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(Stop 20 of 21)
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LAUGHING BIRD CAYE NATIONAL PARK (Stop 20 of 21) |
| Laughing Bird Caye is located only 11 miles off the coast of Placencia Village in the Stann Creek District. The Caye is located within what is called a "faro". A "faro" is an angular atoll on a continental shelf, also called a shelf atoll. Similar to an atoll like Glover's Reef, a faro is steep sided and encloses a central lagoon. | ||
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| The faro is separated from the mainland and the barrier reef by deep channels. The faro upon which Laughing Bird Caye sits occupies an area of 12,125 acres. The name of the caye comes from the Laughing Gull, a bird which once inhabited it in large numbers. But with the advent of ecotourism and increased visitation , the shy gull has moved elsewhere in the Belize coastal zone. | |||
| The abundance and variety of corals is the key attraction of Laughing Bird Caye. The Laughing Bird Caye reefs can be divided into three distinct groups - the outer rim, the intra-lagoons, and the inner flank. Each of these can be characterized by distinct coral habitats. |
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| The outer rim of the Laughing Bird Caye faro can be characteriszed by luxuriant coral growth. The staghorn corals form masses of interlocking thickets. Some of the elkhorn coral found on the outer rim form some of the largest colonies found anywhere in Belize. Fish life is abundant there, including large grouper and schools of snappers. The inner flank is by comparison less rich and diverse and is dominated by soft corals. | |||
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The intra-lagoons of Laughing Bird Caye are completely enclosed. The depth of these lagoons average about 15 feet. The bottom of the lagoon consists of silt, mud and seagrass. These seagrass habitats are massive feeding grounds for many different species of fish during the night. The seagrass blades themselves also form a rich substrate for many different species of algae. | ||
| A very distinctive feature of the Laughing Bird Caye faro is the inner patch reefs and coral ridges. These reefs consist of both hard and soft coral, and the diversity of corals is generally very high. In the shallower water live branching and ribbon like corals, while in the deeper waters the coral morphology transform into the platy and brain corals. | |||
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| The Caye and the surrounding area are under increasing pressure from tourists and fishermen. Large cruise ships are beginning to visit the caye to snorkel in the rich waters surrounding it. Fortunately, the local population has taken steps to help control use of the park. Mooring bouys and channel markers are in place. An education program to teach visitors how to experience the uniqueness of the site without destroying it is currently in place through the different resorts which utilize the caye. | ||
 
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