Belize Barrier Reef

The coastal area of Belize is an outstanding natural system consisting of the largest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere, offshore atolls, several hundred sand cays, mangrove forests, coastal lagoons and estuaries. The system’s seven sites illustrate the evolutionary history of reef development and are a significant habitat for threatened species, including marine turtles, manatees and the American marine crocodile.

The Belize Barrier Reef turned 10,000 years old on June 8, 2022, and Belize is celebrating the longevity of this natural wonder by pledging to continue preserving it for generations today and those to come. The second-largest barrier reef in the world, it extends the full length of our nation, forming an enormous lagoon along our coast and protecting our shores from large waves, even during extreme weather. This also creates an ideal habitat for a wide variety of oceanic creatures, from rock-like living coral to endangered sea turtles to over 500 species of fish in every color of the rainbow.

The Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System (BBRRS), inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996, is comprised of seven protected areas; Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reserve, Blue Hole Natural Monument, Half Moon Caye Natural Monument, South Water Caye Marine Reserve, Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve, Laughing Bird Caye National Park and Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve. The largest reef complex in the Atlantic-Caribbean region it represents the second largest reef system in the world. The seven protected areas that constitute the BBRRS comprise 12% of the entire Reef Complex.

For more information, visit UNESCO World Heritage Convention.