Franko Maps, Belize Reef Creatures Fish ID-Card

Franko's Belize and Reef Creatures Identification Guide
Tucked below southeastern Mexican border on the shores of the Mexican peninsula just east of Guatemala is the independent commonwealth realm of Belize (it used to be part of the British Empire, and Queen Elizabeth II is considered head of state). It is a haven for eco-travelers, scuba divers and snorkelers who love the Caribbean Sea and a treasure for those who enjoy indigenous cultural history. The wide shelf known as the Inner (Main) Channel that extends off Belize's eastern coastline, along with the atolls, cays, reefs and lagoons farther offshore make Belize an idyllic place to explore marine life.

You can find hawksbill and green sea turtles, rays, and an exciting assortment of tropical fish: groupers, wrasse, parrotfish, triggerfish, cowfish, snapper, trunkfish, angelfish, grunt, eel, flounder, tilefish, goatfish, and many, many more including nurse sharks and octopus. The colorful coral along with underwater caves and reefs attract scuba divers all year round. The Turneffe Atoll, the Lighthouse Atoll, and Glover's Atoll are all within a day's boat ride and mark the outermost locations for scuba adventures. Lighthouse Atoll is home to The Great Blue Hole, a world-famous sink hole that is 1,000' (305m) wide and over 400' (122m) deep. Diving points like Manta Wall, Eagle Ray Wall and Hogfish Cut on Lighthouse, and Groupers Point and Parrotfish Falls on Glover's Atoll attest to the variety and abundance of fish and reef creatures to be spotted in these waters.

Scores of cays, the most of famous of which is the Ambergris Cay dot the inner channel, and sandy strips like Cay Caulker can be the perfect launch point for snorkelers or the perfect beach respite if you want to get away from it all. For a change, don a headlight and snorkel at night to spot squid, octopus, lobster and crabs. On land, the capital is Belmopan and the largest city is Belize City. The fish card measure (H x L) 5.5" x 8.5" (14cm x 21.6cm), is printed on laminated plastic so that it is stiff, shiny and waterproof. It has a hole for a lanyard, so you can actually take it diving or snorkeling. Note that the card is sized just right for 3-ring binder-type dive logs. Divers who keep dive log booklets can put this card into their log book to keep track of where they've been, plus what species of fish they've seen. Card makes a great gift idea.