Belize Barrier Reef, Turneffe Islands, Ambergriscaye, Lighthouse Reef and , Great Blue Hole, half moon caye

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Diving & Snorkelling

You don't have to Scuba dive to enjoyable the marine life of Belize. Just Snorkel. Belizean tropical waters cover some of the most spectacular diving in the Caribbean. We continually explore the largely unknown barrier reef and outer atolls for the finest diving sites in Belize. Below is a sample of what we and Belize have to offer. Click on the numbers on the map or use the text links to view pictures and a description of these selected dives.

Ambergriscaye

A fifteen minute fly away from the main land lies Ambergrise Caye. This tropical island is about twenty five miles long, about the size of Barbados is the regarded as one of the best destinations in the word. Here we list just a handfull of the recognised dive sites which draw divers from all over the world. Click for a list of dive site on Ambergris Caye Reef.

Laughing Bird Caye

Click for a list of dive site on Laughing Bird Caye.

Sapodilla Cayes

Click for a list of dive site on Sapodilla Caye.

Lighthouse Reef and Long Caye

Long Caye as it is known, is an island located within Lighthouse Reef Atoll. Along the island runs Long Caye wall with many dive sites such as Silver Caves, Long Caye Ridge. I have not specifically picked one site, as in my opinion any diving along this wall is absolutely FANTASTIC and the best you will ever do in the Caribbean. The sites are full of marine life and very colorful Lighthouse Reef is the farthest offshore. It is far from neglected, however, since dive boats from San Pedro visit the atoll regularly and the larger vessels are always found in the vicinity.

There are also six cayes. In the north, Sandbore Caye is one of the two cayes equipped with lighthouses occupied by a keeper and his family. Nearby is Northern Caye and these two cayes are known locally as Northern Two Cayes. On Northern Caye is one of the newest offshore diving resorts. Much of the caye has well-matured mangroves and there is an internal lagoon. The caye is noted for its saltwater crocodiles and snowy egrets.

Halfway down the west coast, there is a small caye called White Pelican Caye. The white pelican is not regarded as a species indigenous to Belize, so their being here is unusual. I first saw.a large flock of these splendid birds in 1988, and have heard that they frequently stop at this point when in transit. Further south, there is Long Caye, which is a veritable jungle and home for far too many mosquitoes for reasonable comfort. However, some of the best diving is found to the west of Long Caye. The nutrients are pushed westward by the prevailing winds and there are no lagoons of fresh or brackish water to destroy the reef. just below Long Caye is Hat Caye which is very small and inaccessible by boat.

The Great Blue Hole is a circular hole in the middle of Lighthouse Reef Atoll. About 1000 feet across and just a little over 400 feet deep. In it, the diver will find coral only at the very top, on the rim of the hole. The lack of sunlight prevents coral growth on the inclining walls of the hole. Lack of coral leads to few fish as well. At about 130 feet of depth, one can see huge stalagtites hanging off the overhang. Some of them more then 20 feet in length. Also at this depth several reef sharks and an occasional bull shark greet the divers. At certain days more than 20 of them chill out in the cool depth of the Blue Hole. These sharks have just recently named the hole their home and make for a very exciting dive.

The entire circumference of Lighthouse Reef comprises coral which breaks the surface, forming a natural barrier against the sea. The prevailing winds and waves are from the northeast and, therefore, the calmer water is found along the western coast. Very few people dive the eastern coast of Lighthouse Reef, yet it is quite splendid and often spectacular.

On the east, Saddle Reef stretches from Half Moon Caye to Harrier Wreck. Long Reef then continues as far as Northern Wreck. This entire reef crest is dominated by staghorn, elkhorn and giant brain coral with many other varieties also present. This is one of the most extensive stretches of healthy and abundant coral in Belize. Sloping down rapidly at first from the surface, the reef continues down to about 40 feet (12 m) at a less severe rate. Here there is an underwater ledge, up to a half mile (.8 km) wide in places. It is to this ledge that the fishermen come from Belize City. In their small teresita sailing craft with holds full of ice, they catch grouper and jewfish of tremendous proportions on hand-held lines. The ledge slopes very gradually until the top of the dropoff is reached between 120 and 140 feet (36 and 42 m). The vertical drop continues down to depths of over 2,600 feet (788 m).

