Many visitors go to Ambergris Caye to marvel at the sea life in its natural habitat, but San Pedro Belize also offers numerous other opportunities to experience local flora and fauna without venturing into the deep blue seas. Below are 6 things to do that happen daily or on an ad hoc basis, so you can catch them anytime during your San Pedro vacation. They are also mostly free, and are an affordable supplement to expensive diving or snorkeling excursions.
San Pedro Belize
1. Tarpon Feedings
Tarpon are really big fish. Just off the pier next to the Sunset Grill, there is a big locker full of frozen sardines. Beneath the pier, tarpon swarm, waiting for tourists to drip the treats. Tarpon feedings delight children of all ages. For the best photo shots of the action, continuously take photos from the time the sardines are in the hand to the look of shock when the sardine disappears.
2. Crabs Crossing the Road at Night
The dirt roads and cobblestone streets outside San Pedro City Center see little traffic. Activity on the roads pick up at night. This is when the island’s nocturnal critters traverse their instinctive paths regardless of manmade obstacles. If you find yourself on foot or on a bicycle, keep eyes out for these eight-legged fiends hobbling across the by-ways.
3. Feeding the Eels
Eel feedings at Rico’s give you time to watch the animals chow down on lunch without worrying you might be next. The eels are much less scary when they are in the water and you are on dry land. Take your time counting the eels, admiring their colors and getting lots of photos. If you miss the scheduled feeding, the head waiter might find some scraps for a second feeding.
San Pedro Vacation
4. Catching Hermit Crabs
You will catch onto this early if you are traveling with tourists 12 years old or younger. But even if you are past puberty, this is an activity you cannot afford to miss. San Pedro is full of shells, and shells are full of hermit crabs. Tale a great picture (use a macro setting for a blurry background) and put the crab down so it can continue its journey until the next tourist molests it.
5. Watching the Crocodiles
Do not bother the crocodiles if they will bother you. But the cutaway south of San Pedro is the perfect place to catch a glimpse of the island’s largest predators. To get to the Crocodile area, travel south of town past Ramon’s Village, Banyan Bay and Victoria House. Just past the Consolidated Water Supply Tower, you will see a dirt area next to a lagoon and a big crocodile warning sign.
6. The Chicken Drop
A cross between poo-play and bingo, the San Pedro Chicken Drop is a world famous event held each week at the Pier Lounge outside the Spindrift Hotel. The basic premise is simple. Participants buy a bingo square. One participant shakes a chicken, blows on its bum, drops it on the board and waits for to poop while the crowd hoots, hollers and enjoys the novelty of this unique event.
Ask For San Pedro Travel Packages
They are also mostly free, and are an affordable supplement to expensive diving or snorkeling excursions. Ask for San Pedro travel packages and travel to this beautiful city that is San Pedro Belize.