Fishing in San Pedro, Belize
Since climbing down from the trees and before agriculture, our species needed to hunt for food. Typically men and their male offspring were in charge of calorie-rich proteins, while females often gathered more nutritious, but less exciting, plants.
My ancestors went fishing. For as long as I can remember, starting at 3 or 4 years old, I would go along with my grandfather and father to get bait and catch fish. Over the years, l learned that the activity was as important as the catch. Your success often hinged on how well you observed and learned about your quarry: time of the day, tides, diet, weather, habitat, and not to mention, your own patience. Fishing with others fosters a kinship of shared experiences and knowledge. Some of my best memories growing up were fishing with my father. Many of my best experiences as a father were fishing with my sons and my niece. As an artist, I enjoy capturing the images of what I’d caught and finally, I love to cook and eat all sorts of fish.
I first learned about the country of Belize by reading an article in a fishing magazine back in the 1970s. I talked with my dad about going there but it didn’t seem practical at the time. Fast forward 50 years, when one of my sons told me about a “destination outing.” He was going to a bachelor party in Belize. A year later he returned there for more fishing and came back with great stories and pictures. This year he invited me to accompany him. I had to think (about 1 femtosecond,) and got my passport renewed. He planned the whole trip.
I finally visited that beautiful part of the world, we caught and ate a lot of interesting reef fish, and saw magnificent frigate birds up close. But best of all, was the time I spent with my son.
Short attention spans? 3.5 minute video is available at
Belize has a rich culture and history and some world class natural wonders we’ll see another time. For the visually inclined here’s a brief slideshow of our adventure with some Belizean music. Enjoy the pictures and thanks for traveling with me.