Gra Gra Lagoon National Park is located near the coast just below the seaside town of Dangriga, the capital of the Stann Creek District. In Belize, national parks are areas designed for the protection and preservation of natural and aesthetic features of national significance for the people. Therefore, these are areas of recreation and tourism, as well as environmental protection. They are administered by the Forest Department and managed through partnership agreements with community-based non-governmental organizations.

Gra Gra Lagoon National Park Covers 1,200 Hectares

The park was established back in 2002 and covers almost 1,200 hectares. The very shallow brackish lagoon of 300 meters is the centerpiece of the park but the protected area also includes the greater part of the surrounding mangrove system, excepting that on the seaward shore. The mangrove grades into swamp forest and lowland forest on the inland side. These are patches of tall herbaceous swamp behind the beach-crest close and entering the park boundary and large areas of freshwater reed swamps in the forested swamplands.

Gra Gra Lagoon was established as National Park under the National Parks System Act of 1981. The classification of ‘National Park’; indicates that the area is declared for the protection and preservation of natural and scenic values of national significance for the enjoyment and benefit of the general public. As such, Gra Gra National Park conforms to IUCN Category II. Based on the National Park Systems Act, allowed activities in the national park are research, tourism and education. As a national park, statutory responsibility for site management lies with the Forest Department. Day-to-day administration has, however, been devolved through a formal co-management agreement to Friends of Gra Gra, a local community group.

Friends Of Gra Gra Works To Preserve The Park

The Friends of Gra Gra has been active since the late 1990s. It was established as a membership organization with the objectives of conserving and managing local natural resources, preserving the biodiversity of Gra Gra and its environment, and involvement in environmental action in general. The declaration of Gra Gra lagoon as a national park was a key aim, successfully achieved largely because of the advocacy of the Friends of Gra Gra.

In the Gra Gra Lagoon National Park, the dominant flora is mangrove consisting of all three species: red mangrove (Rhizophora mangle), black mangrove (Avicennia germinans), and white mangrove (Laguncularia racemosa). Apart from their dominance, these species represent the principal conservation feature of the park. A very dominant associate of the mangrove is the white flowering mangrove vine (Rhabdadenia biflora). It is important to note that mangrove as an ecosystem was identified as a conservation target within the National Protected Areas Policy and Systems Plan Analysis.

Gra Gra Lagoon Offers Canoe Tours

Friends of Gra Gra are hoping to increase the economic value of the lagoon by developing tourism activities. One of the activities they have organized includes guided canoe tours. This gives visitors a glimpse of the life in the lagoon, along with the animals and plants that thrive in it, making this a great activity for those who enjoy and study wildlife. Contact your tour company for more information about these Gra Gra Lagoon National Park tours.