National Geographic Quest anchored east of the beautiful Kriol fishing village of Monkey River. These waters are the product of the Bladen and Swasey Branches converging to form what is one of Belize’s major river systems. This waterway saw human use as early as the Mayan settlements for routing trade, and it continues to see use to this day by the banana industry for transport. Habitats in this watershed provide cover for such diverse species as ocelots, jaguars, black howler monkeys, Morelet’s crocodile, manatees, and numerous avian species. As guests travelled down this river, they had little difficulty sighting many of these species comprising this pristine habitat.