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Some of
Our Favorite Dive Sites ...
The
Eastern, windward side of Turneffe is protected by 35 miles of
reef. It shelves gradually for 100 yards to about 60ft where
the spur and groove formations meet the wall. The nutrients
produced in the mangroves are dispersed on the reef by the
tides and gentle currents causing huge concentrations of
feeding fish on this side of the atoll. The Chutes
off Calabash Caye, is approx. 50-ft deep along the top
of the wall. It is good for Pelagic encounters and taking wide
angle photographs with a huge sand flat that is home to Garden
Eels and Yellowhead Jawfish. Wide chutes lead to a wall
covered with yellow tube sponges, purple sea whips and brain
coral. Here we often find Hawksbill turtles, Spotted Drum,
Scrawled Cowfish and Spotted Morays.
On
the West side of the islands, the mangroves of Turneffe
provide shelter from the swells and large waves. A gently
sloping bottom lies at 30-50ft and large reef formations cover
the white sand bottom. The reduced wave action allows sponges
and soft corals to grow magnificently and sea feathers of 5ft
tall are common. At Crickozeen Cut, predatory Trumpetfish
camouflage themselves among the sea fans and a myriad of
damselfish and parrotfish graze on algae, keeping the coral
clean & healthy. Spiny Lobsters are commonly found under
ledges and Creole wrasse aggregate and spawn in their
thousands around the full moon in summer.
In
the North, the reef is buffeted by the Caribbean swells and
trade winds but on the calmest of days we can explore these
almost untouched areas. Schools of Mutton Snapper, Atlantic
Spadefish and Permit hover 80ft above the sea floor and Blue
and Rainbow Runners make close passes, apparently attracted by
the bubbles of the strange ‘neoprene-clad creatures’.
The Elbow is a
popular advanced drift dive located at Turneffe's most
southern point. The reef crests at 80 ft and is very wide and
exposed with a current that generally flows from the north at
about 2 knots. Due to this current and the site’s depth,
most of the dive is spent in mid-water. Visibility is
typically 100ft and large schools of pelagic fish such as dog
snappers, horse-eye jacks, permit and Atlantic spadefish
aggregate here. In the canyons below, large groupers,
turtles and Balloonfish can be seen amongst enormous
gorgonians, and out in the blue, the occasional sharks and
Spotted Eagle Rays add to the excitement of this dive. A pod
of dolphins live close by and will often come to play with the
divers while they are on their safety stop.
Lindsey’s Back
Porch is where you can drift slowly through a garden of
gorgonian fans and sea plumes at 45ft and see an abundance of
butterflyfish, angelfish, blue tang, surgeonfish and
parrotfish. As the reef divides into narrow fingers that
run down to the wall edge, the coral ledges provide the
perfect home for the Whitespotted toadfish, found only in
Belize. Hawksbill turtles amble over the reef, feeding
on algae and sponges and Nurse Sharks can be found rummaging
for mollusks & shellfish in the sand.
Baker’s Drop in
front of the lodge, shelves gently towards the wall at about
50ft reef. Colonies of thin leaf lettuce coral provide shelter
for the juvenile Rock Beauty and Spotted Eagle Rays are often
seen in pairs, cruising in the blue.
The Terrace
consists of narrow spur and groove formations, with an
abundance of soft corals, Barrel sponges and Tube sponges. The
top of the wall averages 35-40ft and the sheer drop is covered
with huge sponges, black coral and gorgonian fans. Thousands
of schooling Creole Wrasse, many varieties of Hamlets and the
Whitelined Toadfish can often be found here.
Rendezvous Cut
is a wide sandy expanse, dotted with pristine coral heads and
frequented by Furry Sea Cucumbers and giant Queen Conch.
Approaching the wall at about 30ft, the reef forms canyons,
grottos and sandy chutes which run away to the blue. A great
dive site for spotting reef tropicals such as French &
Queen Angelfish, White Spotted Filefish and Juvenile Spotted
Drum.
