Belize Adventure Tour

NATURAL HISTORY ADVENTURE ORGANIZER: D. BRUCE MEANS, Ph.D.
1313 Milton St.,
Tallahassee, Florida 32303
phone: 850-681-6208; Fax: 850-681-6123;
e-mail: means@bio.fsu.edu

FANTASTIC BELIZE NATURAL HISTORY ADVENTURE
TENTATIVE TRAVEL SCHEDULE*

Belize Itinerary for Bruce Means's group of 16

Day 1, Sat.: Travel Tallahassee to Belize City. Leave Miami via Taca @ 3:30 pm, arrive Belize City 3:45 p.m.; fly from Belize City to San Pedro, arrive 5:30 p.m. Overnight at Rubie's Hotel. Supper on our own in San Pedro.
Day 2, Sun.: Up at 6:30 a.m. Checkout dive to 60 feet at Turneffe Reef; second dive at Lighthouse Reef 60-80 ft, and snorkeling; third dive at Sandbar Cay; all meals on board. Overnight on board yacht or tenting on Sandbar Cay.
Day 3, Mon.: Blue Hole, two dives, one to 130 feet for 8 minutes; Return to San Pedro at 5:00 p.m. Bkfst and lunch included, supper on our own in San Pedro. Overnight at Rubie's Hotel.
Day 4, Tues.: Ferry boat at 7:00 a.m. to Belize City; Transport by launch through coastal mangroves to Manatee Lodge at tip of Gales Point. Breakfast on our own, lunch & supper included. Overnight at Manatee Lodge.
Day 5, Wed.: Canoeing in Southern Lagoon estuary, rivers, creeks, bird islands, and exploring giant Yucatanean caves. One of the world's largest concentration of manatees. All meals included. Overnight at Manatee Lodge.
Day 6, Thurs.: Transfer by land via Western Highway to Mountain Pine Ridge; visit to Belize Zoo or side trip to Mayan ruins at Xunantunich. All meals included. Overnight at Hidden Valley Inn.
Day 7, Fri.: Rio Frio Cave, Rio On Pools and Falls, Ruins of Mayan City-state, Caracol, in remote lowland jungles of Chiquibul Forest Reserve. All meals included. Overnight at Hidden Valley Inn.
Day 8, Sat.: Ecology of Mountain Pine Ridge and tropical rainforest on basalt formations; Thousand-foot Falls, King Vulture Falls, Butterfly Falls, ecology of Mountain Pine Ridge. Rainforest hike. All meals included. Overnight at Hidden Valley Inn.
Day 9, Sun.: All day canoeing trip down Macal River, stopping at Chaa Creek to visit Natural History Museum, Butterfly farm, and Panti medicine trail. All meals included. Overnight at Windy Hill.
Day 10, Mon.: Rise early for bus trip to ruins of Mayan City-state of TIKAL in Guatemalan lowland rainforest. Return late to Belize. Meals included. Overnight at Windy Hill.
Day 11, Tues.: Take bus to Belmopan, second bus to Caves Branch. Float gently along slow-moving underground rivers on inflated truck tubes through miles of floatable passageways viewing magnificent natural formations and pristine Mayan artifacts. Meals included (backpacker's foods). Overnight camping at Caves Branch.
Day 12, Wed.: Take bus to Jaguar National Park in the Cockscomb Range; hike rainforest trails. Meals included (backpacker's foods). Overnight camping in Jaguar National Park.
Day 13, Thurs.: Depart for bus travel to Placencia. Backpacker's breakfast, lunch on our own in Placencia. Overnight camping on French Louis Caye; supper included.
Day 14, Fri.: one-tank SCUBA dive in morning at Laughingbird Caye, plus snorkeling, hiking, sea kayaking, etc. NIGHT dive. All meals included. Overnight camping on French Louis Caye.
Day 15, Sat.: Return in morning by boat to Placencia. Afternoon available to arrange for your own extra activities out of Placencia (fishing, hiking, more snorkeling [remember diving inadvisable 24 hrs prior to flying], biking, or a visit to Possum Point Research Center on the Sittee River). Breakfast at French Louis Caye and supper at Kitty's Place included. Lunch on our own. Overnight at a Kitty's Place in Placencia.
Day 16, Sun.: Depart by plane from Placencia @ 7:20 a.m., ar Belize City @ 8:20 a.m., and connect with flight to Miami (departs 10:20 a.m. ) and Tallahassee. NOTE: If Belize has gotten into your blood and you wish to stay over a few more days, we can extend the date of your return flight.

