Saint Herman's Blue Hole
National Park
Location: Cayo District
Map
Area: 500 acres (2 sq km)
Open: 8am-4:30pm
Entrance Fee: BZ $10
Description of Blue Hole National Park
Saint Herman's Blue Hole National Park is a nature preserve situated
South- East of Belmopan in Cayo District of Belize. Saint Herman's
Blue Hole National Park is a fairly small preserve covers an area of
500 acres of 2 sq km and it is managed by Belize Audubon Society. It
is named after a pool hidden in the jungles. Its water usual blue
color gave its name along with the whole park. Saint Herman's Blue
Hole was formed after collapse of underground passages thus forming
a water filled cenote that measures 350 feet across and about 50
feet deep. You are allowed to swim here, but take in consideration
that the water is fairly cool.
Additionally there are two
cave systems those entrance are enclosed by the boundaries of Saint
Herman's Blue Hole National Park. One is called Saint Herman's and
the other Crystal underground system. It is one of the caves in the
country that doesn't require guide assistance unless you want to
venture deeper in the underground chambers that were used by the
Mayans for their sacrificial ceremonies. Most of the time it was
pottery with various foods that were "sacrificed" by making a hole
in vases and amphora. In dire conditions natives resorted to more
gruesome acts that involved murder of humans to appease many gods of
the underworld. Their calcified remains are still visible in the
underground chambers of these expansive cave systems. Both are of
natural origin formed by geological processes.
Additionally
there are over 200 species of birds that are frequent in the area of
Saint Herman's Blue Hole National Park. Sometimes hikers met several
species of wild cats that include jaguars, ocelots and jaguarundi.
If you don't want a sudden encounter with any of these animals
travel in groups or bring something that makes metallic sound. It
will scare all the wild life away.
The park's blue holes contain various unique
cavefish and invertebrates. The park also contains thousands of
acres of pine forest, which provide habitat for birds such as the
Bahama oriole, great lizard cuckoo, western spindalis, red-legged
thrush, black-faced grassquit and Cuban emerald.