Iguana gets regular treats from the man who rescued him long ago

Nito is a man with a big heart who lives in San Pedro, on the island of Ambergrise Caye, in Belize. He has been a scuba dive master for the past 15 years, leading people on adventures in the ocean and showing them his "playground", as he calls it. A natural teacher with enthusiasm and charisma, he is known all over the world for being among the best in the business. He has the nickname "Big Sexy" and few of his friends would even recognize him by any other name.Show more

Aside from loving the reefs and the animals in the ocean, Big Sexy also loves the other creatures that inhabit this island paradise. While walking to work one day, several years ago, he came upon a small iguana that had been caught by two feral cats. The cats had injured the iguana badly and he had a wound on his hind end. The little iguana was also exhausted and terrified.

Big Sexy picked up the iguana and took him to the dive shop where he was working. He cleaned the wounds and gave the iguana a quiet spot to heal and be safe from predators. Big Sexy fed the iguana greens, peppers, fruit, and also some meat. He and the other dive shop employees were amused by the lizard and how well he responded to the help he was getting. They named him Pedro and they began letting him run free around the dock and the beach outside the dive shop.

Pedro still enjoys food that he is given each day even after his release and he continues to watch for Big Sexy in the mornings. Incredibly, Pedro seems to be able to recognize him and he follows him up the dock towards the dive shop. He waits and watches from a distance. He does not want to be picked up anymore, but he will gladly eat or bask within a few feet of the people who look after him.
Big Sexy has found that one of Pedro's favorite treats is "ceviche", a tangy mix of vegetables with lime juice and shrimp. Pedro munches happily on the ceviche while Big Sexy watches from a few feet away. After telling the story of the lizard to his Canadian friend, Big Sexy recorded the interaction so he could send a video that shows the happy little iguana doing so well.

Pedro has grown well since he was injured and it is unlikely that even a full grown cat will tangle with him now. He is truly living the life at this little dive shop on the beach!