Back

Spot the elusive manatee

col01-wildlifecolombiaamazon-free-proexport

Spot the shy and endangered ‘sea cow’.

There are several places off the coast of Belize where you may have the good fortune of spotting the shy and elusive West Indian manatee.

In Placencia lagoon you can cruise slowly by motor boat looking for neat trails of sea grass, the tell-tale signs that manatees have been munching their way along the bottom of the lagoon. The boat heads stealthily to where the manatees congregate at the mouth of a freshwater creek. If you’re lucky you’ll also spot Morelet’s crocodiles or the bottle-nosed and Atlantic-spotted dolphins which frequent the lagoon. 

These comical creatures may even be spied off the coast at Hopkins village, where the winding Sitee river reaches the sea, 

Holidays Spot the elusive manatee

From expertly designed Private Journeys to trail-blazing Group Tours, browse our range of carefully crafted holidays.

Kayaking through Glovers Reef

Private Journeys

Belize

Active Belize: Jungle and reef adventure

11 days from £3,750pp

(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)

BEL_Caribbean_Beaches_Shutterstock_123061234

Private Journeys

Belize

Signature Belize: Rainforest, reef and ruins

12 days from £3,860pp

(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)

Infinity swimming pool with mountain backdrop

Private Journeys

Guatemala / Belize

Luxury Guatemala and Belize: Tikal and the Caribbean

15 days from £5,400pp

(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)

Papagaio

Your edit for Latin American inspiration

Our exciting range of articles on Latin America explore everything from iconic destinations and lesser-known cultural gems to delicious traditional recipes. You’ll also find exclusive travel tips, first-hand client reviews and the chance to get your personal questions answered by our travel experts.

View Extraordinary Inspiration
Bartolome, Galápagos

Meet our team

Real Latin american experts

  • Carrie
    Carrie Gallagher - Travel Expert

    A former JLA tour leader, Carrie brings a wealth of on-the-ground experience to our London-based Tailor-made and Group Tours department.

  • Mary
    Mary Anne Nelson - Travel Expert

    Born in the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, Mary’s insider knowledge and dry sense of humour make her a highly valued member of the Tailor-made Holidays and Group Tour sales team.

  • Paul Winrow Giffin
    Paul Winrow-Giffin - Travel Expert

    After graduating in Computer Science, Paul spent seven months travelling from Colombia to Argentina and came home hooked on Latin America.

  • Juliet
    Juliet Ellwood - Travel Expert

    After graduating with a degree in Anthropology and History and having been fascinated by Latin America since childhood by the book featuring photos of Nazca, Juliet first visited the region in 2003. Since then, Juliet has visited the majority of countries in Latin America but has particularly extensive experience with Peru, a country she loves for many reasons but not least, its incredible archaeological richness and delicious food!

  • Hannah
    Hannah Waterhouse - Travel Expert

    Hannah had an early introduction to Latin America when her family moved to Ecuador and she returned to study in Buenos Aires for a year before backpacking across the continent.

  • Hannah
    Hannah Donaldson - Travel Expert

    Having spent part of her childhood in Colombia and worked in Brazil and Costa Rica, Hannah's ties to Latin America run deep. Hannah is a much valued Travel Expert in our Tailor-made Holidays and Group Tours sales team.

0 1 2 3 4 5