83 North Front Street
PO Box 1234
Belize City
ph: 011 (501) 223-5505
fax: 011 (501) 223-7007
info
The Majestic Magical Mangrove Love Tunnel & the Endangered West Indian Manatee
This is a new trip offered by Sea Sports Belize in efforts to raise awareness on the importance of mangrove conservation and to support the work of WWF and the Belize Mangrove Conservation Network. You will also learn about the plight of the endangered West Indian manatee and the current efforts underway to protect them for generations to come.
Just outside Belize City exists a magical place, little known by many. Imagine tall mangroves climbing to the sky, their prop roots reaching for the earth and a myriad of wildlife camouflaged by the lush vegetation.
Your journey begins in the heart of Belize City on Haulover Creek. The first mile or so traverses the riverside area in Belize where you can get a glimpse of Belize City River life. If you've never seen a town by the waterside, it is a great way to get a true glimpse of how people live.
Soon enough the number of houses decrease and the red mangroves (Rhizophora mangle) begin to appear. Then we enter the tunnel, where the red mangroves grow 5 stories high and their branches meet overhead providing a natural canopy for shade. The sunlight trickles through the leaves providing enough light to admire nature's beauty in these old mangrove trees. Reaching down are mangrove prop roots that resemble rope-like hair as the mangroves grow outward. The prop roots and the buttress roots of associated plants resemble the knuckles of a giant!
Wildlife is also observed in the Tunnel including kingfisher's, egrets and great blue herons. More rare sightings include mammals like the quash and the national animal of Belize, the tapir!
The journey through the Mangrove Love Tunnel lasts about 45 minutes after which you end up coming out onto the Belize River near Haulover Bridge. At the end of this journey everyone has a renewed impression of nature as the entire 45 minute trip is awe inspiring. After this ride through this magical place you will love the majestic mangroves!
The mouth of the Belize River supports the endangered West Indian manatee which is often found congregating here where they drink the fresh river water. We will spend some time here looking for this endangered marine mammal in one of its last strongholds. This is truly an endanger species as the increased boat traffic through this area from tourism has resulted in the death of at least 5 adult manatees in the past two years. You'll learn that one of the best way to protect the endangered Mermaids of the sea is to observe the "No Wake" signs where in areas they inhabit.
We circle back to Belize City passing by Moho Caye which was an important trading center for the ancient Maya. Along the way we may see Atlantic bottlenose dolphins feeding in the biggest estuary in Belize!
83 North Front Street
PO Box 1234
Belize City
ph: 011 (501) 223-5505
fax: 011 (501) 223-7007
info
