"If you want to see feesh, you come to the right place," says our guide Carm. His enthusiasm is palpable. "We gonna show you lots of feesh!"

There are 10 of us here to take part in a seven-day, multisport extravaganza with Vancouver-based Island Expeditions. We're spread out across the white sand of Tobacco Caye, under the leafy fronds of palm swaying in the breeze. We are hinged on Carm's every word as he recites off a list of tropical fish that reminds me of Bubba listing off shrimp recipes in the movie Forrest Gump: grey angelfish, queen triggerfish, spotted butterflyfish, French grunts, blue tangs. The list seems to go on forever.

"And now we gonna go to the dock and I show you some of them," says Carm. This is a preview, he tells us, for what's coming tomorrow morning, when we take to the water for the first time with masks, fins and snorkels. The water is so clear beside Belize's barrier reef -- the second longest reef in the world - that you can see many of the fish from the end of the dock.

With expectation etched on our faces, we walk past a small beach bar with a thatched roof and a grinning bartender.

However, as our group wanders out onto the dock, the first thing we see is not what we had expected: several feet of lime-green eel slithering alongside a fishing dory that's been tethered to the wharf. As promised, the clarity of the water ensures that we see the moray's sharp white teeth in perfect detail.

"She's out hunting," says a nearby fisherman in a gravely voice. He says it matter-of-factly, not intending to cause alarm.

Several sets of jaws drop.

"Hunting for what?" squeaks one of my tripping companions.

As it turns out, the moray eel is not hunting for tourists. "If you mind your own business," Carm assures us, "the eels will not bother you. In fact, you would be lucky to see one at all."

Lucky? Not the word I would choose. But to each their own I suppose.

As the setting sun shimmers the water to the west, we settle in to our beachfront cabanas, each with a private veranda and swaying hammock with views out over the reef. The dinner bell rings and we walk the sandy pathway lined with conch shells to the dining room. Tonight it's a delicious seafood dish -- fresh grouper baked in coconut. We retire to our hammocks to let the repast settle. Later, the nightlife starts to emerge on this sliver of palm-fringed paradise, and one by one we wander over to the beach bar to sip Belikin beer and listen to the rhythm of Garifuna drum music. The wooden drums are played with bare hands and are often crafted from mahogany or mayflower with a single peccary skin stretched overtop.

We enter the water for the first time the next morning. All of us are keyed up. Some, like me, who haven't snorkelled in the tropics before, are a little nervous. We needn't be. Our guides are top notch. Carm instructs everyone to stay close until each and every one of us has entered the water. He then leads us on a leisurely swim around one of the large coral patches just offshore of Tobacco Caye. Omar, the senior guide, floats nearby in his kayak in case anybody needs assistance.

But most of us are soon entranced by the underwater scenery and not really thinking of anything else. The "forest" of coral is a multi-hued world of purple and orange and red and yellow. Dozens of colourful fish zigzag in and out of the coral maze. Striped Sergeant Majors, bug-eyed squirrelfish, schools of lazy grunts, and slender trumpetfish are a few of the species we spot that morning.

On day three it's time for a new adventure: sail kayaking. We hoist our white cloth and point our kayaks toward South Water Caye, which is to be our home away from home for the next three nights. Slicing through waters of azure blue we watch cotton swab clouds drift by. One of the group members hooks a barracuda. The fight is on. The wind keeps pushing, but after a few minutes (and some help from Omar) the toothy adversary is successfully landed. This will be our lunch.

South Water Caye proves to be one of the trip's highlights. While the accommodation at Tobacco Caye was perfectly comfortable (though somewhat rustic), here are tastefully done rooms with luxurious décor and spacious verandas facing east over the mangroves. An open-air concept keeps a perpetual breeze circulating through the rooms -- the breath of the tropics. More delicious seafood recipes await us every night in the dining area, including conch soup, lobster salad, and Hudut -- a favourite Garifuna dish comprised of poached fish, mashed plantain and spiced coconut milk.

Beaches with sand as white as icing sugar ring much of the twelve-acre islet, except when stained orange by the setting sun. Pelicans drift lazily on tropical breezes, occasionally launching themselves from tree branches to divebomb unsuspecting prey. Fishermen try their luck in the shallows casting for plentiful bonefish. A network of sandy trails makes barefoot exploration of this charming place an unexpected pleasure.

Our days are spent revelling in the sublime tropical sunshine, except when we're underwater, which as it turns out is fairly often. Right off the southern tip of the caye is the most diverse coral forest yet. We spot large schools of French and blue-striped grunts, parrotfish, scrawled filefish and an elusive queen triggerfish. There are also spotted eagle rays, small yellow rays, and on the way back to the beach I swim right beside a large southern stingray that is settling itself into the sea grass.

On the last day of paddling we cross a large piece of open water. To our right we can see the tiny Man-O-War Caye with flocks of frigate birds and brown boobies darkening the sky above the treetops. This is one of the only nesting areas for the birds in the entire Caribbean. We had paddled right up to this islet on the first afternoon and were treated to a cacophony of cawing. A spectacle not easily forgotten.

A Garifuna family greets us at a thatch-roofed lodge on Coco Plum Caye, which is fringed with mangroves. Some of us wander off to explore the islet on foot, while others take to the water with either fishing rods or snorkel equipment. I take the hour before lunch as the perfect opportunity to hammock surf with a good book.

On the final evening of our trip, Carm and Omar gather us at the tip of South Water Caye for our final plunge. The difference now is that it's dark out. We're split into pairs and each pair is handed a high-powered flashlight. The reason for a night snorkel? It's an opportunity to see those shy underwater critters that only come out to hunt after the sun goes down: lobsters, octopus, squid ... and yes, eels. In the little protected bay between the caye and the reef we manage to spot most of them -- including a small squid that changes colours several times before darting off to a dinner appointment. We also find a large octopus crawling across the ocean floor, trying to avoid eye contact with his admiring fanbase. Stretched out fully it must be over six feet long.

And what of the eels? We didn't see any of those, and to be honest, most of us were OK with that.

IF YOU GO:

Getting There: All of the major U.S. airlines fly into Belize City, but American generally seems to have the cheapest fares. From Vancouver, layovers in Dallas and Miami are common.

Finding a Guide: Sea kayaking has become a popular sport in Belize, and there are a number of outfitters that organize guided trips here. I was drawn to Vancouver-based Island Expeditions for a few reasons. They offer a wide range of vacation packages -- everything from a lazy weekend getaway at their Glover's Atoll base camp, to adventurous multi-sport trips that include kayaking, snorkeling, diving, caving, camping and whitewater paddling through the jungle. They've been running trips since 1987, so I knew they have experience. I also liked the fact that they employ local people whenever possible. (www.islandexpeditions.com).

Advice: Take a shortie wetsuit or long-sleeved, quick-dry shirt to protect yourself from the tropical sun while snorkelling. Spending a long time in the water can also cause you to get a little chilly, so having something to wear will keep you warm.

Malaria: Talk to your doctor, but you may be able to get away without taking anti-malarial pills if you're not planning to visit the jungle on your trip. Especially during the dry season (from February through April), there probably won't be many mosquitoes on the Cayes and Atolls. This may spare you some nasty side effects.

Underwater Photography: Consider investing in a small underwater camera before the trip. I purchased a Canon Powershot D10 and was amazed at the photo quality. There were several people in the group that wished they had something similar.

Resources: The Moon Handbook to Belize by former resident Joshua Berman is an excellent all-around resource for travelling in this small country.