By Mary Hoffman, IV Form

GoPro Video Tour of Belize

Click here for Video! (Only 2:02!)

I traveled to Belize during the first week of Spring Break with Mrs. Lohwater and 10 other of my peers (Jammil Telfort ’16, Katie Hartigan ’17, Blaine Duffy ’17, Jessica Adams ’17, Grace Barron ’17, Jenny Deveaux ’17, Caroline Bailey ’17, Amanda Christy ’17, Claire O’Brien ’18, and Frank Hua ’19). Our first destination was Blue Creek, which is located in the Toledo area of Belize. In Blue Creek we zip-lined, swam in the creek, went iguana seeking, swam through a cave, went to the Mayan ruins, learned about the culture, and talked with the children who lived there. In this part of Belize, the Mayan culture is still very prominent. For the next part of our trip, we traveled to South Water Caye, which was a 45 minute boat ride off of the coast of Dangriga, Belize. This part of Belize is very influenced by the Garifuna culture that was very different from the Mayan culture that we had just experienced. In South Water Caye, we snorkeled three times a day, as we learned extensively about the fish and coral of the Belizean Coral Reef. We also had the chance to learn about birds, mangroves, and stars thanks to a St. Mark’s alum who joined us in South Water Caye.

Mary Hoffman is a IV Form boarding student from Sudbury, Massachusetts. She loves music, traveling, and photography.