Exotic Wildlife of Belize

Peter Davis Krahenbuhl Jul 1, 2016

Under water, on land and in the air, few countries on the planet have the readily accessible wildlife diversity of Belize. And if you take into account the fact that it is one of the smallest countries in the world, arguably nowhere else can compare.

Here are a few of our favorite swimming, walking, running, climbing and flying Belizean creatures, all of which you can experience firsthand on an ultimate Belize Nature Safari.

Underwater

Did you know that Belize’s entire coastline parallels the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef—the second largest in the world, behind Australia’s Great Barrier Reef? Here, you can snorkel, dive, swim and kayak your way through this ocean paradise along one of the hundreds of cayes (small islets), that lie off the mainland coast. Doing so will reveal colorful corals and myriad tropical fish. And above the water, you can relax and stay at pristine, boutique island resorts on some of the larger cayes, which offer some of the best accommodations in Belize.

On Land (or in the Trees?)

While the elusive jaguar, opens in new tab, the largest cat in the Western Hemisphere, is far and away one of the most majestic, athletic and fearsome of all creatures across the Americas, it is also extremely shy, independent and secretive, choosing the nocturnal lifestyle.

So while you may well see signs of a jaguar on a Belize nature tour with expert naturalist guides, you are more likely to see—or at least hear—the equally impressive howler monkey from above. There is no mistaking the roaring, “Wooo wooo woo!” as a troop of howler monkeys float through the tree canopy, communicating with each other and everyone else within earshot!

Wild black howler monkey in Belize — *© Sekar Balasubramanian*

In the Air

Speaking of “from above,” there are so many beautiful winged creatures in Belize it is hard to choose a favorite. Among the many that you will have the chance to experience are colorful parrots and toucans, as well as the electric-blue morpho butterfly, flittering around lightning fast as it splashes the sky with colorful, Houdini-like appearances.