BigSexysPlayground

Scuba divers everywhere dream of seeing wild dolphins, and many live that dream, seeing one from afar. The lucky few even get a close look at these beautiful animals as they swim close for a curious inspection of these clumsy humans in the water. When a diver has a prolonged encounter with a dolphin, you will hear them speak about it happily for many years. What happened to this diver was even more incredible. As he swam over the reef and approached a collection of soft coral swaying in the current, a large dolphin swam right in front of him and began swimming around in circles, performing acrobatics and looking him right in the eye with what can only be interpreted as an invitation to play. The scuba diver holding the camera is a dive master named Nito, but he is known around the world as "Big Sexy". One of the most popular scuba masters in Belize, he has a serious fan club. Guests who come to Chuck & Robbie's Scuba Diving from all over the globe seek out this operation for their professionalism and dedication to safety. But they fall in love with the fun-loving personalities of the staff, and they go home feeling like family. One of the most charismatic of the bunch, Big Sexy works extra hard to show his guests the amazing sights in his underwater world. He teaches them diving skills and keeps them safe, but he also has a way with animals, and encounters with beautiful creatures are common when you dive with him. This dolphin repeatedly swam in front of Big Sexy, looking into his eyes, and performing acrobatics, The flips, rolls, and slow passes left everyone in awe and wonder. These are wild creatures in their own habitat, approaching this diver completely on their own terms. Looking at its beautiful face, it almost seems like it has a smile as it looks at him. There is no doubt, Big sexy had a wide-eyed smile throughout all of this as well. This playful dolphin made this one of the most memorable dives he has ever had. As the coronavirus keeps everybody in the world guessing about when things will return to normal, these gorgeous animals and pristine reefs await those scuba divers who are dreaming of getting back in the water. Big Sexy and his crew have their fins ready and their tanks full, eager to lead groups on adventures like this.

Stingrays are one of the most feared creatures in the ocean, but undeservedly so. They are shy and reclusive, usually choosing to avoid coming close to humans. They lie flat on the bottom camouflage themselves in the sand to avoid detection. They will generally swim away from scuba divers, although they do occasionally become curious if the diver is non-threatening. This scuba diver made a very slow and cautious approach and was rewarded with a look right into the eyes of this massive stingray. The divers in the background were equally thrilled to get such a close look at one of the most majestic creatures under the sea. As it turns and swims away, it gives a close look at the tail that is equipped with a sharp and venomous barb, used for self defense. This barb can penetrate even the tough skin of a shark if the sting ray lashes out to defend itself. An unwary swimmer who steps on a stingray may also be injured, but stingrays never attack and do not hunt prey with their barbs. Any human injuries documented have occurred due to careless behaviour on the part of the humans. A famous incident with the world renowned biologist and animal advocate, Steve Irwin, left people fearing these docile animals. That was an unfortunate and tragic accident that had nothing to do with aggression on the part of the stingray. Stingrays are highly intelligent animals that play a beneficial role in the health of the reefs and ocean ecosystems. Fear and misunderstanding leads to unnecessary killing of stingrays and an overall loss for all concerned.

Scuba diving is a sport that allows people to explore a world that is unlike anything above the waves. The creatures in the ocean are unique and fascinating and come in forms that would make no sense on land. One of the best examples of this is the giant crab that hides among the coral by day and comes out to hunt at night. These crabs have eight long legs that help them move quickly across the sand, if needed, or allow them to cling to surfaces like the underside of caves and crevices. Scuba divers rarely see crabs like this one because they usually remain hidden throughout daylight hours. But these lucky explorers have found one out in the open in a small canyon on a reef in Belize. The crab seems curious about the diver and his camera and he scurries over the sand to come closer. This allows a perfectly good close-up view the crabs body and face. The mouth parts continuously move, pushing water in and over the gills to provide the crab with oxygen. Like most sea creatures, he cannot breathe air and relies on a system of filtration to collect tiny oxygen particles from the ocean. Life in the ocean can be harsh, and while he is looking for food to eat, the fish above are circling and looking for an opportunity to either pick up on his leftover scraps, or even to take a bite at him. Luckily, this fully grown crab's tough shell provides protection and his powerful claws allow him to fend off even a medium sized fish. But he will want to get back to his lair before some of the bigger ocean creatures find him. A predator can become the prey in an instant in this unforgiving world.

There is a magical place in Belize called the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. It is a protected area on the reef, but it is completely wild and animals come and go freely. The reserve is simply an area divided into zones and it is fiercely protected by authorities and those who use it. Dive masters bring students and seasoned divers here for a unique encounter with wildlife that would have to be seen to be believed. Even snorkelers can experience a close up view of sharks, rays, huge fish, and large sea turtles. A group of snorkelers was treated to something incredible when a beautiful manatee swam through the marine reserve. Curious and friendly, it decided to circle around and give them a close look. It was unconcerned with their presence and allowed photos and videos for several hours. The swimmers could barely contain themselves and it was a very emotional experience as they swam with this rare and majestic animal. Manatees are among the most gentle of all marine creatures, despite their impressive size. They can grow to 1,800lbs and measure 12 feet in length. Sightings are rare, even in a protected area such as this, but to have the experience of spending hours alongside a manatee in the open ocean is almost unheard of. The whole town of San Pedro was talking about this manatee later. The swimmers in this video were the envy of all who heard the stories, saw the pictures or watched the videos. This interaction is a perfect example of how a slow and cautious approach, as well as keeping a respectful distance, will allow an experience like no other. As if the manatee alone were not enough, a Spotted Eagle Ray slowly glided through the area and circled around, as if it was also curious about the manatee. What is the most remarkable about this video is how calm the manatee was. It swims leisurely among and around the people, completely relaxed.

Dive master and animal lover Nito is known in the diving world for many reasons. Famous for his underwater bubble rings, he has no trouble making friends with any ocean creature. Moray eels are large and intimidating to most people and they would be terrified to be approached by such a formidable creature. You can even see this eel's large teeth as it nibbles the camera. Nito shows that this eel is more curious than aggressive. It almost seems to be playing with the snorkelers and divers. These eels, like any ocean creature should still be treated with great caution.