Belize has a wonderful variety of native birds, mammals, sea creatures and reptiles. One of the best-known residents of the Belize Barrier Reef is the octopus, which some call the “brains of the sea.” Learn more about this crafty creature.

Introducing the Octopus

The word octopus comes from a Greek word meaning “eight feet,” and it refers to the animal’s eight legs. The plural of octopus is octopuses.

Did you know there are more than 300 species of octopus? Most octopi live in coral reefs, which is why the huge, protected reef in Belize is a favorite haunt of these beasts.

The Smarty Pants of the Sea

Octopuses are extremely intelligent. Researchers have documented them showing complex problem-solving skills, outstanding memories and complex social structures. Biologists have even seen them using tools. Only chimpanzees, crows and dolphins show the same ability to solve problems and use tools.

In 2009, a marine biologist in Australia discovered an octopus that was using old coconut shells as a mobile home. The octoopus carried the shells across the floor of the sea and used them when he needed shelter.

Because of their brainpower, octopuses are considered the most intelligent of all invertebrates. You could call them the brains of the barrier reef or the smarty pants of the sea.

They Can Suffer From Stress and Depression

People have discovered that octopuses in captivity can easily become bored if they’re not kept in the right environment. This is probably because of their superior intelligence. If an octopus doesn’t have stimulating, colorful surroundings, he’ll respond by eating his own legs.

It’s a good thing the waters of Belize have enough colorful fish, coral and other sea life to keep every octopus entertained.

They Enjoy Shellfish

Octopuses get plenty to eat among the mollusks, crabs, lobsters and other fish that populate Belize’s warm tropical waters. When an octopus is hungry, she waves the tip of one leg to make it look like a worm. When a fish bites the worm, the octopus squeezes the fish and injects it with a deadly venom.

Octopuses are harmless to us. Only the blue-ringed octopus, which lives in Australia, has venom that’s poisonous to humans.

They Have Strong Family Values

Octopuses mate for life. Female octopuses give birth to thousands of eggs during their yearly mating season. Many females die after giving birth. When this happens, the males do not mate again.

Visit the Belize Barrier Reef While You’re at Chabil Mar

If you want to see all of Belize’s exotic, intriguing sea creatures, stay at Chabil Mar in Placencia Belize . Our award winning Belize resort is on the gorgeous beachfront of Placencia Village. Contact us today to learn more about Belize!

If you long to breathe fresh air and get close to nature, start planning your trip to Belize. This small country gives you many big reasons to spend time outdoors.

Belize Recognizes the Importance of Conservation

Belize has taken conservation seriously. About 40% of the country is in a nature preserve, marine reserve, national park or wildlife sanctuary.

This has paid off in several ways. Sustainable farming and fishing have allowed these trades to flourish without depleting the land or water. Belize’s first marine reserve, Hol Chan, began as a community effort to preserve fishing stocks around the Belize Barrier Reef.

It’s a Magnet for Eco-Tourism

The emphasis on conservation has made Belize a magnet for eco-tourism, which is the biggest travel trend. People interested in sustainable tourism and agricultural tourism find Belize the perfect destination.

Belizeans are proud of the beauty of their country. They recognize the importance of its delicate land and marine ecosystems. When you visit Belize, show the same respect by using sustainable practices, wearing reef-safe sunscreen and using eco-friendly bug spray.

Belize Is a Birder’s Paradise

Birders have long known that Belize is the perfect place to spot rare, colorful birds. There are over 600 bird species in Belize. With a diverse mix of ecosystems, you can spot every type of bird here.

Tropical birds include the keel-billed toucan, Belize’s national bird, and scarlet macaws, who have safe nesting sites in Belize. Birders have spotted hundreds of hummingbird species all over Belize. Belize has created safe havens for birds that are endangered elsewhere, including the red-footed booby, jabiru stork and golden-cheeked warbler.

Belize has shorebirds, raptors, owls, fish-eating birds, cuckoos, pigeons, geese, doves and dozens of hummingbird species.

Marine Life and Mammals

Belize is home to Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, the world’s first jaguar preserve. A community monkey sanctuary helps preserve its impressive howler monkeys. Another community effort helps preserve iguanas.

It’s also home to unusual mammals like the mountain tapir, Belize’s national animal, the gibnut and the coatimundi. Fish, sea turtles, manatees and sharks are abundant in Belize’s pristine waters.

Get Away From It All In Belize

If you want a magical destination where you can see rare, colorful animals in an unspoiled natural setting, head for Belize. Walk on the beach. Hike up an ancient Maya temple. Spot jaguar tracks while you’re hiking. You can do all that and more in this wonderful country.

Visit our website chabilmarvillas.com for more information on Belize and don’t hesitate to send us an email, or call US/CAN Toll Free: 1-866-417-2377, Local: (011-501) 523-3606, if you have questions or need help in planning a Belize Vacation.

When you consider what you want in a family vacation, your list probably includes lots of fun outdoor activities, opportunities to see animals, great food and a relaxed, family-friendly atmosphere. You can get all that and more when you choose Placencia, Belize, as your tropical family vacation spot.

