ACES Wildlife Rescue: A GREAT New Daily Tour & Wildly Impressive Organization

ACES Wildlife Rescue: Something Special on the North End Of San Pedro

When you visit Ambergris Caye, Belize, you might think that all the “really cool wildlife” is in the water and along the barrier reef, but that’s not true.

My 8 Favorite Creatures In The Water and Some Cool Wildlife I’ve Seen in my 19 years on Ambergris Caye

This island has some incredible animals that you may not see on your first trip, and might never see even if you live here. But they are incredibly special and so worth protecting.

Which is exactly why it’s so great to have this new fun, educational, family-friendly tour that brings you close to some of them and introduces you to some of the passionate folks who are working around the clock to keep them safe.

ACES Wildlife Rescue has been doing extraordinary work on Ambergris Caye since 2010, rescuing, rehabilitating, and advocating for the wildlife that calls this island home. Their rescue sanctuary sits on 2.5 acres on the north side. The property was mostly closed to visitors for years – but the new crew is running regular tours…and it’s SUCH A GREAT ADDITION TO THEIR PROGRAM!

The land itself has very deep island roots. It was purchased in the late 1950s by the father of Nurse Natalie Palen – a beloved San Pedro figure who delivered generations of babies on this island. A portion of the original family holding now encompasses what we know as ACES.

Side track note: Island lore has it that Nurse Natalie’s father inspired the Paul Theroux novel that became the Harrison Ford film, The Mosquito Coast. I don’t know that for sure but I do know that parts of the movie were indeed filmed on Ambergris Caye in 1986…

It was on this land that Nurse Natalie’s grandson, Chris Summers, built what would become ACES Wildlife Rescue. Originally founded as the American Crocodile Education Sanctuary, ACES expanded its mission in 2021 to cover all of the island’s wildlife — from tarantulas to jaguars. Chris dedicated his life to this work, and his unexpected and devastating passing in May 2024 nearly brought everything to a halt. That ACES is not only still standing but growing – with a brand new management team, two daily tours, new buildings and enclosures, and a growing mission – is a testament to the amazing work he did. I think he’d be very proud.

This newest chapter began in January 2026 with the arrival of Matt and Niamh, the sanctuary’s new on-site team. Matt, who hails from the UK, led our tour, and his background is very impressive: most recently in Borneo working with orangutans (wow), and sea turtle work in Malaysia and seal rehabilitation back home in the UK.

He’s also great at this job – speaks loudly and clearly and makes it very very interesting.

In just a few months, they’ve brought a ton to ACES – new projects on the property and trail cams off property. So we can view some of the insane wildlife in the remote north of Ambergris Caye – from the large, crowned Crested Guans (bird) to a jaguar sighting! (Check them all out on their Facebook page – a great follow for island and wildlife lovers)

ACES operates 24 hours a day, rescuing, rehabilitating, and releasing animals whenever possible. A few intakes, though, become permanent residents: animals that are blind, disabled, non-native, or have grown too accustomed to humans to safely return to the wild. (The blind green iguana, Webley, who is dark grey instead of green because his world is dark…breaks my heart every time! I’m so happy he has a safe home)

The American crocodiles are the big draw. There are only around 5,000 adults left in the wild worldwide! Compare that to the American alligator, whose population runs well over a million, and you start to understand just how rare and endangered these animals are.

They are surprisingly amazing animals…they have salt excreted glands on their tongues (so they can live in sea water, brackish water and fresh water), they are fierce protectors of their eggs and offspring, and they are some of the oldest creatures on earth (they date back waaay before the T-Rex) You will learn so much more on our tour.

So let’s get into it.

Tours are available every day of the week except Sunday. At either 11pm or 3pm. The gates to the ACES Property (located about 1 mile north of the bridge) open about 15 minutes before the tour starts. The admission price is a donation.

My tour ran about an hour and ten minutes – just enough time to learn a great deal without hitting information overload. (I went home and read a bunch more about our island’s crocodiles…I did not have enough respect for them! Only a few thousand left in all of Central and South America!?!)

It’s wonderful for anyone who loves animals and genuinely fun for kids. You’ll leave knowing things you didn’t know before, and feeling pretty good about this island and the people on it who are working to protect our wildlife.

There is no need to book – you can just show up 10 minutes early, drive in to the open gates and wait at the booth. To learn more, find them on Facebook. Even if you don’t plan on visiting them…or even the island anytime soon, the Facebook page is SO GOOD. I love watching them release animals after a broken bone or just some rest and relaxation…it’s what I need now in this crazy world!

Thank you so much ACES for everything you do!