Belize has a wealth of awe-inspiring natural beauty and rare animals that make it home. Incredible species such as the elusive Jaguar, Scarlet Macaw, Howler Monkey, tropical hard and soft corals and Hawksbill Turtle. These species are important not only in tourism but for the health of our ecosystems. As you prepare for your vacation to Belize, learn more about a couple unique and rare species in Belize and where you can go to see them!
Jaguar
Hamanasi Guest Timothy Joyce captures a great photo of a Jaguar at the Belize Zoo.
The jaguar’s range extends from the Southwest USA, much of Central America, to the Amazon rainforest and Northern Argentina. They can live in a variety of forested and open landscapes, but prefer tropical and subtropical broadleaf rainforests, along with lowland and wetland terrain.
What are they doing?
Jaguars are masterful hunters, making them the apex predator and keystone species of the jungle. They have a powerful bite which can pierce the shell of a turtle. The jaguar is largely solitary, mostly active at night and during twilight.They are great swimmers and play and hunt in the water.
A jaguar’s prey ranges in weight from 2 to 280 lbs. In Belize, they hunt creatures such as the agouti, deer, gibnut, tapir, and other mid-sized prey. In the wetlands, jaguars opportunistically take reptiles such as Iguana and turtles.
Where to find in Belize?
Seeing a Jaguar in the wild is extremely rare and you are more likely to see evidence of a jaguar such as a paw print during your hike in at Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary. Given that jaguars are more active at night, you would have a better chance to spot one during dawn, dusk or at night. At Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary and Jaguar preserve, they estimate approximately 200 jaguars roam the 128,000 acres of protected land.
In Belize, the only way to guarantee seeing a jaguar during your visit is to go to the one-of-a-kind Belize Zoo. The Belize Zoo focuses on rehabilitation of sick, injured or orphaned animals and reintroducing them to the wild. If unable to be safely rehabilitated, they become educational ambassadors at the zoo and live in a natural habitat, giving you the opportunity to see them. To learn more about the Belize Zoo and interacting with the jaguars, click here.
Scarlet Macaw
It is hard to miss the vibrant colors of the Scarlet Macaw on a Tropical Birding Tour to Red Bank.
Genus: Ara
Family: Psittacidae
Order: Psittaciformes
Class: Aves
Conservation Status: Least Concern, though the sub species found in Belize and the northern parts of Belize are considered Endangered.
Where do they live?
From the Southwestern parts of Mexico to the rainforests of South America the Scarlet Macaw can be found in the canopy of subtropical rainforests, cliff sides, river edges, and woodland areas. In Belize, the Scarlet Macaws spend the summer months in the Western part of the country such as the Chiquibul Forest Reserve, which are their breeding grounds, then migrate to the East towards Red Bank from about December to early March.
What do they look like?
The Scarlet Macaw is a striking bird boasting beautiful red, yellow and blue plumage. They are approximately 32 inches in size, including their long tail and weigh roughly 2 pounds. They have large curved beaks which are strong and great for cracking open seeds and nuts.
What are they doing?
Scarlet Macaws can be found in pairs, with a small family or in flocks up to 30 birds. They make very loud, high pitch throaty squawks, squeaks and screams that can be heard from miles away! Wild scarlet macaws feed on fruits, nuts, seeds, flowers and nectar, but also love insects and larvae- which are great sources of protein and needed during the breeding season.
Where to find in Belize?
During the holiday season from December to March, join a Scarlet Macaw Tropical Birding tour to Red Bank Village. A moderate hike to a vista in Red Bank village, which allows for you to see these magnificent birds feeding on fruiting trees or flying from one point to another in pairs or even as a flock! You can also see these birds up close at the Belize Zoo.
Howler Monkey
Hamanasi Guest, Kevin Berkoff captures this cute juvenile Howler monkey peeking from the trees
Species Name: Alouatta pigra
Genus: Alouatta
Family: Atelidae
Order: Primates
Class: Animalia
Conservation Status: Near Threatened
What do they look like?
A divine being in Maya mythology, the Black Howler Monkey is one of the largest monkeys in the Americas, weighing 9-18 pounds. They are 21-25 inches long with a 23-27 inch prehensile tail. Their tails have tactile pads allowing them to actually feel with their tails.
