Auxillou Beach Suites, Caye Caulker, Belize - History of a Belizean Island

Caye Caulker, History of a Belizean island

Caye Caulker is a small limestone coral island off the coast of Belize
in the Caribbean Sea measuring about 5 miles (North to South) by
less than 1 mile (East to West). The island gets its name from the
practice of caulking or sealing the seams in wooden boats to make
them watertight, due to the high number of shipwrights on the
island. ("Caye Corker"; the alternative spelling of the name used by
British cartographers has largely fallen into disuse).
Caye Caulker is located approximately 20 miles north of Belize City
and is accessible by high-speed water taxi or small plane. In recent
years the island has become a popular destination for backpackers
and other tourists. The Belize Barrier Reef, the second longest reef in
the world, located to the east provides excellent snorkeling and
scuba diving.
The laid back atmosphere of Caye Caulker is something you must
see to appreciate. There are over 50 hotels, and many restaurants
and shops, but Caye Caulker remains friendly and easy-going,
avoiding the commercialism of other destinations. Shoes are a no
no, and the golf cart mode of transportation is unique and fun.
You can get all over the island very easily by boat, golf cart, or bike.

Geography
The island is basically a sand bar over a limestone shelf.
Underwater caves are found in the limestone (which have claimed
the lives of several scuba divers exploring them). In front of the
village, a shallow lagoon between 6 inches and 14 feet deep
meets the Belize Barrier Reef to the east. In front of the village, the
reef is known as a dry reef with the reef exposed at the surface,
while further north the reef is a deep reef and lies under 8 feet of
water.
A narrow waterway known as the split divides the island in two.
Some people state that the split was created by Hurricane Hattie
in 1961 which devastated Belize City, however others maintain
that it is a man-made feature created by dredging.

History of Caye Caulker
adapted from www.cayecaulker.org (courtesy Ray Auxillou)

Settlement
Caye Caulker is thought to have been inhabited for about 10,000
years, however the recent population levels didn't start until the
Caste War of Yucatan in 1847 when many mestizos of mixed Maya
and Spanish descent fled the massacres taking place across the
Yucatán.
The location of the main settlement on the island is thought to
have remained unchanged for thousands of years. The bay at the
back of the village provides shelter for boats while the reef at the
front provides good protection from large waves. Also, the coral
sand near the village provides good anchorage compared to the
soft mud found elsewhere on the island.
In modern times there have been at least three major hurricanes
which have devestated the island, the most recent of which was
Hurricane Hattie in 1961. Since the island is only 8 feet at its highest
point, a strong storm surge can easily cover the entire island.

Hurricane Hattie
When Hurricane Hattie hit the island in 1961, a storm surge swept
across the narrow part of the village. The wooden schoolhouse,
being used as a shelter at the time, was smashed by the waves
killing 13 people (mostly children). Fortunately, the eye of the storm
passed to the south of the island sparing it devastation on the
scale of nearby Turneffe Atoll which disappeared completely along
with around 300 residents. However, of the 90 houses on the island,
only 8 remained intact.
The village council was supported in the task of rebuilding by
Governor Thornley's Emergency Committee and formed teams to
do various types of work. About 42 houses were built in a few
weeks. The British Army also helped with helicopters bringing
medical and food supplies. Caye Caulker remains vulnerable to
direct hits from hurricanes because it has no defences from storm
surges.

Economy
The main industry on the island prior to tourism was fishing. The
island sits in the middle of natural migration routes for fish, and
feeding grounds for conch and lobster. During World War II,
fishermen living on the island also collected debris from torpedoed
ships in the Caribbean that came floating ashore. The most
lucrative were bales of rubber. The fishing industry is thought to
support about 80 families on the island.

The growth of tourism on the island
Tourism first started on the island around 1964, with only a few
visitors on weekends from the mainland Belleview Hotel, brought
out by a local boat called 'Sailfish', built by a schoolteacher beside
the then Teachers House. The early tourists were mostly people
working with the Belize Government. Around 1969, Dr. Hildebrand
of the University of Corpus Christi started visiting each winter with a
Marine Biology Expedition of around 24 students. Backpackers also
found their way to the island at this time, but transportation was
only by fishing sailboats and there was no accommodation. The
Alamina, Reyes and Marin families pioneered the tourism industry
and the first Scuba Diving lessons and trips were started around
the late 1960's.
As speedboats came into use in the 1970's tourists became more
regular. Hippies following the so-called "Gringo Trail", of Isla Mujeres,
Tulum, Caye Caulker, Tikal and Lake Atitlan in Guatemala passed
though the island. The reputation spread by word of mouth.
Today, the diversified economy of the village still includes lobster,
fish and tourists. Internet e-commerce is growing in a small way.