Belize Barrier Reef Ecosystem... Marine Life
Belize Barrier Reef Ecosystem... Marine Life
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| 83 North Front Street PO Box 1234 Belize City, Belize TEL: (501) 223-5505 Email: info@seasportsbelize.com www.seasportsbelize.com |
| Belize Tourism Board Licensed Tour Operator and Tour Operator of the Year for 2005! |
REEF CORAL
Coral reef provide the habitat for many other types of
marine life to feed and to find shelter. Our Barrier Reef
dive sites have abundant coral species of many
different types. There are two types of corals, hard
and soft, and the soft corals resemble plants
underwater, but they are colonial animals just like the
stony corals which build the reef. Common species of
hard corals are brain, boulder, elkhorn, staghorn, and
the occasional outcropping of the magnificent pillar
coral. Common soft corals include sea fans and corky
sea fingers.
REEF CREATURES
Molluscs (conchs), crustaceans (lobsters & crabs),
echinoderms (urchins, starfish and sea cucumbers) and
sponges are abundant on the reefs of Belize. Queen
conch, channel clinging crabs, spiny lobster and
donkey dung sea cucumbers are just a few of the
marine creatures we often see on our dives. Gigantic
barrel sponges can also be found at many of our dive
sites along the Belize Barrier Reef.
REEF FISH
There are over 500 species of reef fish that inhabit
Caribbean coral reefs. The white-lined and
white-spotted toadfish are endemic to the atolls of
Belize. There are many species of parrotfish, snapper
and grouper. Parrotfish are important grazers on the
reef as they keep algae (plant) levels low and recently
became protected under the Fisheries Legislation of
Belize. The Nassau grouper are known to have
traditional spawning sites in Belize, and cubera snapper
spawning aggregations are known attract the largest
fish of all, the whale shark.
SEA TURTLES
We see loggerhead turtles, green turtles and hawksbill
turtles on our Barrier Reef dive sites. Generally we see
the turtles cruising the drop off looking for their next
meal. If you come across a sponge that looks like it has
been someone's meal, chances are there's a hawksbill
turtle in the area! The hawksbills are often seen resting
on the bottom blending in very well with their
surroundings.
RAYS & SHARKS
Two species of rays often sighted are the spotted eagle
ray and southern stingray. It's an amazing sight to see
a "squadron" of eagle rays cruising the drop-off! On
occasion we also see the manta ray but these are rarer
sightings.
Most of the sharks that we see along the barrier reef
are nurse sharks; also known as sleeping sharks or sand
sharks since they are often found resting on the
bottom. Occasionally we see Caribbean reef sharks
and black tip sharks, and twice we've sighted a
hammerhead. We used to see a lot of nurse sharks on
our dive sites and even have a sight named after them,
but due to overfishing we do not see them as often as
we used to. The Fisheries Department is working with
fishermen to afford some protection to sharks as they
play a key roll in the ecosystem.
Coral reef provide the habitat for many other types of
marine life to feed and to find shelter. Our Barrier Reef
dive sites have abundant coral species of many
different types. There are two types of corals, hard
and soft, and the soft corals resemble plants
underwater, but they are colonial animals just like the
stony corals which build the reef. Common species of
hard corals are brain, boulder, elkhorn, staghorn, and
the occasional outcropping of the magnificent pillar
coral. Common soft corals include sea fans and corky
sea fingers.
REEF CREATURES
Molluscs (conchs), crustaceans (lobsters & crabs),
echinoderms (urchins, starfish and sea cucumbers) and
sponges are abundant on the reefs of Belize. Queen
conch, channel clinging crabs, spiny lobster and
donkey dung sea cucumbers are just a few of the
marine creatures we often see on our dives. Gigantic
barrel sponges can also be found at many of our dive
sites along the Belize Barrier Reef.
REEF FISH
There are over 500 species of reef fish that inhabit
Caribbean coral reefs. The white-lined and
white-spotted toadfish are endemic to the atolls of
Belize. There are many species of parrotfish, snapper
and grouper. Parrotfish are important grazers on the
reef as they keep algae (plant) levels low and recently
became protected under the Fisheries Legislation of
Belize. The Nassau grouper are known to have
traditional spawning sites in Belize, and cubera snapper
spawning aggregations are known attract the largest
fish of all, the whale shark.
SEA TURTLES
We see loggerhead turtles, green turtles and hawksbill
turtles on our Barrier Reef dive sites. Generally we see
the turtles cruising the drop off looking for their next
meal. If you come across a sponge that looks like it has
been someone's meal, chances are there's a hawksbill
turtle in the area! The hawksbills are often seen resting
on the bottom blending in very well with their
surroundings.
RAYS & SHARKS
Two species of rays often sighted are the spotted eagle
ray and southern stingray. It's an amazing sight to see
a "squadron" of eagle rays cruising the drop-off! On
occasion we also see the manta ray but these are rarer
sightings.
Most of the sharks that we see along the barrier reef
are nurse sharks; also known as sleeping sharks or sand
sharks since they are often found resting on the
bottom. Occasionally we see Caribbean reef sharks
and black tip sharks, and twice we've sighted a
hammerhead. We used to see a lot of nurse sharks on
our dive sites and even have a sight named after them,
but due to overfishing we do not see them as often as
we used to. The Fisheries Department is working with
fishermen to afford some protection to sharks as they
play a key roll in the ecosystem.
| Want to learn more about conservation efforts in Belize? Click the logo below and be redirected to ECOMAR's website and see what Linda Searle and others are doing in Belize to help conserve the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System and the marine life which depend on these magnificent ecosystems for survival! |
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