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Spot the elusive manatee

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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 £3,580pp

(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)

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Private Journeys

Belize

Signature Belize: Rainforest, reef and ruins

12 days from £3,550pp

(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)

Infinity swimming pool with mountain backdrop

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Guatemala / Belize

Luxury Guatemala and Belize: Tikal and the Caribbean

15 days from £5,050pp

(based on two people sharing & excluding flights)

Papagaio

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  • Sallly
    Sally Dodge - Travel Expert

    A former Journey Latin America tour leader, Sally spent 7 years working, travelling and living throughout Latin America before returning to the UK to help people arrange their own adventures to this wonderful destination.

  • Chris
    Chris Rendell-Dunn - Travel Expert

    Anglo-Peruvian Chris grew up in Lima and spent much of his adult life in between London and Cusco as a tour leader, before settling permanently in our London-based Tailor-made and Group Tours sales team.

  • Ben
    Ben Line - Travel Expert

    Ben fell in love with Latin America on a six month backpacking trip from Colombia to Mexico in 1995. Since then he has explored most of South America, including living in Peru for a year. He is now Head of Sales.

  • 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.

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    Rosie Kay - Travel Expert

    During a career break, Rosie embarked on an unforgettable year-long backpacking trip across Latin America. Now back in the UK, she is excited to share her knowledge and experiences with others, helping them discover her favourite place in the world.

  • 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.

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