Over the ages, islands form. Resort developers consider the mangrove forests as nothing more than swamplands, and they've chopped away great swaths of the trees in parts of Belize to create golf courses and hotels for the rich and famous. But without the mangroves, there would be no islands, no manatees, fish or wildlife. Here can be found abundant wildlife, some species rarely seen elsewhere. It's the national bird of Belize.
Locals say an occasional crocodile can still be spotted among the mangrove thickets.
It sounded dubious, but they were insistent. We ate fish every day, and after some snooping, found which restaurants cooked local food and which served tourist junk. For our money, the best food on Caye Caulker was served at Wish Willy. Wayne introduced me to Wish Willy, a mellow, dreadlocked, ex-patriate American. Good enough for the chef, good enough for me.