Central America

Nature Reserves

Sapodilla Cayes, Belize Vacations and Luxury Travel Packages
 
To many in Belize, the Sapodilla Cayes are considered the most beautiful set of cayes in Belizean Waters. Until recently, very little scientific data on the biological composition of the Cayes was available. Fortunately, renewed interest by the Government of Belize in the protection of these beautiful cayes spurred several scientific studies in the region.

There is now a proposal to make the Sapodilla Cayes a Marine Reserve which will encompass the southern-most section of the Belize Barrier Reef. The proposed reserve covers an area of approximately 125 square kilometers and includes fourteen sand and mangrove Cayes.

The cayes make up approximately two percent of the reserve. The remaining 98% of the reserve consists mainly of shallow patch reefs, extensive spur and groove formations, and extensive seagrass beds and sand banks, all vital habitats of the central lagoon.

The main island of the group, Hunting Caye, has one of the most beautiful beaches in all of Belize. The beach rings the eastern edge of the island, partially encircling a shallow bay exposed to the full force of the Caribbean sea surf. This beach is also a main turtle nesting site in Belize.

The Sapodilla Pass, a half-mile wide opening between Ragged Caye and Lime Caye is the most heavily used access point to the reserve. But numerous other cuts to the north are used by both fishing and tourist boats.

The outer portion of the proposed reserve is characterized by shallow water reefs which occur as a fringe around the cayes.The depth of water over these fringing reefs is often less then 15 feet, and some of them are exposed at low tides. The drop off east of the island is gently sloping, in contrast to the near verticle walls at Southwater Caye and the atolls.

The outer reefs support a wide variety of fish. Often, large schools of jacks or spadefish will feed just off the gentle drop off. Nearer the bottom, angelfish, parrotfish and snappers begin to dominate. The waters are often spectacularly clear as water from the Caribbean washes over and through the reef cuts.

The lagoon area is characterized by silt, sand and shallow seagrass beds. Some of the most pristine reefs of lettuce coral carpet the ridges which jut into the lagoon from the barrier reef. As the depth increases, the lettuce coral gives way to more coral diversity, and more sponge and algae species.

Sapodilla Cayes from Hunting Caye Lighthouse

Commercial fishing and tourism have a major impact on this set of cayes. Fishermen harvest lobster and conch from the seagrass beds and the coral ridges. Upwards of 9,000 visitors per year, primarily from Guatemala and Honduras, enjoy the beauty of these cayes.

As they are a good 40 miles off the coast of Belize, the region is pristine and the Government of Belize is taking steps to ensure that the natural beauty of these cayes remain for future generations.

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