O n July 24 2008, around 10 in the morning while standing by the Blue Hole Area I heard a small noise as if though a cohune branch was falling. I looked around quickly but the cohunes near by seemed intact. Then I heard soft murmuring as if people were walking the trail, but I knew nobody was inside the park so I decided to check it out.  I stood by an allspice tree and was checking out  the Dusky Ant Bird Trail to see if  someone was coming from the visitor center, but there was no one.  Then all of a sudden I heard a noise right above me.  I looked up and saw something black moving on the branches above. To my surprise it was a howler monkey!  It was going towards the changing rooms, so I followed it.  

Then it stopped by a Cecropia Tree (Trumpet tree) behind the bathrooms and started chewing on the young leaves.   As i was observing the monkey having breakfast some tourists arrived. The monkey heard the noise from the car then it jumped from tree to tree into the thick forest where I couldn’t see it. The tourists carried on to the blue hole to take a swim, as they were coming down the steps they saw another monkey on the cojotone tree. 

“The Howler Monkey is so named becuase you can hear the roaring in the early mornings and late afternoons. Howlers are herbivores (eat plants only) they eat flowers, tender leaves and fruits.”

After a while I began searching for the monkey again.  I found him eating cocoa leaves by the Hummingbird Loop, this time he was not alone, he or she was with a friend! They both continued enjoying the fresh cocoa leaves. I felt so proud working at St. Herman’s Blue Hole National Park helping to protect the home of these beautiful creatures so you and I can enjoy!

 P.S In total there were three howler monkeys that day I took some pictures with my cellphone and examined it carfully. As I had guessed it, there was 1 male and 2 females.   

Howler Monkey Facts

Black Howler Monkey- Alouatta pigra  is also known as Baboon in Creole and Zaraguate in Spanish.   The Howler Monkey is so named becuase you can hear the roaring in the early mornings and late afternoons.  Howlers are herbivores (eat plants only) they eat flowers, tender leaves and fruits.

The warmth of the sun incubates the eggs and in about two months time, tiny baby turtles will emerge from their shells, collectively scrape their way to the surface, and dash to the sea. Did you know that sex determination in hatchlings is temperature dependent? Once the females reach maturity they will return to the same beach every 2-3 years to lay eggs. Their journey from foraging to nesting grounds may be more than 1,000 miles. Male turtles will spend their entire lives at sea.

If you don’t want to miss the baby sea turtles’ first steps into this world, plan your visit to Half Moon Caye Natural Monument in September. Contact the Belize Audubon Society for information about camping on Half Moon Caye.

Protecting turtle nesting habitat is important because female turtles faithfully return to the same beach where they hatched.