The island of Roatan off the coast of Honduras is a popular stop for cruise ships. Carnival stops at Mahogany Bay instead of town (as a business model – it limits the passengers access to shopping and almost ensures you take a tour). John and I have enjoyed tours arranged by Viator, including a fun one last year on the island. This year we did a similar one, with friends along, visiting a sloth preserve, horsebackriding and snorkel trip ($102/pp, Viator.com).
Sloths are great – one of my favorite critters on the planet. At the preserve, we were given the opportunity to hold them, along with guinea pigs, a scarlet macaw, and capuchin monkeys.
The preserve was given three “male” guinea pigs 8 months ago….
It turned out, two were female. The handlers have learned through research and observation – the females are pregnant again within 15 hours of giving birth, and can have 4-5 litters per year, with 2-4 pups per litter. Females are mature enough to breed at 4-6 weeks of age. In many countries, it is illegal to own only one guinea pig – they are extremely social and will die of loneliness if they don’t have a buddy. Just absolutely make sure they’re both male if you desire one as a pet.
The scarlet macaw is the national bird of Honduras, but with loss of habitat and the illegal animal trade, only 20-50,000 are still in the wilds between southern Mexico and northern Peru. The one at the preserve does not like being pet, but will calmly step on any body part the handler directs it to (with sunflower seeds as enticement).
For those permitted to own a macaw in Honduras, by law, you need to designate who will inherit the bird, since they can live to be 100 years old.
Ever since a trip to Bali’s Monkey Preserve in the late ‘90’s, I have not liked monkeys. They’re nasty little thieves. To go into the monkey enclave, you need to remove glasses, hats and get everything out of all pockets (and ladies – that incudes that “extra” pocket we sometimes make with our bras, so also wear something with a higher neck)- no matter how snug your jeans, they will pull anything out.
And then to the sloths. In the wild, sloths live around 20 years. In captivity, most live to be 40 years on average ( one in Germany lived to be 51). As tree dwelling creatures, their biggest threat has been deforestation and loss of habitat. Fossil records show that sloths have been around for over 65 million years, their ancestors survived the mass extinction that wiped out dinosaurs and much life on this planet. It is theorized that their very slow metabolisms helped them survive due to their minimal caloric needs, and their ability to remain completely still for hours helps them blend in to their environment, making them invisible to predators (their scent comes from an algae that grows in their fur so they smell like the vegetation around them – they smell like a mossy tree). They are excellent swimmers and can swim much faster than they move through trees or walk.
Next stop – horsebackriding! it was the same area we went on our last excursion in Roatan, so John and I were familiar with the location and trail. Liam had never been on horseback, and it had been many years for many of the others. The facility’s horses are generally well mannered (mine was responsive and great until we got to the water- he absolutely refused to go in the water, no matter how much I kicked and encouraged and the assistant handler slapped. Some horses are just hydrophobic, and like any phobia, fighting it in that way is not helpful. We walked along the edge, and Principal decided he didn’t need to bite my knee.) John was able to do a little racing back and forth with Alan, while the rest of us happily plodded along.
We finished with 4 of us going out on a snorkel – I don’t have an underwater camera, but the reef is beautiful, multiple types of coral, fish, and the abyss at the edge of the reef. It was also the first time Liam had been snorkeling, we benefitted from being in a small group and individual attention.
We enjoyed some relaxing beach time before heading back to the boat, followed by a nice long nap.
Tomorrow- Belize!
