Travellers might have seen them this weekend as they drove down the Hummingbird Highway: what looked like thin towers of billowing smoke rising from the hills that Belizeans known as the sleeping giant.
And while the uncurious traveler may have chalked it up to some very active fog there are questions tonight about what's really going on in those hills. Residents in the valley of the Sleeping Giant say it started as early as last Tuesday when a blue plume of smoke was initially seen. But it continued this week when despite the heavy rains those plumes of smoke which may have been blamed on bushfires continued unabated.
But what's causing the smoke? Some in the area theorise that it could be some kind of meteorite that's fallen to earth.
But, that's not what the science says…. Our news team spoke to Director of Geology and Petroleum Andre Cho who told us that the rains would have extinguished any forest fires. So, it's not that.
His theory is that it could be quote steam rising from a geological occurrence. And while it would be a strange occurrence in Belize's southern hills it's something he says isn't uncommon in other parts of the world such as the geysers at Yellowstone Park.
Cho and his team, along with villagers from the area will be heading out there tomorrow in the hopes of getting to the bottom of this mysterious smoke. But they say it's a difficult trek and they don't know if they'll be able to reach the smoke's origin point.
