"On approach, Laughing Bird Caye is breathtaking: anarrow island, lined with multiple palm trees, with a single thatch hutwhere a resident park ranger awaits to welcome and informvisitors. It's not so bad onceyou've arrived, either:brilliant white sand, iridescent turquoise water, pelicansoverhead. This 10,000-acre protected marine park is more than a sight for sore eyes: It offerssome of the best snorkeling in Belize , particularly on the leeward side of the island where large tropical critters thrive. Barracuda, nurse sharks, bonefish, and rays swim alongside smaller fish in colorful, healthy corals. Laughing Bird Caye, part of the Belize Barrier Reef and a designated World Heritage Site, is apopular snorkel day trip from Placencia Village, just 11 miles away."