Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary & Manatee River, Belize
This morning we visited Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, which is about an hour’s drive from the coastal town of Dangriga. We got an early start; after breakfast, we walked down the gangway and right onto our waiting buses. Local guides told us about Dangriga, and how the Garifuna people came to settle there. A bronze sculpture of drums looked just like those we heard last night, and monuments honored the living musicians who are continuing the rich musical heritage of the Garifuna. Past town, the landscape was dominated by mile after mile of orange groves, and then pine-palmetto savannah, and finally the foothills of the Maya Mountains.
We explored the forest sanctuary by various means. Some people opted for a rigorous hike up Ben’s Bluff trail, and they were rewarded by a view of Cockscomb Basin, then a refreshing dip in a waterfall pool on the walk down. Along the Wari Loop trail, leaf cutter ants transported tree foliage bit by bit by tiny bit along their neatly trimmed trails. Where an ant carried a piece of flower instead of leaf, purple livened up the endless parade of green. A beautiful passionflower vine was in bloom near the trail. There were jaguar tracks in some mud, and many birds seen in the forest, including the beautiful blue-crowned motmot. A group of us of assorted ages floated down a river in giant inner tubes and laughed and watched the forest and riverbanks pass by. It was just as fun for the sixty-year old as the six-year old! As we left the sanctuary, we visited a Mayan woman’s handicraft co-op in the small town of Maya Center.
The ship sailed to the north, and in the late afternoon we had Zodiac cruises up the Manatee River. A small Creole fishing settlement by its mouth is named Gales Point, which refers to the strong winds that so often blow there. Today we took advantage of the relative calm, and explored the mangrove-lined river. Manatees were not seen, but we did see many birds, including parrots, ibises, and even roseate spoonbills.
This morning we visited Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, which is about an hour’s drive from the coastal town of Dangriga. We got an early start; after breakfast, we walked down the gangway and right onto our waiting buses. Local guides told us about Dangriga, and how the Garifuna people came to settle there. A bronze sculpture of drums looked just like those we heard last night, and monuments honored the living musicians who are continuing the rich musical heritage of the Garifuna. Past town, the landscape was dominated by mile after mile of orange groves, and then pine-palmetto savannah, and finally the foothills of the Maya Mountains.
We explored the forest sanctuary by various means. Some people opted for a rigorous hike up Ben’s Bluff trail, and they were rewarded by a view of Cockscomb Basin, then a refreshing dip in a waterfall pool on the walk down. Along the Wari Loop trail, leaf cutter ants transported tree foliage bit by bit by tiny bit along their neatly trimmed trails. Where an ant carried a piece of flower instead of leaf, purple livened up the endless parade of green. A beautiful passionflower vine was in bloom near the trail. There were jaguar tracks in some mud, and many birds seen in the forest, including the beautiful blue-crowned motmot. A group of us of assorted ages floated down a river in giant inner tubes and laughed and watched the forest and riverbanks pass by. It was just as fun for the sixty-year old as the six-year old! As we left the sanctuary, we visited a Mayan woman’s handicraft co-op in the small town of Maya Center.
The ship sailed to the north, and in the late afternoon we had Zodiac cruises up the Manatee River. A small Creole fishing settlement by its mouth is named Gales Point, which refers to the strong winds that so often blow there. Today we took advantage of the relative calm, and explored the mangrove-lined river. Manatees were not seen, but we did see many birds, including parrots, ibises, and even roseate spoonbills.
