crystal-clear waters were superb for snorkeling. We saw several species of angelfish and parrotfish.  But the larger fish such as barracuda, sharks and rays were relatively common here.

     Meanwhile, at the end of the day, Becky and I went back to the cruise ship where Becky entered a talent contest.  Below is a video at end of the event.  Becky won!