St. Herman's Blue Hole National Park

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St. Herman's Blue Hole National Park is a Belizean national park located near Belmopan, Belize's capital, in the Cayo District, just off the Hummingbird Highway. It covers more than 500 acres (about 2 square kilometers) and features two cave systems, St. Hermans and Crystal, several nature trails, and the cool jungle pool that gives the park its name. The Belize Audubon Society manages the park. This inland blue hole should not be confused with the offshore Great Blue Hole in Belize. Belize bought the land in the 1960s and 1970s, and it was declared a national park on November 23, 1986. It was originally called Blue Hole National Park, but was renamed in 2005 to avoid confusion with Blue Hole National Monument. The park hosts over 200 bird species, including slaty antwren, piratic flycatcher, and red-legged honeycreeper, with local specialties like tody motmot and northern nightingale-wren. Mammals such as ocelot, jaguarundi, and jaguar have also been recorded in the park.