What are they doing? These highly social animals live in troops of 4 to 8 members each with its own territory in which to feed. Territory sizes range from 7 – 62 acres. They are diurnal and arboreal. They have a folivorous diet feeding on leaves, flowers and some fruits. Since leaves don’t provide much energy, the males have an enlarged hyoid bone near their vocal chords allowing them to call other males without much energy. Sounds lazy, doesn’t it? These calls are extremely loud and can be heard for up to 3 miles away. They also spend their time staying away from predator big cats, like jaguars and pumas, as well as snakes and birds.
Where to find in Belize: While near threatened due to deforestation and hunting, populations are healthy in Belize’s forests. The Community Baboon Sanctuary along the Belize River protects trees allowing these monkeys to thrive. Further south, some of these monkeys were translocated successfully to the Cockscomb Basin whose populations were affected by a hurricane. The Monkey River tour also provides an opportunity for you to spot these incredible creatures in the wild and they also can be seen at the Belize Zoo.
Coral
A variety of corals are captured in this wonderful photo from Hamanasi Guest, Michael Roy.
Conservation Status: Hard and soft corals of many kinds are the building blocks of Belize’s reef. In 1996, UNESCO declared the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef a World Heritage site. It was considered endangered from 2009-2018 and is still a vulnerable ecosystem.
What does it look like? The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef system, referred to in Belize as the Belize Barrier Reef is a long stretch of coral that forms a wall where waves crash between the distances of 980 ft and 25 miles from the Belize coast line. In addition to the barrier reef, Belize contains three of the four Caribbean atolls. These atolls are Glover’s Reef, Lighthouse, and Turneffe atolls. The barrier reef and atolls contain a variety of hard and soft corals and is home to hundreds of marine species. The terrain comes in a variety of formations such as the wall, pinnacles, and reef flats.
What does it do? The corals of the Belize Barrier reef serve a multitude of purposes and are a national treasure. The coral colonies provide a barrier that protects from storm surges and hurricanes. The reef is a nursery and home for hundreds of marine species from fish, sharks, molluscs to crustaceans. It is the source of many jobs in Belize from fishing to tourism. It attracts hundreds of thousands of tourists every year.
Where to find in Belize? The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef system expands from the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula, near Cancun, to the very Southern waters of Belize. It is approximately 190 miles long and is the second largest barrier reef in the world. You will have the chance to see a variety of soft and hard coral species during a scuba or snorkel trip out to the barrier reef! From Hamanasi the boat ride to the southern barrier reef is approximately 30 minutes.
Hawksbill Turtle
It is always a great day when you are scuba diving, but when a Hawksbill Turtle comes by for a visit- that’s pretty special! Photo by Jason Otte
What does it look like? Hawksbills are named for their narrow, pointed beak. They also have a distinctive pattern of overlapping scales on their shells that form a serrated-look on the edges. These turtles have mottled shells consisting of an irregular combination of shades of amber, orange, red, yellow, black and brown. Their head comes to a tapered point and their lower jaw is V-shaped, giving them a hawk-like appearance. Hatchlings are only 2 to 3 inches long and mostly brown in color. As adults, Hawksbills weigh on average 90-150 pounds and grow to about 30-35 inches in length.
What does it do? They feed mainly on sponges by using their narrow pointed beaks to extract them from crevices on the reef, but also eat marine algae, corals, mollusks, tunicates, crustaceans, sea urchins, small fish, and jellyfish. Hawksbill turtles help keep reefs healthy by feeding primarily on sponges that can out-compete corals.
Hawksbills can migrate long distances between foraging areas and nesting beaches. They reach maturity between approximately 20 to 35 years of age. Every 1 to 5 years, female hawksbill turtles return to nest on beaches in the general areas where they hatched. Hawksbills generally lay three to five nests per season, which contain an average of 130 to 160 eggs in each nest. The nesting season in Belize occurs between May and November of each year.
Where to find in Belize? During a Scuba or snorkel trip out to the barrier reef, keep an eye out for the Hawksbill Turtle! They often swim by to check out visitors, or take a snooze on top of a coral or rock ledge.
Thank you to Jason Otte, Michael Roy and others for photos.
At Hamanasi, we have policies and procedures in place so you can experience the wonders of Belize while doing your part to protect it. These include using a reusable Hamanasi water bottle, reef-safe sunscreen, no touching of wildlife and coral, remaining on paths and leaving only footprints behind – just to name a few. You can rest assured that you can see and experience amazing things in Belize while having a low environmental impact. We can’t wait to host you for a vacation of a lifetime!
