The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge were able to slip away unnoticed
during the second day of their royal tour of Belize as they enjoyed a previously
unannounced diving trip.
William and Kate, who are both experienced divers, took the opportunity
to explore Belize’s beautiful barrier reef – the second largest in the
world – at South Water Caye.
In a video shared on their official social media pages and taken by
photographer Matt Porteous, the royals were seen swimming underwater, giving
each other the ‘okay’ hand signal, and admiring the local marine life. They
also surfaced at the end of the short clip, turning towards each other and
smiling as they breathed into their oxygen tanks.
The couple swam with nurse sharks, with one in particular swimming
alongside them throughout their dive as they joined Edward Bettencourt, known
as “Captain Gravy” and his daughter Narisha, to see the vital
conservation work being done to preserve it. A royal source said: “They
had a brilliant time, they saw nurse sharks.”
In the voiceover, William, a keen conservationist, is heard saying:
“It’s really fantastic to see the underwater environment here in Belize
and what wonderful work they’ve been doing to protect the coral and fish life.
“Belize’s work on marine protection is world-leading, which is
crucial when you’re protecting the world’s second-largest barrier reef and in
fact, it’s a UNESCO world heritage site. It’s clear to see the Belizeans value
their environment, whether it’s the marine environment or the land environment.
“It’s great to see their commitments go further and further. We
should support them and value their efforts to protect both the marine and the
land environments.”
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| Kate scuba diving in Belize |
The caption for the post also read: “Belize is home to the second-largest barrier reef in the world. While the effects of climate change are
evident, the Government of Belize and communities across the country deserve
huge recognition for their efforts to restore this incredible marine
environment – with a commitment to protect 30 percent of it by 2030.
“On Sunday, we were lucky enough to spend time diving at South
Water Caye, directly above the spectacular Belize Barrier Reef. It was a
privilege to see for ourselves the world-leading ocean conservation work being
done here.”
The royal couple’s dive took place privately after their visit to
Hopkins Beach, but HELLO! understands the Belize Government had been
very keen for them to see and experience the reef.
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The Duke shone a light on Belize’s conservation efforts
Both William and Kate are fans of diving, with the Duchess becoming a qualified diver in 2015.
At the time, she successfully completed the Professional Association of Diving
Instructors (PADI) Advanced Open Water Diver qualification, meaning the
mother-of-three is able to dive up to a depth of 30 metres.
The Duke and Kate’s family, the Middletons, regularly holiday in
Mustique, where William has gone on deep dives to look for sharks. It is
thought that Kate earned the qualification from a diving school in the private
Caribbean island.
William, meanwhile, is a very experienced diver and took over from his
father Prince Charles to become president of the British Sub-Aqua Club
(BSAC) in 2014.