This is one of the most unexplored stretches of coastline in Belize, as the conditions are usually unfavorable for diving. Northern Cut is one of only two substantial breaks in the reef. The underwater ledge is still very wide in this area and Nassau Point is another area where grouper like to spawn. Large Nassau grouper and rock hind are found all year round in the deeper waters, with countless snapper in the shallows. Lighthouse is the farthest atoll from shore and offers some of the best underwater visibility in Belize. Exquisite reef formations and walls beginning as shallow as 35 ft are draped with colorful sponges and corals that burst through the crystal clear water. The famous Blue Hole, a seemingly limitless turquoise lagoon in the middle of Lighthouse Reef, is a unique experience you won't want to miss. Some of the most spectacular wall dives exist on Lighthouse, including a series of shallow drop-offs on the ocean side of Half Moon Caye, where excellent opportunities exist for both land and water exploration.

Turneffe Islands

The Turneffe Islands make up the largest of the three offshore atoll reefs in Belize and also are the most accessible from the mainland. Unlike the other two-Glovers and Lighthouse-there are over 200 cayes within the reef which are covered with mangroves. These have created land, lagoons, creeks and expansive flats. There are a few routes through from one side to the other, but these should only be attempted by those who know the waters well.

Closest to Belize City and easily accessible, Turneffe features spectacular diving suitable for every level of diver. Along the western reef line north of the Elbow, novice divers can feel comfortable on shallow reefs, removed from the steep and deep walls so typical elsewhere. A varied terrain, wrecks and an abundance of marine life make the eastern reefs on Turneffe's southern end sensational for seasoned divers. Current and walls make the diving here challenging but great for finding large pelagics.

Turneffe is the largest of the three atolls and the only one with an extensive cover of mangroves. Most established dive sites are limited to the southern end, but there is enough here for several weeks of diving
The marine life at Turneffe Island makes the scuba an adventure like no other dive destination in the Caribbean. The vastness and variety of marine life and coral formations are truly unmatched.

With more than 200 mangrove islands, the atoll is a natural nursery for a wide variety of exotic fish, including the rare Whitespotted Toadfish, which is endemic to Belize. Other types of tropical marine life commonly viewed include eagle rays, playful dolphins, turtles, huge green morays, giant jewfish, nurse sharks, reef sharks, trunkfish, grouper, snapper, permit, and horse-eye jacks.

The Turneffe Atoll area stretches 30 miles long and 10 miles wide. It has often been described as a myriad of different dive destinations all bundled into one. Click here for larger version

Those divers who know the Turneffe Islands intimately will swear that the diving is far superior to anywhere else. Certainly the effects of the mangroves on the fish population make this atoll particularly interesting, but as to which is the best diving I really cannot say. The barrier reef and each of the three atolls all have their own unique features.

You don't have to be a fisherman or a diver to enjoy Turneffe Islands. For instance, there's excellent snorkeling along the nearby reefs for the advanced and beginner, for those who wish to experience many of the same thrills as the divers- Petting a nurse shark, exploring a sunken shipwreck, or playing with a school of dolphins. Every snorkeling trip is a new and different adventure!

Click for a list of dive site on the Turneffe Islands.

Glovers Reef

Named for pirate John Glover, Glover's Reef is the most southern of the three offshore reef systems and features some spectacular dive sites. Glover's distance from Belize City and Ambergris makes it a less frequently visited destination. Many of the islands in the southern part of Belize are virtually uncharted virgin territory, so southerly dive trips take a little more planning and creative organizing, but are well worth the effort. Those divers up for the adventure will find all the reefs along the atoll's southeastern limb feature dive sites abounding with shallow walls, fresh reefs and abundant pelagics. Click for a list of dive site on Glovers Reef.