The Setting - Southern Belize

Tropical Biodiversity and Realm of the Maya

Lush tropical mountain rainforests, lowland riverine and tropical broadleaf forests, coastal mangrove cays and lagoons, and the world’s second largest barrier reef - this is the great mosaic of habitat types concentrated within a small region of Southern Belize. The magnificent Maya civilization flourished in this land of ecological Biodiversity and their ancient ruins and modern descendants can be found throughout this diverse continuum of environments. Teeming with wildlife, Southern Belize sustains over 500 species of birds. The lowland tropical broadleaf forests represent one of the last remaining large tracts in Central America and support many endangered species. The highest concentration of jaguar in the world can be found within the Golden Stream watershed. The estuarine environments support a healthy but threatened population of the West Indian Manatee and many marine species.

Butterflies dart among ancient stones, waterfalls cascade down limestone rock escarpments, and the rivers empty into elaborate cave systems - underworld of the ancient Maya. Huge iguanas sunning themselves along azure blue crystalline rivers, Howler Monkeys screaming in the high jungle canopy, tapir feeding along the edge of a freshwater marsh are all part of the incredible biodiversity of southern Belize.

The Trans-Habitat Experience

Southern Belize is one of the few areas in the world that has such a great diversity of flora and fauna concentrated within such a small region. Located on the Caribbean Coast in the very southeastern portion of the Yucatan Peninsula, the region is a crossroad for species inhabiting climatic regions for both temperate north and sub-tropical south. The varied and diverse natural environments result in an incredibly large variety of plants and animals.

The Maya Mountains are made up of ancient granitic peaks that dominate the coastal plain. They range almost 150 miles north and south, and form one of the most spectacular and convoluted landscapes on earth, cleft by deep jagged canyons, sheer cliffs, and soaring towers of limestone rock. The rugged, karstic, eastern foothills protrude from the range and give way to nearly-flat coastal lowlands.

Numerous watersheds rise in the mountains and carry river water seaward through a tremendous variety of habitat types within a very short distance. The Golden Stream watershed is nearly pristine and links other protected areas, forming a valuable biological corridor for many endangered species. The Golden Stream area makes up one of the last stretches of rare lowland tropical broadleaf forest connecting the protected areas of the Maya Mountains to the coast and the Port Honduras Marine Reserve.

The rivers of the region empty into the bay of Port Honduras, which contains a unique network of over 130 mangrove cays and has an environment that ranges from estuarine to full marine habitat. The Snake Cays, on the outer edge of the Port Honduras Marine Reserve, have sandy coral beaches and support areas of rich, healthy, patch-coral reef. On the windward side of the bay is the southern most tip of the Belize Barrier Reef, a World Heritage Site. The Sapodilla Cays Marine Reserve includes pristine reef and barrier island habitat.