After camping overnight in a tropical paradise during a Caribbean storm (oops, did you miss that part of the story? Read this, then come right back!), it was time to set sail for our second day of our Raggamuffin Tours adventure along the Belize Barrier Reef — one that would prove one of the most magical and memorable days of all our travels together so far.

Our objective for the day involved sailing from our storm-battered campsite on Rondevouz Caye, a small patch of sand inhabited only by an island caretaker, to the more populated island of Tobacco Caye, where we would set up shelter for our second night.

The day was dotted with the usual Raggamuffin adventure activities like snorkeling with octopus, catching barracudas, and getting caught in yet another torrential downpour (hey, you can only outrun them for so long before they finally catch up!). Because of the lurking rain clouds, our crew decided it was safest to get to the island sooner rather than later, in the event another phantom storm appeared.

After two days riding the waves, we were more than happy to rest our feet on dry land for awhile. No complaints here!

Besides, the place we were going to looked like this …

And this …

Photo by Raggamuffin Tours

Not long after we docked, the crew turned us loose to explore the small island village on our own, so long as we returned for dinner at 7 pm.

The island holds probably one hundred or so human residents, plus several dozen of the most laid-back dogs on the planet. Most of the island’s houses, interspersed between the plethora of beautiful, shady palm trees, are elevated to avoid damage from flooding.

The children of the island roam the sandy streets, playing games of tag and basketball, similar to any other neighborhood in the world (except for maybe the sandy streets part) and are more than happy to have a traveler or two join them in their games.

The children were all-too-eager to introduce you to the island’s newest residents, Spot and Princess, two of the most adorable little puppies I have ever seen in my life. Ordinarily, I have a policy that I do not touch animals while traveling, but Princess in particular was absolutely irresistible and I scooped her up every chance I found (sshhh! Don’t tell customs!).

While I was cuddling Princess and devising ways I might sneak her home in my backpack, Justin was losing miserably to some of the local kids in a pick-up game of basketball. They seemed quite relieved when he told them it was time for him to quit!

Pretty soon, puppies and basketball were but distant memories as the next group of kids presented us the most interesting proposition yet: a chance to check out their latest catch — a hammerhead shark they had caught earlier that day!

“We caught a shark! Ya wanna see?” they squealed in delight, hoping we would follow them.

“That depends,” Justin replied. “What kind of shark?”

“A hammerhead!”

Our eyes immediately caught the same glimmer as theirs and we followed eagerly to the shark’s secret hiding place (which turned out to just be the side of an old dock). Sadly, the shark had already been diced up, its remains discarded along the shore, their rancid smell disturbing the otherwise picture-perfect scene.

A little bit of blood and guts did not deter Justin from touching the hammerhead anyway.

After Justin thoroughly inspected what remained of the poor shark, we decided to relax on the edge of the dock.

But we were not alone …

Over a dozen stingrays swam under and around the dock, scouring the sea floor for discarded crab and lobster carcasses.

They glided gracefully around us as we watched them feast, mesmerized for hours. We saw large Yellow Rays, close to three feet in diameter, as well as the smaller species, the Spotted Eagle Ray.

A Spotted Eagle Ray glides past us at the dock on Tobacco Caye.

As we sat there for nearly two hours watching these beautiful creatures glide beside us, I marveled at the opportunity to view wildlife so up close and personal — and actually in the wild! How refreshing and inspiring! This trip had exposed me to a spectacular underwater world I had never seen. I never imagined I would have such an opportunity, and I sat in wonder at the creativity of God. I qiuetly thanked Him not just for His creation, but also for allowing me the opportunity to experience it.

Surely it couldn’t get much better than this!

We rejoined our crew just in time for a delicious, expansive Raggamuffin-style feast of chicken, pasta, corn-on-the-cob, lobster, and the day’s catch — barracuda! After stuffing ourselves to the brim, tossing back a few Belikin beers, and swapping travel horror stories with our new friends, we stretched our arms and patted our stomachs, announcing it was time for us to head to bed.

As we stood to leave, we noticed a noisy crowd gathered by a nearby bar. It seemed for others the party was just getting started!

“Hey guys, over here!” someone called to us.

Just as we raised our hands to decline their offer, we noticed they were gathered around something on the ground, shining a flashlight in the sand.

“Baby sea turtles!” a voice squealed.

We hurriedly, but cautiously, made our way across the sand, careful not to step on any hatchlings. We watched in awe as dozens of newly hatched sea turtles instinctively scurried their way across the sand toward the sea. Their instinct is to follow the light of the moon, but because the moon was obscured by the light of the small outdoor bar, the turtles were headed straight for it!

So, in order to keep the turtles on track, a group of locals began tracking them down as they hatched and using the light from a flashlight to guide them safely toward the sea.

Now those of you who know me understand that I am a sucker for baby animals of any kind, but baby sea turtles? Could anything be cuter than that?!

They were so tiny — smaller than the palm of a hand. Endless bundles of energy, they scampered their way toward what they thought was the sea, as if somehow conscious of the unfavorable odds of their survival.

Watching these baby sea turtles hatch and head for the sea was one of the most humbling experiences of my life. It was such a great reminder to me that God cares about all the creatures of this world, not just humans, and that He devised a unique plan for them, too.

If He cares so much for these tiny turtles, how much more must He care for me, I wondered as I watched the first group of hatchlings plunge safely into the sea.

What’s the most incredible wildlife encounter you’ve ever had? Share below!

Editor’s Note: Raggamuffin Tours provided us with a 2-for-1 deal for their Overnight Sailing Adventure, but all opinions expressed here are our own.