Day 8: We need to talk about: the ATM Cave and Belize Zoo

5/21/19: Today, we left Las Cuevas and said goodbye to Rafael, the station manager, and the other LCRS staff. If I am being honest here, waving goodbye to them was really sad because they were so nice and accommodating the whole trip. However, the feeling of sadness soon left when we arrived at the ATM cave. I have to say this was one of the best experiences of my life.

Not only was it amazing seeing a cave of its magnitude in person from the outside, but also being able to swim and explore the cave firsthand was incredible. I felt like I was basically Indiana Jones crawling through those cave walls. I have never done anything like that, and I recommend if you ever come to Belize, make sure to schedule a tour of the ATM cave. It is a once in a lifetime experience.

One of the zookeepers from the Belize Zoo feeding the Tapir

Next, we went to Belize Zoo and it was one of the coolest and, might I say, cutest experiences. The zoo prides itself on preserving Belizean native animals (how awesome is that!). They also have so many funny signs around the zoo describing the animals; you can tell they put a lot of time into it. We saw a boa constrictor, tapir, puma, jaguar, margay, barn owls, pygmy owls, Morelet’s crocodile, and a gibunt. I even petted the tapir and held a boa constrictor! We were not able to see most of these animals at LCRS, so I am so happy we were able to see them before we left. I am starting to feel like a piece of me belongs to Belize. Next time you hear from me, I’ll be at Glover’s Reef.

Holding a Boa constrictor at the Belize Zoo (one of the best moments of the trip)

Wish me luck!

-Bella

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