The perfect Caribbean escape| A Day Well-Spent At Laughing Bird Caye National Park

The boat ride out to Laughing Bird Caye was not only short-lived but also exceptionally exciting. We departed from Placencia village and took a boat ride out to the island. I knew I was not only visiting an island but a protected one. I have visited other cayes in Belize such as the popular San Pedro, Ambergris Caye and the laid-back Caye Caulker but I had never visited an island that is also a National Park and a World Heritage Site, protected for its natural beauty.  

Laughing Bird Caye National Park is distinct from the other islands as it is a part of the famous Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System and it is a snorkeler's paradise. The natural beauty surrounding this island is sumptuous. In order to visit this paradise you must book a day tour with a licensed tour operator: our recommended choice is Splash Dive Center. Not only are the licensed guides friendly and informative, but also the BBQ grilled fresh on the island is a delightful lunch!

So, if you are still asking: what is so special about this island?  Well, let me describe to you the beauty.  Snorkel around the island and you will encounter a diverse and abundant marine life living below. The area is covered with a variety of coral reef habitats that sparkle and give life to other marine species. The island has a distinct elongate shape that forms a faro. A faro can be best explained as an angular atoll that is situated on a reef. The faro is elevated and encloses a central lagoon, which gives Laughing Bird Caye National Park its shallow waters surrounding the island.

If you are visiting the southern coast of Belize, there is much to experience on this beautiful island. The perfect Caribbean escape! The beach is formed by powdery unspoiled white sand, a heavenly and perfect texture. While on the day-trip we were told that the island earned its name due to the Laughing Gills that once populated the island. Today, Laughing Bird Caye is known as a nesting place for a variety of birds including

Brown Pelican, Green Heron, Melodious Blackbird amongst others that call Belize their home.

The northern end of the caye is a very busy rookery and for that reason it is off limits to the public.  The northern end of the caye is opened up one day each year for the annual cleanup by 100 or more school kids and volunteers organized by Splash Dive Center.

If you are visiting Placencia a day-trip out to Laughing Bird National Park will complete your visit to Belize!

Email Patty at patricia@splashbelize.com to find out more about this beautiful Gem!

“Even Jacques-Yves Cousteau Admits that Belize Contains Top Ten Scuba Diving Sites in the World!”

Many people spend the better part of our lives working hard to survive and to save a bit more for the amenities needed in life. When we take a moment to think of all the great things around us that is available for consumption and pleasure, we realize how seldom we take advantage of them. It is not often that we appreciate our families, the good friendships and relationships we enjoy nor the many countless gifts that Mother Nature has bestowed people with to appreciate, protect and utterly enjoy. Belize is one such destination, where apparently Mother Nature favored a notch above many others. This tiny Caribbean tropical jewel, although only 8,866 sq. miles with roughly 318,000 people boosts the hemisphere’s largest barrier reef, three out of four atolls, an abundance of natural wealth of rich biodiversity from reef to rainforest and a multi-ethnic society of fascinating cultural heritage. Belize is the Maya heartland where three Maya ethnicities continue to flourish in their traditional ways. And if this were not enough evidence, the tiny bio-mass continues to unveil the discovery of oil deposits in commercial quantity across the country further affirming that Mother Nature offered this secret Caribbean getaway an unparalleled mix of natural riches.

This Caribbean gem with a barrier reef spanning across most its offshore, three atolls, hundreds of white sand beach and mangrove islands, pristine waters, thriving reef systems that includes the iconic Blue Hole are the perfect ingredients for superb sports fishing and diving. It is no surprise that informed travellers come from all corners of the globe for world class sports fishing and diving in Belize and appreciate why renowned diver, Jacques-Yves Cousteau, regarded some sites in Belize among his favorites in the world.

There are many must-see diving and fishing hot spots, but Glovers Atolls must be highlighted. This reef ecosystem, of ring corals 54 miles in circumference, offers spectacular diving and snorkeling experiences.  The southern end of Glover’s Atoll, also recognized as a UN World Heritage Site in 1997, is national marine reserve.

Just one hour south of Glover’s Atoll is Gladden Spit where the world’s largest fish - the whale sharks gather to feed during the months of March to May. During these months there are high chances for divers and snorkelers to see these amazingly passive sea mammoths. These gentle giants of the sea may grow up to 65 feet and weigh several tons are seen near the full moons feeding on the spawn from dog snappers. Splash Dive Center holds the gold standard in customized services to divers and snorkelers in a variety of diving options and locations for an optimal experience in Belize’s very best dive packages available.

Life is easy in Belize! So whether you are looking for a unique adventure, or exceptional fishing or diving, a close encounter with wildlife, an unforgettable cultural exchange or utter pampering and relaxation at a resort  – chances  you may very well get more that what you bargained for!  Life is short, there is just too much to be enjoyed in Belize! Call Splash Dive Center today, Belize’s premier Destination Management Company, to start planning your dream vacation. If you can conceive it, we can make it a reality. Live a bit, live a lot in Belize!