ABOUT THE LEADER Dr. Bruce Means is Executive Director of the Coastal Plains Institute, a nonprofit organization dedicated to conserving the rich biodiversity and elevating public awareness and appreciation of the vast Coastal Plain of the southeastern United States. He is also Adjunct Professor of Biological Science at Florida State University where he teaches courses on the ecology of upland, wetland, and coastal environments of the southeastern United States through FSU’s Center for Professional Development. He also has taught courses on vertebrate biology, ichthyology, mammalogy, herpetology, general biology, tropical ecology and conservation biology. His research includes a wide variety of topics ranging from fire ecology, biogeography, conservation, endangered species, and the evolution and natural history of amphibians and reptiles. Supported by graduate and post-doctoral fellowships from Tall Timbers Research Station near Tallahassee, Florida from 1970-1976, he served as its Director from 1978-1984. He has organized and led groups on natural history tours of Costa Rica (1987), Jamaica (1984), the Amazon (1988), Cusco/Machu Picchu (1988), Mt. Roraima in Venezuela (1991), the Galapagos Islands (1989, ‘90, ‘91, '97), Australia (1991), and Belize (1996). In 1989 he was appointed a Research Associate of the Smithsonian Institution. His present ecological research includes the peninsula effect in Florida and Australia; the role of fire and other physical variables in structuring vegetation and driving biotic diversity; the effects of fluctuating water levels on physical and biological properties of the shorelines of lakes and rivers; autecology of the eastern diamondback rattlesnake supported by National Geographic Society; and evolution of salamanders, kingsnakes, and blind cave crayfish. From 1998 to the present, he has been associate producer of documentary films for National Geographic Explorer (King Rattler; Quest for the Rainbow Serpent). He has traveled extensively in South America, Central America, Australia, Africa, and North America. Dr. Means is intimately familiar with the geology, climate, animals, plants, their evolution, and ecology of the Galapagos Islands, and will be your chief naturalist guide during the trip.

• Statement of Disclosure: D. Bruce Means and/or his agents assume no responsibility or liability in connection with the service of any train, vessel, carriage, aircraft, motor, boat, or other conveyance which may be used wholly or in part, in the performance of their duty to the passengers; neither will they be responsible for any act, error, or omission, or for any injury, loss, accident, delay or irregularity which may be occasioned by reason of any defect in any vehicle, or through neglect or default of any company or person engaged in conveying the passenger; or for any hotel proprietor, or for any other person, engaged in carrying out the purpose for which tickets or coupons are issued. In the event it becomes necessary or advisable for the comfort of the travelers, or for any reason whatsoever, to alter the itinerary or arrangements, such alterations may be made without penalty to the tour operators. Additional expenses, if any, shall be borne by the passengers. The right is reserved to withdraw any or all tours should conditions warrant, also to decline to accept or retain a passenger as a member of the tour. In such instances, full or equitable amount will be refunded, but this amount shall not exceed the amount paid by the passenger(s). No refund can be made for any feature of the program not used by the passenger during the operation of the tour. The sole responsibility of any airline used in these tours is limited to that set out in the passenger contract evidenced by the ticket. Airlines and other carriers are not responsible for any act, omission, or event during the time the passengers are not on board their planes or conveyances. Similar responsibility as noted above applies to all types of carriers, including car rental companies.

D. Bruce Means, Ph.D., Research Ecologist, Author, Consultant