A Day at Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve on Ambergris Caye, Belize
Hi, this is William Narod from and I'm the Paradise Guy. Join me for a beautiful day of history, snorkeling, and hanging out on the beach. In this video, we circumnavigate beautiful Ambergris Caye and spend time in Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve. This is an amazing day trip that I highly recommend when you come to Belize. Tell them the Paradise Guy sent you and share this video with your friends. Enjoy and I will see you in Belize. Cheers!
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Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve, Ambergris Caye, Belize
Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reserve (BCNPMR) is a protected area and UNESCO World Heritage Site on the northern part of Ambergris Caye in Belize. An environmental impact assessment by the Belize Center for Environmental Studies found the Bacalar Chico region to have an unusually high biodiversity for a barrier island. The park exhibits a high degree of diversity of habitats, encompassing swamps, grasslands, and various tropical forest assemblages including a medium semi-deciduous forest and a rare littoral, or beach, forest, which elsewhere in Belize has diminished due to coastal development. BCNPMR's marine habitats include extensive tracts of mangrove and sea grass beds, patch and barrier reef, and the largest lagoon on the island of Ambergris caye, Laguna de Cantena. Improvements to the reserve are scheduled to commence soon. Management will have the resources for better public relations, information provision and enforcement capacity which should translate into less reserve violations.
A Proposed Margaritaville Resort in the Middle of Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve
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There is a new tourism development project on Ambergris Caye to be constructed within a marine reserve. Last week, Margaritaville Holdings, a global lifestyle brand announced its mega multimillion-dollar project on the north end of the island. While the opening is scheduled for 2020, Margaritaville Resort Belize is described as a condo resort located on the unspoiled northern end of the island and within the Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You heard right; smack within a reserve, which just recently was removed from the list of world heritage sites in danger. The release says, “overlooking the azure waters of the Caribbean, the resort will be comprised of seventy-one residences, two pools, signature Margaritaville food and beverage concepts and more.” The tourism project is that of singer, songwriter and best-selling author Jimmy Buffett. Today, the media asked Minister of Trade and Investment, Tracy Panton about the project and the implications.
Patrol Base at Bacalar Chico to Deter Cross Border Criminal Activities
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North Ambergris Caye has been an area well-known for illicit activities, from wet drops to murders and drug trafficking. Narco-traffickers, in particular, have been operating there with general ease in the movement of cocaine, other drugs and weapons. Today, the Ministry of National Security opened a patrol base at Bacalar Chico in northern Ambergris to assist in deterring criminal activity in the general area. The base, which was funded by the government at a cost of two hundred thousand dollars, is located a mile and a half from the Mexican border which is the corridor used to get drugs further north. News Five’s Hipolito Novelo reports.
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Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reserve
Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reserve
At the northern tip of Ambergris Caye, Bacalar Chico is part of the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System World Heritage Site, declared in 1996. The park is only accessible by a 90-minute tour-boat ride from San Pedro or Sarteneja in northern Belize, and boats usually make several snorkel stops along the way. Besides the bountiful fish and birdlife, there's a chance of seeing crocodiles and manatees, as well as green and loggerhead turtles.The coral is extra colorful around here, as there is significantly less damage from boats and tourists.The coral is extra colorful around here, as there is significantly less damage from boats and tourists.On the way up from San Pedro, boats might stop at Cayo Iguanu, better known as 'bird island,' as it is the nesting ground for the roseate spoonbill and the reddish-brown egret. After visiting the tip, boats motor through the ancient channel that was dug by seafaring Maya about 1500 years ago. Now the narrow channel separates Ambergris Caye from the Mexican mainland.If the waters are calm, boats go to Rocky Point, notable as one of the only places in the world where land meets reef.Visitors are required to check-in at the San Juan ranger station, at the northern tip of the island, where there is a nature trail and a small museum showcasing Mayan artefacts.In theory, the return trip is on the east side of the island, but this requires a quick detour outside the reef, so in rough seas the boats travel up and down the western side. Not all tour operators run trips to Bacalar Chico, due to the long travel distance, so plan ahead and inquire in advance about trips.
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For the latest news across Belize, visit:
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