The Ruta Maya holds the distinction of being the premier self-propelled water race in Belize but a new event on Ambergris Caye could challenge for that distinction. This weekend San Pedro Town was host to the first annual Ambergris Caye Lagoon Reef Eco-Challenge in which kayakers spent two days cutting around the entire island. Our friends at the San Pedro Sun followed the race and Ron Sniffin files this report.
Ron Sniffin Reporting, Reporting for the [San Pedro Sun]
Early Saturday eighteen 2-person teams prepared for the start of the first Ambergris Caye Lagoon Reef Eco-Challenge.
Shortly after 6 am the race was on. The two day race starts in San Pedro and it will take the paddlers through lagoons and mangroves out to the west side of the island through the canal along the Mexican border over land to reach the Caribbean on the east side of the island, then down to the beach at Mar-de-Tumbo for the finish line on Sunday. The race is coordinated by the environmental group, Green Reef.
Kristen Stelljes, Green Reef
"We're trying to promote eco-tourism and conservation. It's a lot of people, San Pedranos that have lived in Ambergris Caye for years and years and have been back to those mangrove areas. So we want to get people out there know that its there, how beautiful it is, so that they would want to conserve it just like we do at Green Reef."
Elito Arceo, Race Chairman
"It's been 36 minutes since we left the island and we have 7 teams now coming up in the second lagoon. They just Buena Vista lagoon. Ramon's is leading and there is a next couple, Alley and Nick, in second place. The race is going along nice and smooth."
Ron Sniffin,
How far along are we?
Elito Arceo,
"We've gone approximately I would say about 3 to 4 miles. We got about 27 more to go."
Next the paddlers must find their way through a maze of mangroves. Once outside the lagoons and mangroves, the paddlers enjoy calm waters of the west side of the island. The ending point for day one was to pass Bacalar Chico. After the first three teams passed to this point in record time.
Alicia Eck, Bacalar Chico
"Well they're reaching the ending point for the lagoon so I'm going to clock these three boats and let them continue over to find the other boats. But just in case they don't find the exit over there, this is where will be the close-off for the morning."
The race was far from over for the day. The racers had to take their boats to Tranquility Bay then paddle down to the site.
Day 2 saw the kayaks on the Caribbean Sea heading back south to San Pedro. Station prizes were awarded in various categories as the kayakers passed resorts' docks and the cheering supporters.
Finishing first on day two were the Ramon's Sharks however they did not make up enough time from day one to beat the Megalopus who garnered second place. Coming in third on day two but place first overall were the Ramon's sponges.
First place finishers took home a $1,000.
7NEWS produced for broadcast by News Director Jules Vasquez
Edited and Prepared for the internet by Keith Swift
