Monkey Bay Wildlife Sanctuary

Monkey Bay is a not-for-profit education and training center established in 1990. Our mission is to provide academic, experiential learning, and service programs while serving as a model of conservation land Stewardship in Belize. Our main campus is situated within a 1060-acre sanctuary managed for wildlife protection, functioning as a biological corridor linking northern and central Belize protected areas. Two satellite campus locations include Mountain Pine Ridge and South Water Caye Marine Reserve at Tobacco Caye. Monkey Bay offers the full range of study abroad program services. Students and teachers are attracted to our experiential learning and academic study programs, as well as cultural exchange and service learning opportunities with local partners. Maya Mountain Campus: An hour’s drive from San Ignacio Town, Maya Mountain Headwater Field Station is tucked away within an enclave of private land within the uninhabited 106,000-acre Mountain Pine Ridge (MPR) Forest Reserve. The MPR is the headwater region for multiple watersheds and a richly diverse location for upland and headwater ecology studies. The underlying geological formations of granite bedrock and overlying limestone deposits of the Maya Mountains form the oldest landmass in Central America, covered by Caribbean Pine forest. Along with the many nature trails and remarkable destinations of natural history interest, the waterfalls, steep-gradient first and second order streams, cascades and pools over smooth granite make this a bird watching, rock-hopping, hikers and swimmers paradise. Tobacco Caye Marine Station: Tobacco Caye is one of the few islands that are situated directly on the Belize Barrier Reef. This makes Tobacco Caye an ideal location for study and research of the marine environment, as access to the reef and its associated habitats are easily accessible from the shore of the island with more diverse habitats a short boat ride away.