Laughing Bird Caye, is located within what is called a faro and lies 13 miles southeast of Placencia. The name of the caye comes from the Laughing Gull, a bird, which once inhabited it in large numbers, but with the advent of ecotourism and increased visitation, the shy gull has moved elsewhere in the Belize coastal zone.
A "faro" is an angular atoll on a continental shelf, also called a shelf atoll. Similar to an atoll like Glover's Reef, a faro is steep sided and encloses a central lagoon. The arms on each end make a kind of enclosure around a lagoon area on the leeward side. In this way, the island acts much like a mini-atoll. That’s good news for those wishing to dive the eastern side of the island. You’ll find a lot of elkhorn coral and fish life. Grunts, damselfish, parrot fish, houndfish, bonefish, and even rays and nurse sharks are to be found here.
The outer rim of the Laughing Bird Caye faro can be characterized by luxuriant coral growth. The staghorn corals form masses of interlocking thickets. Some of the elkhorn coral found on the outer rim form some of the largest colonies found anywhere in Belize. Fish life is abundant there, including large grouper and schools of snappers. The inner flank is by comparison less rich and diverse and is dominated by soft corals.
A very distinctive feature of the Laughing Bird Caye faro is the
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