The Caribbean Shrimp Company might be one of Belize’s best-kept secrets, but not for long! Located in Ladyville, just 20 minutes from Belize City and near the Philip Goldson International Airport on the Northern Highway, this 266-acre property offers a variety of activities, tours and delicious fresh shrimp served at their open-air restaurant perched above the surrounding shrimp ponds. With something for everybody, your visit can include a mangrove lagoon tour on their unique solar-powered boat. Explore the crocodile habitat they sponsor for the American Crocodile Education Sanctuary, where you’ll meet a few of the resident crocs. You can also learn more about their organic and holistic process of raising shrimp, enjoy watching the birds who are attracted to the shrimp ponds, swim and lounge at their new Lighthouse Bay saltwater pool or even engage your friends or family in some jungle paintball! The options are all yours, depending on how much time and energy you have, not to mention appetite!

Mangrove Maiden Boat Tour
New to the Caribbean Shrimp Company, it’s hard to say what’s cooler about this one-hour adventure; their customized solar powered Mangrove Maiden boat that silently carries you through a magical maze of mature mangrove stands, or the majestic mangrove trees themselves. Mangroves are a critical forest ecosystem and essential to protecting coastlines in tropical and subtropical regions. Not only do they safeguard land from storm surge and erosion, their ability to thrive in highly saline waters and soils serve as an important filtration system while providing vital habitat for juvenile fish and reptiles within the tangled network of their roots and a host of other ecosystems within their forest. Under the dense canopy of old-growth trees, we are surrounded by nature’s most beautiful artistry as we wind through the channel out to sea and back. Busy birds dart from tree to tree and we spot an Anhinga on a high branch. They are sometimes called snakebirds as when they swim their long neck is only visible above the water, looking like a snake. He doesn’t want to cooperate for a photo, but I do manage to capture his image, well camouflaged within his habitat. As we scour the twisted roots along the water’s edge, what first appears as part of the landscape focuses into baby crocodiles, perfectly blending in with their wild habitat while enjoying some sunshine. And yes, they are cute! The hour is a peaceful, beautiful excursion through a rare and wild landscape not often seen.

Meet the Resident Crocodiles
The Caribbean Shrimp Company has long partnered with the American Crocodile Education Sanctuary (ACES) in providing habitat space for captive crocodiles. For several reasons, these animals have been deemed problematic and dangerous, but instead of being euthanized, they now live in natural enclosures on the property. A tour introduces you to the work ACES does in protecting, rescuing and relocating problematic crocodiles and you’ll meet resident crocs and big boy George. A 16-foot croc relocated from Ambergris Caye; George lost his fear of man when locals fed him chicken as a tourist attraction. If George feels like eating while you are there his big teeth are impressive, to say the least!

Organic Shrimp Farm Tour
The Caribbean Shrimp Company is a second-generation family-owned business and the oldest continuously operated shrimp farm in the country. They are the only organic saltwater shrimp farm in Belize, channeling water directly from the Caribbean Sea through their ten shrimp ponds. Annually they produce 100,000 pounds of shrimp for local and export markets. During a walking tour of the farm, you will learn about their organic production and can even try your luck at using a cast net to catch your meal! It doesn’t get fresher than that!

Captain Hook’s Hideaway, Restaurant & Bar
This is the epicenter of the farm. The restaurant hosts a wrap-around deck on the second floor of their observation tower with views of the shrimp ponds and heavenly breezes. Here is where you are in for a culinary treat! The Vannamei shrimp they farm has a sweet taste, a firm structure, and pinks up beautifully when cooked.

Rich in protein, until you have tried it, you won’t believe how delicious fresh, organic shrimp can taste! We devour a huge plate of ceviche full of succulent shrimp and spiced to perfection. We order shrimp sautéed in garlic sauce and coconut shrimp fried crispy, and the ice-cold Belikin beers are the perfect complement to our meal. With each bite, we marvel at the amazing flavors! Their menu offers a wide variety of shrimp dishes, and I want to try them all! They do offer chicken and burgers for those who prefer something else. You can also purchase frozen shrimp in convenient one-pound bags in small, medium or large-sized shrimp to enjoy at home later.

\And there’s more! Swimming, birding, nature trails, horseback riding, RV camping, and even paintball!
There’s nothing more refreshing than taking a dip on a hot day! Another new feature on the property, their 40-foot saltwater pool is the perfect place to enjoy food, drinks, cool off and relax. There’s a special spray park area for the kids and their soon-to-be-completed new waterslide promises to be a blast.

The area is also popular with birders, especially when one of the shrimp ponds is routinely drained! Birds flock to the area to nab up a tasty free meal, and birders are there, armed with binoculars and cameras to inventory the influx. Anytime is a good one to enjoy these avian creatures who help themselves to the free-range shrimp, especially from the top of their five-story observation tower or from the comfort of a table at the restaurant while enjoying ceviche and beer. The property also hosts a network of nature trails where signage informs you of the foliage and Maya mounds in the area.

For those who’d rather let someone else do the walking, horseback riding can be arranged to explore miles of the coastline and their property. They also provide overnight parking spaces for RV travelers and if you are feeling adventurous, you can go full-on military and experience the largest paintball field in Belize! The place is perfect for a family fun day or whatever you fancy. For more information about the Caribbean Shrimp Company and their amenities, please visit their website at  www.caribbeanshrimp.net