Photo: Mayor Bernard Wagner and Hon. Kareem Musa cutting the ribbon

by Kristen Ku

BELIZE CITY, Mon. Feb. 5, 2024

Dolphin Park, a popular “chill spot” and Dolphin spotting area in West Landivar, Belize City, has officially been reopened to the public. The inauguration ceremony saw the attendance of local sponsors, residents, and government officials alike.

Hon. Kareem Musa, the Area Representative for Caribbean Shores, expressed his deep connection to the Dolphin Park project, which underwent extensive renovations due to significant beach erosion between 2015 and 2020.

“What we started off doing was to reclaim the area, because the water was all the way actually to the middle of the park. And so, there was a reclamation process that we had to start with first, and thereafter we had to put boulders in the sea to prevent further erosion,” Hon. Musa explained, detailing the 2-year journey that culminated in the revival of the park.

The renovation was funded partly through the Community Development Fund and the Belize City Council, and it involved the installation of new lights, repair and extension of the deck, a new Dolphin Park sign, palapas, pergolas, playsets, and a beach volleyball area.

This project falls under a broader initiative to revitalize public spaces throughout the city, including improvements to Lopez Mateos and Buttonwood Bay parks, and the refurbishing of Program Park, and the Police Station Park.

“It’s just a hugely rewarding feeling for me as Minister to pass here on a Sunday and see so many children having fun and playing volleyball and that sort of thing. And so, it has definitely been one of the focuses in my last three years — bringing back all the parks and ‘third spaces’ where people can recreate, come together, and have healthy discussions,” Minister Musa said.

Mayor of Belize City, His Worship Bernard Wagner discussed the severe damage from Hurricane Lisa and the subsequent efforts to counteract climate change’s impact.

“It was ravaged by Hurricane Lisa and we had severe erosion, and so we felt that we needed to do some major retrofitting to meet the impact of climate change. As you could see, some of the walls have been reinforced with boulders. We put in a little beach volleyball area there, where people in the Caribbean Shores and outside Caribbean Shores could come on a weekend and really play some volleyball, bring out the kids, have a safe space and really unwind,” he said.

Minister Musa is hoping that the park forms part of long-lasting memories, created by all residents of the city.