Gales Point

Gales Point is a Creole village strung along a narrow peninsula in the Southern Lagoon, and it has two things that bring people: one of the highest concentrations of Antillean manatees in the Caribbean in the water around it, and a living drumming tradition, with drum makers and the Gales Point drumming school teaching the sambai and other Creole forms. Hawksbill turtles nest on the beach across the lagoon.

What you actually see

• The manatees - one of the region's densest populations, in the lagoon around the village.
• The drumming - Creole drum making and the sambai tradition taught in the village.
• The lagoon - shallow water and mangrove on both sides of the peninsula.
• The turtle beach - hawksbill nesting on the seaward side of the lagoon.

When to go

December to April is the dry season and the most comfortable. Manatees are present year round; calm mornings give the best chance. Turtle nesting runs through the summer.

Honest expectations

Manatees surface briefly and sightings are often just a nose and a swirl. Facilities are limited to homestays and a couple of simple lodges. The road in is rough and the boat is often easier.

Nearby

Dangriga is south, and the Coastal Highway runs west.