KnowKi

Learn the wildlife of marine protected areas

Learn the wildlife of the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System

Belize

842 species have research-grade observations in the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System on iNaturalist. KnowKi turns the most recorded into short lessons with real photos, from fish and seabirds to the life along the shore.

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Āki the kiwi, KnowKi's guide

Most recorded here

The species with the most research-grade observations on iNaturalist, and how many each has. Most recorded doesn't mean native.

Birds

  1. Magnificent Frigatebird Fregata magnificens291
  2. Brown Pelican Pelecanus occidentalis175
  3. Red-footed Booby Sula sula111
  4. Ruddy Turnstone Arenaria interpres110
  5. Osprey Pandion haliaetus82
  6. Green Heron Butorides virescens63
  7. Great-tailed Grackle Quiscalus mexicanus63
  8. Yellow-crowned Night Heron Nyctanassa violacea43
  9. Double-crested Cormorant Nannopterum auritum41
  10. Brown Booby Sula leucogaster34

Plants

  1. Sea grape Coccoloba uvifera60
  2. Coconut palm Cocos nucifera47
  3. Noni Morinda citrifolia39
  4. Scarlet Cordia Cordia sebestena38
  5. Red mangrove Rhizophora mangle28
  6. Green Buttonwood Conocarpus erectus23
  7. Sea lavender Tournefortia gnaphalodes21
  8. Beach Spider Lily Hymenocallis littoralis20
  9. Sea Almond Terminalia catappa18
  10. Turtle Grass Thalassia testudinum17

Mammals

  1. Common Bottlenose Dolphin Tursiops truncatus12
  2. West Indian Manatee Trichechus manatus5
  3. Black Rat Rattus rattus3
  4. White-nosed Coati Nasua narica2
  5. Domestic Dog Canis familiaris2

Insects

  1. Black Witch Ascalapha odorata7
  2. American Cockroach Periplaneta americana5
  3. Ornate Bella Moth Utetheisa ornatrix4
  4. Shore Earwig Labidura riparia4
  5. Sea Grape Sawfly Sericoceros mexicanus4
  6. Stictia signata3
  7. Tailed Cecropian Historis acheronta3
  8. Cactus Lady Beetle Chilocorus cacti3
  9. Monarch Danaus plexippus2
  10. Roseate Skimmer Orthemis ferruginea2

Reptiles

  1. Black Spiny-tailed Iguana Ctenosaura similis113
  2. Brown Anole Anolis sagrei93
  3. Green Iguana Iguana iguana29
  4. Allison's Anole Anolis allisoni25
  5. Belize Leaf-toed Gecko Phyllodactylus insularis17
  6. Saint George Island Gecko Aristelliger georgeensis13
  7. Loggerhead Sea Turtle Caretta caretta12
  8. Hawksbill Sea Turtle Eretmochelys imbricata11
  9. Asian House Gecko Hemidactylus frenatus8
  10. Green Sea Turtle Chelonia mydas5

Fish

  1. Stoplight Parrotfish Sparisoma viride225
  2. Atlantic Blue Tang Acanthurus coeruleus193
  3. Caribbean Bluehead Wrasse Thalassoma bifasciatum173
  4. Striped Parrotfish Scarus iseri130
  5. Great Barracuda Sphyraena barracuda126
  6. Atlantic Sergeant Major Abudefduf saxatilis126
  7. French Grunt Haemulon flavolineatum124
  8. French Angelfish Pomacanthus paru115
  9. Grey Angelfish Pomacanthus arcuatus104
  10. Bluestriped Grunt Haemulon sciurus103

Mollusks

  1. Queen Conch Aliger gigas81
  2. Caribbean Reef Squid Sepioteuthis sepioidea52
  3. Flamingo Tongue Snail Cyphoma gibbosum47
  4. Lettuce Sea Slug Elysia crispata38
  5. Caribbean Reef Octopus Octopus briareus32
  6. West Indian Top Shell Cittarium pica28
  7. Stocky Cerith Cerithium litteratum19
  8. Spotted seahare Aplysia dactylomela17
  9. Four-toothed Nerite Nerita versicolor16
  10. West Indian Fuzzy Chiton Acanthopleura granulata14

How a trip works

A trip has its own trail of lessons: meet six species, match them to new photos, then practice with four choices. Species you learn go into your Fieldbook, and starting a trip earns its Passport stamp. Your home place stays as it is.

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Species lists and counts from research-grade observations on iNaturalist, as of October 2026. KnowKi is not affiliated with NOAA or any area's managers. Free, with no ads, no account and no purchases.