Belize best Snorkeling & Diving spots
Tiny Belize’s mainland beckons with
lush jungle canopy, palm-tangled Mayan ruins, and diverse wildlife. Still, this
Central American jewel is best known for its snorkeling and diving sites along
hundreds of cayes, atolls and a 185-mile barrier reef – second in size only to
Australia’s. Abundant sea life and colorful corals fill the turquoise waters,
are easily accessible and welcome divers and snorkelers of all experience
levels. Dive tours generally last 2 hours or less, other tour options include
live-aboard dive boats, which offer week-long trips featuring 2 to 3 daily
dives. From the busy north of Belize to the sleepy south, here are our choices
for the best marine meanderings.
Hol Chan Marine Reserve and
Shark-Ray Alley
Hol Chan opens to deeper waters
beyond the reef, so divers and snorkelers will be greeted with an eruption of
vibrant fish, nurse sharks, rays, turtles and the occasional dolphin. The sharks and rays are the site’s biggest attraction, and you’re
guaranteed an adrenaline rush stroking the stippled hide of a nurse shark
streaking by (but never touch the corals). Night dives reveal a completely
different world of bioluminescence, glowing green moray eels and parrot fish
dozing in protective mucus cocoons.
Also tucked away in northern
waters, Caye Caulker is the relaxed cousin to tourist-prone Ambergris. Solid
snorkeling and dive sites like Coral Gardens are short boat rides away, as is a
manatee habitat. You’re not allowed to swim with these gentle mammals, but fear
not -- this popular day trip typically includes snorkeling stops like Goff’s
Caye and a visit to the waist-deep waters and wildlife at Shark Ray Village.
Your guide may even point out delicate seahorses entwined in the mangroves. Learn more about Caye Caulker here:
Turneffe is the largest of Belize’s
3 major offshore atoll reefs – (the next biggest are Glover’s and Lighthouse)
and is lauded for its varied features: shallow reefs, wrecks and perhaps
Belize’s most diverse sea life. More than 200 nearby mangrove islands are home
to species like the endemic white-spotted toad fish, reef sharks, morays,
turtles, dolphins, rays and jewfish. Even mantas and pelagic (open
ocean-dwelling) fish like tuna and sailfish make an occasional visit. Fishing
is limited here, so lobsters flourish. Visibility ranges from 100-150 feet, yet
many divers enjoy intimate macro-photography opportunities. Snorkeling pleasures
abound.
Most Turneffe dive sites are at the
atoll’s southern end. Elbow is a popular stop for its large fish --giant
groupers, mackerels, sharks and barracuda swim against a backdrop of soft
corals. Sayonara is a 1985 passenger boat wreck now adorned with starfish and
clams, and is an easy dive for novices. Though they are few, Belize’s other
wreck sites include the barge Changa’s Wreck (Ambergris), steel freighter Myron
L (Ambergris) and the remains of British naval cutter HMS Advice, sunk in 1793
(Turneffe).
Lighthouse Reef Atoll
Whether you want to see wildlife, walls,
tunnels, corals, drift dives or the famed Great Blue Hole, dozens of Belize’s
best dive sites are found at Lighthouse Reef, the farthest offshore atoll.
Centered on Lighthouse Reef, a trip
to the Blue Hole is a feather in the cap of any experienced diver. A perfectly
circular limestone sinkhole measuring 400 feet, the Hole’s caves, ledges and
stalactites were studied by Jacques Cousteau. No finding Nemo here -- the site
is known more for its geological formations than for fish-spotting, though
hammerheads and other shark species do visit the hole’s circumference. The Blue
Hole is not for novices -- veterans can briefly descend to 135 feet, and some
outfitters may offer even shallower dives. If you do dive the Hole, go with a
reputable company that is well-staffed with attentive dive masters.
Glover’s Reef Atoll
Belize’s southern reefs are less
frequented by the many northern dive operators, so crowds are fewer and biology
more diverse, especially coral growths. Long Caye Wall, with its sheer drop of
more than 2,000 feet, was reputed to be Cousteau’s favorite dive site in Belize
and is considered world-class snorkeling. Octopus Alley’s invertebrates and
crustaceans make for lovely night dives. At Pinnacles, take in the 20- to 30-foot
tall coral towers, the only ones in Belize according to Toby Truelove, a
divemaster with Hamanasi Adventure and Dive Resort in Dangriga.
Truelove, also reveals a secret
favorite site of his, the aptly-named Paradise, near tiny South Water Caye, east
of Glover’s. The crevasses of Paradise’s double walls shelter goliath grouper,
schools of horse-eyed jacks and Atlantic spade fish. Another worthwhile stop is
the Abyss, a 300-foot straight cobalt drop often filled with eagle rays and
turtles.
Gladden Spit
For an unforgettable and rare
experience, visit Gladden Spit between March and June to dive with whale
sharks. These harmless creatures are the largest species of fish and love
feeding in the Southern Belize waters (east of Placencia). While not guaranteed,
a shark sighting is probable for divers, and because whale sharks feed near the
surface, even snorkelers can enjoy seeing them.
Source: http://www.travelchannel.com/destinations/belize/articles/best-diving-and-snorkeling-in-belize
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