Hopkins Village

Manatee-Watching Tours

Local lodges offer trips to Gales Point and the Southern Lagoon to try to spot Antillean manatees, a subspecies of West Indian manatees. These large aquatic mammals—adults weigh 800 to 1,200 pounds—are related to elephants. They're found in shallow waters in lagoons, rivers, estuaries, and coastal areas in much of Belize, and are especially common in the lagoons around Gales Point. These gentle herbivores can live 60 years or longer. The cost of manatee-spotting trips varies but is around BZ$150 per person. Under Belize government guidelines, you're not permitted to feed manatees, to swim with them, or to approach a manatee with a calf.

More Sports and Outdoors

• Bird-Watching
• Canoeing and Kayaking
• Caving
• Distances
• Diving

• Hiking
• Horseback Riding
• Manatee-Watching Tours
• Snorkeling
• Windsurfing