Dangriga & Manatee River
If somebody asks you to imagine in your head what the Caribbean should look like to you in a dream, probably a deserted island with coconut palm trees and beautiful white sandy beaches would jump to mind. Central America seems to be the perfect place for such “Gary Larson caricature islands.” Well, let me tell you that such an image is not far from our reality this week on board of the Sea Lion. During the last few days we have visited a few of those dream islands, and today we had an opportunity to do something different. In the morning we visited Dangriga, and Manatee River in the afternoon. The town of Dangriga, located along one of the beautiful shores of Belize, was the departure town for today’s morning adventure.
Riding on a bus, with the astonishing view of the Maya Mountains in the distance, we started along the “Hummingbird Highway” with bird sightings and the typical plants of the region. We arrived to Cockscomb basin Jaguar Preserve, which is a wildlife sanctuary that covers 102,000 acres of beautiful lush green rainforest in the Cockscomb Range of the Maya Mountains. We spent the morning with plenty of choices, ranging from short walks for bird watchers to long hikes for the most eager exercise-oriented guests. We came back on board in the afternoon ready for lunch after many rewarding experiences. We did not see any jaguars on the trail (and some of us were very happy about it), but believe me, everyone had their share of what they were looking for.
The afternoon was as good as the morning, since we decided to cruise with our Zodiacs and kayaks along a beautiful Manatee River. We were looking for any type of wildlife, making this a true adventure. Shore and land birds showed along the way, while by the end some of us were rewarded with the experience of spotting manatees, or at least their noses, since they rarely put more than that out of the water. We returned to the ship leaving behind the river, the breathtaking view of the Maya mountains at the distance and of course the sounds of the birds announcing the awakening of the night, a totally different world for wildlife in the ancient land of the Mayas…
If somebody asks you to imagine in your head what the Caribbean should look like to you in a dream, probably a deserted island with coconut palm trees and beautiful white sandy beaches would jump to mind. Central America seems to be the perfect place for such “Gary Larson caricature islands.” Well, let me tell you that such an image is not far from our reality this week on board of the Sea Lion. During the last few days we have visited a few of those dream islands, and today we had an opportunity to do something different. In the morning we visited Dangriga, and Manatee River in the afternoon. The town of Dangriga, located along one of the beautiful shores of Belize, was the departure town for today’s morning adventure.
Riding on a bus, with the astonishing view of the Maya Mountains in the distance, we started along the “Hummingbird Highway” with bird sightings and the typical plants of the region. We arrived to Cockscomb basin Jaguar Preserve, which is a wildlife sanctuary that covers 102,000 acres of beautiful lush green rainforest in the Cockscomb Range of the Maya Mountains. We spent the morning with plenty of choices, ranging from short walks for bird watchers to long hikes for the most eager exercise-oriented guests. We came back on board in the afternoon ready for lunch after many rewarding experiences. We did not see any jaguars on the trail (and some of us were very happy about it), but believe me, everyone had their share of what they were looking for.
The afternoon was as good as the morning, since we decided to cruise with our Zodiacs and kayaks along a beautiful Manatee River. We were looking for any type of wildlife, making this a true adventure. Shore and land birds showed along the way, while by the end some of us were rewarded with the experience of spotting manatees, or at least their noses, since they rarely put more than that out of the water. We returned to the ship leaving behind the river, the breathtaking view of the Maya mountains at the distance and of course the sounds of the birds announcing the awakening of the night, a totally different world for wildlife in the ancient land of the Mayas…
