My trips to Central America have been shore excursions from cruises. Panama was interesting and Belize was beautiful, but the warnings about touching insects and swimming sure made me worry.

I enjoyed the stringray encounter, but it probably isn't the same when you go with 100s of people and the stringrays are just looking to get their fill of squid as oppose to just seeing them swim around.

Having received my SCUBA certification, I am always leery of those 2 hour lessons they give to tourists.

Anyway, looks like you had a great time.