Caye Caulker is one of the last strongholds of staunch individualism left in Belize. The small island community is a magnet for artists, assorted eccentrics, accountant drop-outs and a diverse sampling of quixotic entrepreneurs with more ideas and idealism than monetary backative. Caye Caulker is a fascinating menagerie of endearing hustlers, environmentally attuned nature-buff expatriates, canine apologists, shoot-from-the-hip businessmen, highly opinionated writers, seascape- landscape painters, romantic poets, ex-fishermen turned tour guides, wandering minstrels and pious, grizzled nomads that somehow manage to live together in a state of quasi-harmony if not communal togetherness. Contrary to expectations for an island whose motto is “Go Slow” the place is bristling with ideas and activities: both legit and scam varieties.

Caye Caulker's Vanessa Smith 

Twenty years ago Caye Caulker was a sleepy fishing village. Today tourism has emphatically overshadowed fishing as the caye’s bread-n-butter industry. The majority of the families of the “Old Salts” are currently working in tourism related fields: restaurateurs, hoteliers, DJs, barkeeps, artisans, taxi drivers, hair-braiders, realtors, knickknack retailers, tour guides, divers, homeopathic healers and masseurs. Every tourist whim is catered to.

A new snorkeling venture cutely called, “Anda De Wata Tours” opened for business a week ago. Conventional business savvy says that the middle of May- the beginning of the off-season- is not the best time to start out. The hordes of tourists that were bustling about Caulker a mere month ago during Easter week has tailed off to a trickle. “Not so” asserts the spirited owner-tour guide- dive master of Anda De Wata Vanessa Smith. Vanessa feels that with the right niche marketing combined with positive word-of-mouth and a little bit of beginner’s luck her snorkeling enterprise will cut the mustard.

Vanessa is a born and bred Caye Caulker gal who attended primary school on the caye and college at the venerable St. Catherine Academy in Belize City. Her dad is the esteemed marine mechanic “Manouch” Smith. Her caye roots go back generations. 

Vanessa literally grew up in the seas and reef adjacent to her home caye. She knows the surrounding territory up-close and personal. She offers an “ultimate snorkeling tour” which covers ‘in depth’ five sites within close proximity to Caulker: (1) Mexico Rocks, (2) Underwater cave, (3) Tres Cocos, (4) Hol Chan and (5) Shark and Ray alley.  “Anda” also offers Belize River, zoo and cave tubing excursions along with manatee sighting trips at Swallow Caye. 

Vanessa attired in her work clothes- a bikini and fins- is reminiscent of Ursula Andress in her famous scene stealing entrance in the classic James Bond movie Dr. No (1962). When Sean Connery (as 007) first caught a glimpse of Ursula (as Honeychile Ryder) striding out of the Caribbean Sea clad in a skimpy white bikini his jaw dropped- along with at least 50 million filmgoers. Got the picture? Frolicking in the sea with Ursula was a prevalent fantasy of North American and European males in the mid-sixties. Now 44 years after Ursula’s revealing debut the lucky tourist in Caulker has the opportunity to frolic “anda de wata” with Vanessa. Hubba, hubba. It’s quite a scenic adventure for any snorkeler- either local or tourist. Underwater tours will never be the same.