Caye Caulker
From Biocrawler, the free encyclopedia.
Caye Caulker is a small limestone coral island off the coast of Belize in the Caribbean Sea measuring about 5 miles (North to South) by less than 1 mile (East to West). The island gets its name from the practice of caulking or sealing the seams in wooden boats to make them watertight, due to the high number of shipwrights on the island. ("Caye Corker"; the alternative spelling of the name used by British cartographers has largely fallen into disuse).
Caye Caulker is located approximately 20 miles north of Belize City and is accessible by high-speed water taxi or small plane. In recent years the island has become a popular destination for backbackers and other tourists. The Belize Barrier Reef located to the east provides excellent snorkeling and scuba diving.
The laid back atmosphere of Caye Caulker is something you must see to appreciate. There are over 30 hotels, and many restaurants and shops, but Caye Caulker remains friendly and easy-going, avoiding the commercialism of other destinations. Shoes are a no no, and the golf cart mode of transportation is unique and fun. You can get all over the island very easily by boat, golf cart, or bike.
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Geography
The island is basically a sand bar over a limestone shelf. Underwater caves are found in the limestone (which have claimed the lives of several scuba divers exploring them). In front of the village, a shallow lagoon between 6 inches and 14 feet deep meets the Belize Barrier Reef to the east. In front of the village, the reef is known as a dry reef with the reef exposed at the surface, while further north the reef is a deep reef and lies under 8 feet of water.
A narrow waterway known as the split divides the island in two. Some people state that the split was created by Hurricane Hattie in 1961 which devastated Belize City, however others maintain that it is a man-made feature created by dredging.
History of Caye Caulker
adapted from www.cayecaulker.org (courtesy Ray Auxillou)Settlement
Caye Caulker is thought to have been inhabited for about 10,000 years, however the recent population levels didn't start until the Caste War of Yucatan in 1847 when many mestizos of mixed Mayan and Spanish descent fled the massacres taking place across the Yucatan.
The location of the main settlement on the island is thought to have remained unchanged for thousands of years. The bay at the back of the village provides shelter for boats while the reef at the front provides good protection from large waves. Also, the coral sand near the village provides good anchorage compared to the soft mud found elsewhere on the island.
In modern times there have been at least three major hurricanes which have devestated the island, the most recent of which was Hurricane Hattie in 1961. Since the island is only 8 feet at its highest point, a strong storm surge can easily cover the entire island.
Hurricane Hattie
When Hurricane Hattie hit the island in 1961, a storm surge swept across the narrow part of the village. The wooden schoolhouse, being used as a shelter at the time, was smashed by the waves killing 13 people (mostly children). Fortunately, the eye of the storm passed to the south of the island sparing it devastation on the scale of nearby Turneffe Atoll which disappeared completely along with around 300 residents. However, of the 90 houses on the island, only 8 remained intact.
The village council was supported in the task of rebuilding by Governor Thornley's Emergency Committee and formed teams to do various types of work. About 42 houses were built in a few weeks. The British Army also helped with helicopters bringing medical and food supplies. Caye Caulker remains vulnerable to direct hits from hurricanes because it has no defences from storm surges.
Economy
The main industry on the island prior to tourism was fishing. The island sits in the middle of natural migration routes for fish, and feeding grounds for conch and lobster. During World War II, fishermen living on the island also collected debris from torpedoed ships in the Caribbean that came floating ashore. The most lucrative were bales of rubber. The fishing industry is thought to support about 80 families on the island.
The growth of tourism on the island
Tourism first started on the island around 1964, with only a few visitors on weekends from the mainland Belleview Hotel, brought out by a local boat called 'Sailfish', built by a schoolteacher beside the then Teachers House. The early tourists were mostly people working with the Belize Government. Around 1969, Dr. Hildebrand of the University of Corpus Christi started visiting each winter with a Marine Biology Expedition of around 24 students. Backpackers also found their way to the island at this time, but transportation was only by fishing sailboats and there was no accomodation. The Auxillou family pioneered the tourism industry and the first Scuba Diving lessons and trips were started around the late 1960's.
As speedboats came into use in the 1970's tourists became more regular. Hippies following the so-called "Gringo Trail", of Isla Mujeres, Tulum, Caye Caulker, Tikal and Lake Atitlan in Guatemala passed though the island (many of them making use of the easily available marajuana). The reputation spread by word of mouth.
Today, the diversified economy of the village still includes lobster, fish and tourists. Internet e-commerce is growing in a small way.
