In the Yucatan Mayan parlance, Lamanai means "submerged crocodile". Lamanai is also the site of one of the first discovered Mayan ruins. Coincidentally, on a river trip to see the Lamanai ruins, we passed by a baby crocodile hiding under a bed of leaves in the water.
Also known as the Jesus Christ Lizard for its ability to skim over water, they are common in central Belize. I found this lizard sunning on a cut down coconut tree trunk.
Male Green Iguana in Breeding Colors
A magnificent green iguana in its breeding colors rests on the bank of the New River in central Belize. These grow to over five feet which posed a problem for me to frame it standing on a rocky boat.
A black collared hawk scours the lake for potential food. These colorful hawks are usually found close to water and prey mainly on fish.
This great black hawk landed a few feet from our boat in the process of hunting. It was always a thrilling experience to have raptors land close by. In this case, it was even more so as the bird was completely indifferent to our presence.
