Golden Morning, Belize on Flickr.

Sunrise, Belize on Flickr.

Escape the rat race: http://picturebelize.blogspot.com/

Tropical Reflections on Flickr.

aj baxter, 2010

Fishing Shack, Belize on Flickr.

aj baxter 2008
Take a mental break: http://picturebelize.blogspot.com/

I just wanted to write a quick note on tumblr before I’m gone for a week and a half. BELIZE here I come :D

I love going “back home” so they can stuff me with food, I can laugh with family, and create new everlasting memories :)

Anyways, I wrote a more detailed post about Belize days ago but accidently pressed CANCEL in the middle of a panic attack that came from believing someone will see me on tumblr at work. fail.

So yeah..Basically, I’ll be away and probably won’t have contact with anyone outside of Belize so a tout a l’heure, adios, and see you later tumblr peeps :)

I’ll take pictures, promise.

booyah.

Check out where I’m going in a month!

Sorry I’ve been gone-just climbing Mayan Ruins!

When oil-seeking sonar waves incessantly pulse through the water, it can cause dolphins and other marine mammals such pain and distress that they become hurt or so disoriented that they beach themselves as they try to escape.

Right now, oil companies are using these waves as they prepare to drill in the middle of the Belize Barrier Reef – home to thousands of dolphins, sea turtles, and whale sharks. 

We’re almost ready to file our paperwork with the Belize government to put a national referendum to stop offshore drilling on the ballot. Tourism is a critical industry, and to help us raise the stakes, we need 10,000 people outside of Belize to say that they stand with Belizeans who oppose dangerous drilling. Will you be one?

Sign on by June 17 to tell the government that you want to see dolphins, not oil drills, in the Belize Barrier Reef»

The Belize Barrier Reef is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the world’s most precious resources, with an amazing number of species calling it home. It is also a top draw for visitors to Belize. That’s why every signature we send is an unmistakable sign to the Belizean government that potential tourists are ready to take their dollars elsewhere if drilling is allowed to begin.   

The government should know that once they destroy their reef, there’s no going back. But right now, even protected areas of the reef are being secretly sold to oil companies. And dead dolphins are only the beginning - if exploratory wells are allowed to move forward, the results could:

• Distress marine mammals like whales, causing them to beach themselves and die
• Lead to oil spills that would poison the reef and put endangered sea turtles and other animals at risk
• Release poisonous toxins into the feeding grounds of majestic Whale Sharks

Together we can show the government of Belize we’re willing to vote with our tourism dollars, and stop them from destroying one of the most diverse ecosystems in the world for a few oil wells.

Tell the government of Belize to protect the barrier reef and the thousands of dolphins and other animals who call it home»

Thank you for standing with us.

For the oceans,
Audrey Matura-Sheperd
Vice President, Oceana Belize

Osprey on Final Approach on Flickr.

aj baxter, 2009