The Today Show is going "to the ends of the earth" this week to reinforce the need to protect the earth and Belize just happens to be where Matt Lauer is. Caught a snippet of Lauer at the Blue Hole (while home recovering from shoulder surgery - have to be ready to dive in February). Tomorrow he will be snorkeling Shark Ray Alley/Hol Chan and he mentioned San Pedro. I have mixed emotions about the publicity but if their clip on the reef is done as well as the one they did on the penguins on Phillip Island in Australia with Meredith today it will be done well. I'm not normally a Today Show person but will have to keep watching. Sorry for such a long post . . .

wow thanks for posting that link!

well then , even better one
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27765080#27766272
but it makes you watch a 16 sec. commercial first

wow
The United Nations World Tourism Organization estimates ecotourism is a $60 billion dollar-a-year business. And because Belize is late to the huge business of tourism, in many ways, this country is still untouched.
http://allday.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2008/11/17/1677086.aspx

So...for those who don't dive, can one go along on a dive and just snorkel?

Sure! We send lots of snorkelers to the Blue Hole......

I'm on the sofa sick and bundled up against this cold weather. I watched the entire thing this morning. Good job. Too bad our weather has turned so bad and they are broadcasting live. It was beautiful until two days ago.
The footage of the Blue Hole underwater shows how poor visibility is there. Some of their other underwater footage looked better - but not great!
I'm eager to see tomorrow. Let's hope the sun shines.

All the operators that do the Hole allow snorkelers. They snorkel with a guide that identifies marine life for them and keeps them out of trouble. The price is less than diver ..but not much. I hear lots of good reviews on their return.

Thanks Shuffles and Elbert. That makes me happy!! I guess I can do this trip with colomojohub he'll just have to find a buddy to breathe the bubbles with! (I'll snorkel then drink some bubbles ;))

WOW this just aired on television
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27765080#27782889

and WOW again
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27765080#27766231

Thanks Elbert - you're keeping my pc hoppin to these sites

Did I miss something? I thought they were going to focus on social, political and economic impact to the environment. Matt kicks some trash on the beach and later advises us to turn off the water when we brush our teeth. We're doomed.

Keep lookin Dawghed , there is a lot more.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27765080#27736325

I guess these expiditions are expensive - but WOW - did they have a lot of commercials!
He kept saying that Hol Chan was 4 miles off the coast of Ambergis Caye - am I wrong - isn't it about 4 miles from the center of San Pedro and maybe 1/2 mile from AC shore?

actually at its closest point I would say more like 1.59 miles from shore which is basically around the Boca Ciega area

From Central park to Hol Chan is 4.06 miles

I can't wait to be back in those beautiful waters again.

Going in the morning at 9:-)

Measuring distances to Hol Chan you need to be precise as to where you are measuring to. The boundary of the Reserve actually touches Ambergris Caye (hence all the fuss about South Beach) but the channel itself, and the place where boats moor, is more like 4 miles from central SP.

FYI, the boundaries of the park were recently extended and I believe they now include the river channel and Cayo Cangrejo.

Good. Are they promulgated anywhere?

There was an article in the newspaper. The Government Gazette is where I first found the info. You can subscribe for $50 Bz or so and receive all of the government notices, new laws, proposed law etc.

The story was on the tv and radio channels too.

My question is: does anyone think Matt Lauer made it down 135' to the caves at the Blue Hole?

Below is a summary of the stories done by the TODAY Show (NBC) during their live broadcast from Belize on November 17 & 18th, 2008.
All the aerial views and the stories with the helicopter where done using the services of Astrum Helicopters (www.astrumhelicopters.com)



Discovering the Blue Hole

Nov. 17: The reef off the coast of Belize known as the Blue Hole may be in trouble because of rising ocean temperatures. TODAY’s Matt Lauer reports.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27766272#27766272

An aerial view of the Blue Hole

Nov. 17: TODAY’s Matt Lauer takes a helicopter tour above the Blue Hole and along the coastline of Belize.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27766231#27766231

Continuing Cousteau’s journey

Nov. 17: TODAY’s Matt Lauer talks to Jacques Cousteau’s grandson Fabien about the secrets that lie under the sea and the global concerns about the state of our planet’s water.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27765080#27765080

Worries about ecotourism

Nov. 17: NBC’s Kerry Sanders looks into whether the ecotourism industry has become a problem. TODAY’s Matt Lauer talks to Blake Ross, director of Long Caye Belize, about the issue. (Today Show)

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27767723#27767723

Lauer swims with the sharks

Nov. 18: Matt Lauer goes snorkeling with sting rays, sharks, and other fish off the coast of Belize. The TODAY co-host is in the Central American nation as part of the show’s “Ends of the Earth” series, which is focusing on the future of the world’s water.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27782284#27782284

Cousteau on our troubled waters

Nov. 18: TODAY’s Matt Lauer talks to Jacques Cousteau’s grandson Fabien about the state of our oceans and the effects that rising temperatures have on sea life.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27782319#27782319

Preserving marine wildlife

Nov. 18: TODAY’s Matt Lauer finds out what conservationists are doing to try to preserve marine wildlife off the coast of Belize.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27782889#27782889

Wildlife in peril in Belize

Nov. 18: NBC’s Kerry Sanders meets some of the endangered species in Belize. TODAY’s Matt Lauer talks to Losita Lee of the Audubon Society about the state of the wildlife.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27783851#27783851

Preserving the coral reefs

Nov. 18: TODAY’s Matt Lauer talks to Melanie McField about the Healthy Reefs for Healthy People Initiative.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/27785285#27785285


Hope you enjoy the stories.

Kind Regards,

Gustavo

Sorry to hear you are not well H. Did you happen to watch a little later in the show when Lester Holt was fielding public questions. I think it might have been your question of "what is happening to the sharks?" that was asked of Matt. Lester stated that the question came from Harriette in San Pedro!!

Thanks for posting those links, Marty. The episode "worries about eco-tourism" was painful to watch.

No, he's not certified. He got a "Discover Scuba" around the upper rim.

oh the famous discover rim job.

As much as I like to see Belize on the news it would have been nice for him to speak with a few Belizean's. Seems like the only thing that interested him were the gringo's that run various organizations around the country.

Overall I thought the episodes were basically very poor journalism and they did not reflect anything real about this country. Speaking with the Guy that is about to develop Long Caye does not really do anything for me.

In these difficult financial times I hope that the parent company does not need to borrow money from the US government so that they can continue to go on their little excursions around the planet.


I guess I am just a resentful #@$%&*!

The NBC bit has done more for tourism in Belize in two days than all of the millions of dollars the BTB has spent over the years.

Matt Lauer put Belize on the map for millions and millions of viewers.

The Today Show? Journalism?

I think we're confusing infotainment with news.

I guess I am just a resentful #@$%&*!
[/quote]

Why are you resentful?

Blake Ross is not a Johnny come lately with a back hoe and dredger. There are many of us who invested in Long Caye at Lighthouse a number of years back and are abiding by VERY stringent environmental regulations. So much so that progress out there has been very slow and I have been trashed, here on this board, for believing that it can be done.

There are now three different lodgings open and a dive shop.

YES - that was my question that was answered on the air and of course I had gotten a phone call minutes before and missed it. LOL However, I have heard from a number of people in various parts of the world that sent me the video clip. I just am not anonymous!

Reaper, you are so right. Honest reporting is so much more beneficial than beating a drum with pie in the sky information. Let's hope this has some positive effect.

Beating my drum

Here's all the videos in one place, courtesy of Gustavo Jr. at Astrum Helicopters!

http://www.astrumhelicopters.com/videos_TODAY.htm