If you’re wondering what pushed all the rains over Belize in the past twenty-four hours, the National Met Service says it is just a tropical wave. These usually cross the country every three days but during the rainy season some waves are more likely to bring a little bit more activity with it and because […]
If you’re wondering if that is it for the floods, the Deputy Chief Meteorologist says you may want to be vigilant and keep informed with the latest weather updates. But there’s a silver lining on the rain clouds, the Met Service says that we’ll see improved weather conditions in the next two days. That won’t […]
Last week we told you about a tugboat called “Pulla” whose barge sank somewhere between Caye Caulker and Caye Chapel. That barge, which departed Belize City last Tuesday morning en route to Caye Caulker, was carrying heavy several pieces of heavy equipment. Those pieces of equipment were retrieved from the water. The barge, however, remains […]
The poaching of Scarlet Macaws for the illegal pet trade isn’t new. It’s something we’ve been reporting on for about ten years – but this illicit activity may have been taking place inside the Chiquibul Forest even long before. Just recently, Guatemalan poachers were found with seven of the exotic birds, five survived. Poachers roam […]
Are you the next Ocean Hero? OCEANA Belize wants you to apply today! The call for submission for the annual Ocean Hero Award is now open. The award recognizes those who champion the protection of our oceans through research, education, restoration and other ocean-related sustainable projects. The deadline for the submission of nominations is on […]
Over a week ago we reported on the two poachers discovered in the Chiquibul National Park about one point two kilometers east of the border in the area of Caracol. One of the poachers was captured; but both of their belongings were seized. Between the two, they were carrying seven scarlet macaw chicks. The sad […]
An explosion of mosquitoes was felt everywhere on Friday evening and the rest of the weekend. Somehow, the mosquitoes felt more aggressive and seemed to be more intense. So today, we caught up with the Head of the Vector Control Unit at the Ministry of Health, Kim Bautista who says that there are two species […]
But there is soon to be some relief because starting today, spraying by the vector control unit began across the country. Kim Bautista, Head, Vector Control Unit, Ministry of Health “Spraying will commence today; this evening. In some areas like Corozal and Orange Walk, we never stopped spraying; I think we have been spraying […]
These mosquitoes are not to be confused with the aedes aegypti mosquito, which is the vector for dengue or Chikungunya. Head of Vector Control Unit, Kim Bautista says that the statistics for 2020 shows that the cases of dengue in Belize are down drastically when compared to 2019. Kim Bautista, Head, Vector Control Unit, […]
The lives of fisherfolks are usually celebrated with several events throughout the year, but because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Fisherfolk Planning Committee was forced to scale down its activities. Several activities have been planned to celebrate the fishermen and women of Belize. Communications Coordinator for Wildlife Conservation Society, Deseree Arzu says that the month is […]
As much as twenty-two point two thousand acres of forests were affected by fires in three protected areas: Vaca Forest Reserve, Caracol Archaeological Reserve and the Chiquibul National Park this year. The F.C.D. carried out an analysis and found out that the extent of the fires set a record. The most affected area includes the […]
A Guatemalan national is hospitalized after he was shot on the leg inside the Chiquibul Forest Reserve. Porfilio Ramirez Tirgeros, from the border community of La Rejoya, was along with another individual when they were caught poaching illegally, by an F.C.D. patrol. Ramirez Tirgeros is said to have advanced toward the patrol and this is […]
The history of the cacao in the Mayan culture dates back to thousands of years ago. The cacao beans or seeds were used for trading and also used in drinks, food and rituals. Fast forward to present day the cacao seeds still play a central role in the lives of many Mayan families in Belize. […]
It is only day two of the hurricane season, but a tropical storm has formed in the Bay of Campeche, Mexico. The storm began as a tropical depression bringing heavy rainfall and flooding over Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras and Mexico. The National Hydrological Service is asking citizens to keep away from flooded rivers and motorists to […]
Heavy rains over the weekend resulted in flash floods in a number of countries where deaths were recorded in El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras. According to the National Met Service, Belize experienced upwards of ten inches of rainfall as a result of a low pressure system that passed over the country. The heavy downpour on […]
As you heard in that story, more than twenty people are now in a shelter in Saint Matthew’s Village where they experienced flash floods over the weekend. But what exactly caused the heavy rains? The National Met Service says that early last week, there were indications that a low pressure system could develop in the […]
The hurricane season is here. Today marks the official opening of the Atlantic Hurricane Season for this year and the forecast is for an active season. The National Met Service says that for this year just about all predictions point to an above average season and this consensus is not usually seen. As Deputy Chief […]
Having an above average year for storms in 2020 brings another set of challenges and concerns due to the coronavirus pandemic. The issue of crowded shelters complicates social distancing and other health regulations and as a result may impact disaster preparedness plans. A busy hurricane season may also signal a stretching of resources especially if […]
We are a few days away from the official opening of the 2020 Atlantic Hurricane Season. The outlook, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, shows some thirteen to nineteen storms, of which six to ten could become hurricanes and three to six major hurricanes which are of category three or higher. N.O.A.A. forecasters […]
An American crocodile was found on the brink of death on the north side of Ambergris Caye over the weekend. He was eventually euthanized because his condition was too far gone, but the shocking discovery of what led to his emaciated condition was only made after he was put down. Eighty-two plastic bags were discovered […]
The American Crocodile Education Sanctuary on Wednesday night relocated an American crocodile. The feisty young five-foot croc got lost on the grounds of a developing resort on Ambergris Caye. According to Chris Summers of ACES, the croc was taken for a health inspection and data collection before it was released into the wild. Summers says […]
The quality and long-term viability of the natural environment are critical to tourism businesses across the world. Marine animals, birds and wildlife contribute significantly and add value to Belize’s tourism industry. Birding for example, has been on the rise in the last few years, but birds across the world are under threat. While Belize has […]
Friends for Conservation and Development, F.C.D., has been battling for the preservation and conservation of Belize’s forest to the west for many years. For the past few weeks, the environmental group has been challenged with its latest foe, forest fires. Large portions of the Vaca and Chiquibul forests were destroyed by rampant fire; it also […]
F.C.D. has had to take up the responsibility of arresting encroachers and manning the forest to keep it from disappearing. In his article, Rath asks the question, ‘where is our B.D.F.?’ He points out that F.C.D. is not a security organization. Tony Rath, Photographer “For some reason, I am not quite sure why, they […]
A dead whale was discovered this morning in the vicinity of Drowned Caye. It’s not a usual occurrence to find such a large whale dead in very shallow waters. Local researchers estimate that the whale has been dead not more than week because it was only moderately decomposed. They also suggest that it may have […]
