Belize is teeming with wildlife and the remains of ancient Mayan cities. The two go particularly well together just up the New River from Orange Walk Town where the bird-rich Crab-Catcher Lagoon laps at the doorstep of the fascinating rocky remains of a major Mayan city.

Crab-Catcher Lagoon is 28 miles long and, at times, it feels more like a winding river with its many arms and channels–some of them dredged and created by the Mayans as a way to bring water to their city at Lamanai. It eventually opens up into a wide, deep lagoon and the entire waterway is favored by birds and crocodiles and the occasional thirsty jaguar which we never saw but we’re not bitter or anything.

Though we saw gorgeous birds nearly everywhere we looked, it was ants that lead us to our rarest sighting. During our early morning canoe trip we heard a ruckus in the underbrush and nosed in to investigate.

Then the earth began to move as swarms of army ants marched across everything in their path, oblivious to the rarely-spotted Yucatan jays (they’re the blue ones) which hopped around gorging on the insects. Check it out:

Lamanai Outpost Lodge, right on the banks of the lagoon, has an impressive location and an even more impressive roster of excursions for guests. All of the usual suspects are on offer (jungle medicine walks, bird-watching excursions, even a sunset cocktail cruise on their pontoon boat) but they also organize innovative tours like visits to members of a nearby Mennonite community, learning to cook like a Mayan with women in a nearby village, night time spear fishing or helping visiting researchers tag baby crocodiles. Really.

Night time is just as busy out on Crab-Catcher Lagoon with boat safaris using high-powered lights to spot the flashing eyes of crocodiles and the dozing outlines of birds.  It’s an odd sensation (a little creepy, like peeping) to watch birds which are usually flurries of activity during the day as they snooze like babies on tree limbs at night.

Strangely, at night the birds seemed to think they were invisible in the dark and they just sat there as we floated far closer to them than we could have during daylight.

And why don’t they fall off those limbs when they sleep?

Anyway, another great reason to stay at Lamanai Outpost Lodge is the opportunity to start your tour of the neighboring Lamanai Mayan Ruins (allow three hours at least) early in the morning so you can beat the heat and the boat loads of day trippers from cruise ships which start arriving and clogging up the place by mid day.

The Mayan city of Lamanai (which means submerged crocodile) is believed to have been settled as far back as the 16th century BC, yet most of it remained unexcavated until the 1970s. Now four distinct areas have at least been cleared and the massive temples, ball courts and other structures are fascinating and huge–large enough to actually give the feeling of distinct neighborhoods.

GLAD WE HAD

SureFire flashlights which helped us spot and approach dozens of birds in the Crab-Catcher Lagoon during our night safari.

Costa del Mar sunglasses which cut the glare and let us see more during hours of touring on Crab-Catcher Lagoon.

Canon 50mm f1.4 Lens which is tough enough to take out on a boat or canoe and fast enough to shoot the smallest and darkest subjects even at night.

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Related posts:

1. A Love Motel, Colossal Heads and a Brand New Pueblo Magico – Villahermosa, Tabasco, Mexico
2. Archaeological Index: Mayan (and other) Sites We’ve Visited
3. Ancient Mayans and Black Jaguars – Ek’ Balam Ruins, Yucatan State, Mexico
4. Muchos Mayans – Tulum & Cobá Ruins, Quintana Roo, Mexico