Scuba Diving in Belize Barrier Reef, Belize

Dive Site: Laughing Bird Caye National Park

Laughing Bird Caye National Park encompasses the 1.4 acre island of Laughingbird Caye and 10,119 acres of marine habitat including coral reef patches and an uncommon geological structure known as a faro.

Located approximately 12 miles off the beaches of Placencia in the Stann Creek District, the reserve was declared a protected area on 21 December, 1991 and is managed by the Placencia based community organization, Friends of Nature.

The caye is the southernmost island in the central lagoon of the Belize Barrier Reef. This long narrow isle stands on an elongated ridge of reef known as a faro. A faro is an angular atoll on a continental shelf, also known as a shelf atoll. Like an atoll, a faro is steep sided and encloses a central lagoon.

The Laughing Bird Faro is separated from the mainland, the barrier reef and other cayes by deep channels on all sides.
Although the Caye was named for the large number of laughing gulls that once inhabited it, the birds have virtually abandoned their rookery due to excessive human encroachment, however there are ongoing efforts to minimize their disruption and encourage their return to the island.

Courtesy of Belize Tourism Board

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