Where Is Placencia?

When Belizeans talk about Placencia, they’re referring to the 18-mile coastline of the Placencia Peninsula. Belizeans have long known that Placencia has Belize’s most beautiful beaches. These include the quiet, secluded stretches of Maya Beach in the north, the sleepy fishing village of Seine Bight and the beaches of Placencia Village in the south.

Placencia Village is the main hub of the peninsula. It’s a laid-back, colorful village where you’ll find shopping, dining, nightclubs, adventure outfitters art galleries, and world-class luxury resorts like Chabil Mar.

Things to Do in Placencia

In addition to the wonderful beaches, Placencia has family-friendly outings that all ages will enjoy.

Get On the Water

Belize offers world-class snorkeling, scuba diving and sea kayaking in the waters around the Belize Barrier Reef. Placencia is a short boat trip across the water to the reef or the many uninhabited islands. Spend a day surrounded by an amazing array of fish and sea mammals including sea turtles, whale sharks, stingrays, and manatees.

If you like fishing or want to charter a boat to tour the islands, you can find many great charter services with experienced guides. Take a scenic daytime tour under the tropical sun or a romantic evening cruise.

Get Close to Nature

As a largely untouched expanse of jungle, rainforest and savannah, Belize has rich biodiversity and an abundance of exotic flora and fauna. Almost half the country is protected by a national park, marine reserve or wildlife sanctuary.

Placencia is close to the Cockscomb Basin Wildlife Sanctuary, a spectacularly scenic jaguar preserve that is home to jaguars, ocelots, coatimundi, tropical birds, monkeys, deer, foxes and Belize’s national animal, the mountain tapir.

If you’re into bird watching, Belize will fill your days with sightings. Belize is a nesting and breeding sanctuary for dozens of tropical bird species including scarlet macaws, hummingbirds, herons, and keel-billed toucans.

Learn About History and Culture

For a small country, Belize enjoys incredible cultural diversity.

Spend a day at Hopkins or Dangriga to discover the history of the Garifuna. Take a cooking class or a class in drumming to experience their traditions first-hand.

Visit a Maya village to tour a cacao plantation where you’ll watch how cacao beans are harvested, roasted and processed into world-renowned Maya chocolate.

Belize boasts some of the most important Maya ruins and temples in Central America. Visiting these impressive remnants of a once powerful empire is like a living history lesson.

Stay at the Family-Friendly Chabil Mar Resort

If you want a great Placencia location and all-inclusive family vacation packages, stay at the award-winning, family-friendly Chabil Mar Resort. Our beachfront location and top-ranked tours will help your whole family experience the wonders of Belize.

Belize is home to a unique landmark known as the Great Blue Hole. This place, with its rather on-the-nose name, is an underwater sinkhole that delves 125 meters into the earth. What’s more, this place has been a go-to spot for anyone looking to snorkel or dive for quite some time.

Back in the winter of 2018, one crew from Aquatica Submarines began a descent to the bottom. Their goal was to generate a 3D map of the interior, making sure to enjoy whatever amazing visuals they would run into. While the trip began with plenty of encounters with reed sharks, turtles, and giant branches of coral, things change 90 meters in. It seems that there is an entire layer of hydrogen sulfide around 90 meters, making it an incredibly hostile “force field” for marine life.

That layer of hydrogen sulfide means that the only signs of life the crew encountered were the remains of conchs and hermit crabs that had slipped beneath and suffocated from the oxygen-free zone. Another 30 meters deeper and stalactites begin to show up, giving a clue to the Great Blue Hole’s past. Stalactites are formed from water droplets that dibble down stone, meaning that the Great Blue hole was once a cavern.

See also: 10 Fascinating Facts About The Belize Blue Hole

An estimate of the cave’s lifespan pins its formation around some 14,000 years ago in the past. As sea levels rose, the cave flood and then collapsed, leaving the Great Blue Hole behind. This research has lead marine researchers to consider how other marine sinkholes, like those in the South China Sea and the Bahamas, have come into being. Further analysis of the area revealed a layer of silt over a graveyard of conchs.

Silt serves as a good assessment of when the various ecological phenomenon occurred, revealing that there was a great deal of storm activity around the time of the Maya collapse. Amazingly, the team also discovered a 2-liter soda bottle, a lost GoPro camera containing vacation shots, and two of three individuals known to have been lost within the Great Blue Hole. The remains were left where they were found.

If the Great Blue Hole has you eager to plumb its depths and see what dwells within, consider booking a stay with Chabil Mar. Not only is Chabil Mar a prestigious luxury resort in Placencia Belize, but it also offers excellent snorkeling and diving packages to locales like the Great Blue Hole and Glovers Reef Atoll.

For more information about Belize, feel free to chat with our Concierge at: concierge@chabilmarvillas.com or contact our Reservations Manager at: reservations@chabilmarvillas.com. Or perhaps you would like to call toll free from the US or Canada: 1-866-417-2377 or or WhatsApp us at +501-633-7547.