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(Stop 19 of 21)
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Go To Parks Map |
SOUTHWATER MARINE RESERVE (Stop 19 of 21) |
| The proposed Southwater Caye Marine Park contains many varied and important habitats. Located about 10 miles due east of the mouth of the Sittee River on the mainland of Belize, the proposed park covers approximately 62 square miles. | |||
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The proposed park runs from the drop off on the east side to extensive grass beds on the west side. The area encompasses 10 separate major mangrove cayes, two large mangrove ranges, a large twin caye formation, and many smaller islets. Most of the cayes are covered or fringed with mangrove, one of the most productive ecosystems in nature. | ||
| Along the northern boundary lies Man-O-War Caye, one of the seven crowned bird sanctuaries in Belize. The caye is covered with tall Red Mangrove. The interior is very wet and a dry coral sand beach exists on the southwest shore. But the most impressive thing about this caye is that it supports one of the ten largest colonies of frigate birds in the Caribbean. The island supports approximately 325 to 350 nesting birds. | |||
| Further south lies Carrie Bow Caye. This caye is one of the most important on the entire coastal zone. Since 1972, Carrie Bow Caye has been the site of the Smithsonian Institution's Marine Research Laboratory. Every aspect of the marine environment in Belize has been studied, from taxonomy of sponges to collection of chemicals for pharmaceutical purposes, to production of natural history films. This database is invaluable as a baseline of marine information for comparison purposes to other sites in the coastal zone. |
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| The lagoon of the area behind the reef crest is spotted with patch reefs. This is an area of lush coral growth in water from 15 to 40 feet deep. These patch reefs concentrate marine life in discrete patches while providing habitat for nearly all fish and invertebrates. | |||
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The area between Carrie Bow Caye and Wee Wee caye to the south is called the sand bores. These sand bores rise from the sea floor 30 to 40 feet below to break the surface at many locations. These pinnacles are another unique habitat for sooty terns which nest on the exposed bores. The deep areas between the bores are patrolled by predators such as barracuda and rays. | ||
| The outer reef has been extensively studied by the Smithsonian and displays many topographic structures. There are the typical spur and groove features, followed by a sand trough and then the outer reef crest. Sink holes and pinnacles, ridges and huge pillars, caves and sand troughs are all represented within a very small area. | |||
| The entire proposed Southwater Caye Park area is heavily utilized by both commercial fishermen and tourist operations. Roaming sailboats with 6 to 10 men on board continually travel the reef collecting fish, lobster and conch. Many tourist operations are active within the park boundaries offering diving, snorkeling and fishing. |
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| But as with Glover's Reef, the proposed Southwater Caye Marine Park is best known for the SCUBA diving. The drop off is a spectacular ridge running the entire length of the park. The longest unbroken stretch of the barrier reef lies within the park boundaries. And the areas among the mangrove cayes are some of the most biologically productive habitats in Belize. The proposed Southwater Caye Marine park would be another world class park protecting pristine marine habitat. | |||
 
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