Belize didn’t save its reef because the government stepped in.🐠🪸 Caribbean reefs have lost 48% of their coral since 1980, and for Belize the reef accounts for 15% of national GDP, so the stakes were never just environmental. In 2012, Belizeans held an unofficial referendum on offshore drilling, voted no, and five years later pushed through an indefinite maritime oil ban that got the reef removed from UNESCO’s endangered list. Most of what you’ll dive in Belize was built and is still run by the guides, rangers, and former fishermen who had the most to lose. 🌊 📸nola_seas | Belize Tourism Board #BelizeReef #GreatBlueHole #HolChanMarineReserve #BelizeDiving #CentralAmericaTravel