Belize adventure Express-News Copyright 2013 Express-News. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Updated 9:49 pm, Wednesday, March 13, 2013 Beneath each resort umbrella, in each restaurant and corner store I sought out for shelter, I met someone who commented on just how rare the rain was. After landing in Belize City on the mainland, I made my way via water taxi to the town of San Pedro on Ambergris Caye, one of Belize's more than 450 islands. Alphonse, the snorkel instructor, picked me up in his boat at noon, and we stopped at a few other docks to retrieve other snorkelers. First stop – the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, a protected area surrounding the Belize Barrier Reef. Because the reef shields the island from strong tides, the ocean, while very blue, contains a fair amount of floating sea grass and isn't great for recreational swimming. Just as we turned our backs to head to another part of the reef, a huge pair of sea turtles appeared, munching on sea grass just a few yards away. After Lobo swam off, he gently wrangled a neighborhood shark and she seemed content to be held while we all took turns touching her. Low tide and darkness bring out a host of other animals, including octopus and glowing fish. While I was dawdling in a convenience store waiting for the rain to stop, I thought I'd pick up a few snacks — a small bag of Doritos and a 6-ounce pack of beef jerky. On my last day in San Pedro, I borrowed a bike from the hotel courtyard and headed south along the cobblestone Coconut Drive toward the Water and Sewage Authority (WASA) lagoon. A water taxi driver told me to bring some raw chicken to the lagoon — “just slap the chicken on the water a few times, they'll come right up!” Ultimately I decided against tempting fate with poultry. No fences guarded the marsh; the only clues to what might be in store were signs warning visitors against feeding the crocodiles.