Wonderworld is a
site just north of us and is comprised of many large coral
formations that drop dramatically from a depth of 65ft. The
site’s topography allows for swimming around and between the
coral heads to look for sleeping nurse sharks, Southern
stingrays and Green Moray Eels. A pod of Bottlenose Dolphin
sometimes appear and seem to enjoy ‘buzzing’ the divers as
they desperately try to take photographs.
A
colorful array of Yellow tube sponges, Azure vase sponges and
huge barrel sponges await you at Tubular Barrels. Several
‘cleaning stations’ dot the reef and big groupers and snappers
settle down to be picked clean by neon gobies, Pederson
Cleaner shrimp and juvenile Bluehead Wrasse.
Spotted Eagle
Rays, Black Grouper and Great Barracuda are common visitors to
divers at Pelican
Wall. Caribbean reef sharks and even Hammerheads
have been seen cruising in the deep blue over a horizontal
ledge 150ft below.
At
Sayonara, the remains of the former passenger & cargo boat
rest on the sand at a depth of 50 ft, having been
decommissioned and sunk in 1985. To the South and South East
of the wreck, large coral formations harbor banded coral
shrimp, spiny lobsters and brittle stars. Stoplight parrotfish
and French & Queen Angelfish pick amongst the encrusting
sponges and large Ocean triggerfish cruise the edge of the
wall.
Weather
permitting, we take a day trip to the furthest offshore atoll,
Lighthouse Reef to visit The Blue Hole, Half Moon Caye and
Long Caye.
Pioneered by
Jaques Yves Cousteau in the early 70’s, The Great Blue Hole
has become Belize's most famous dive site. The hole is a
‘karst-eroded sinkhole’ formed when the roof of a cave, in an
underground tunnel complex, collapsed. When sea levels rose at
the end of the Ice Age, the once dry cave filled with sea
water producing the hole that now measures 1000ft across with
a depth of over 460ft. It is a Marine Protected Area and a
UNESCO World Heritage site. The rim of the Blue Hole and
the surrounding lagoon is only a few feet deep and excellent
for snorkeling.
As you descend
over the edge, through a thermocline at 50ft, big Groupers,
Snappers and Horse-eye Jacks come to investigate. Deeper
still, with your eyes adjusting to the low light, Blacktip
sharks can be seen slowly patrolling the depths. At
approx.110ft, the first limestone ledge appears and
immense Stalactites hang from the ceiling. On your slow ascent
back to the edge of the hole, spotted morays can be found in
crevices and on the wall crest, you return to the domain of
the Parrotfish and Angelfish.
After
a picnic lunch on the island of Half Moon Caye and a visit to
the Red Footed Bobby Bird Sanctuary [link to AA HMC info?] we
head back underwater.
The
Cathedral is aptly named, with coral spires and towers that
rise up from the seafloor in large
segments. Numerous sandy passageways lead you through the
coral reef, out to the wall at 45-60ft and into the brilliant
blue. Sheet corals cover the wall and soft corals and rope
sponges extend several feet. The top of the reef is a
breathtaking coral garden and every nook and cranny teems with
orange, red & yellow sponges. The sand is home to colonies
of Garden Eels and gigantic Southern Stingrays lie in wait
with only their eyes protruding. Black groupers, Blue
Parrotfish and Hogfish are regulars and Yellowtail snappers
escort you throughout your dive.
We
tend to finish our day at one of the shallow sites off Long
Caye. The Aquarium with its variety of corals, invertebrates
and profusion of reef fish is a very good spot for underwater
photography. Big coral heads are dominated by
mountainous star coral and at a depth of 40 ft Orange Elephant
Ear sponges grow out from the wall. Iridescent Azure
vase sponges and Blue Bell Tunicates add to the color of this
site and Decorator Crabs and Neck Crabs are can be seen
clinging to the Sea Fans.
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