~SNORKELING~
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The coral reef is an amazing place - it is so beautiful and there is so much to see! Fish are swimming all around going about their business: guarding eggs, protecting their territory, finding food, finding shelter, looking for mates, getting their teeth cleaned, or their wounds checked. There is rush hour too when fish are feeding or there is a change of guard when the day time critters go to sleep and the nocturnal creatures come out. All this activity occurs against a backdrop of beautiful coral in many different shapes and colors that would remind you of a spring garden.
Sprinkle in a couple passing rays, turtles, manatees and sharks, and now you have the Belize Barrier Reef. Literally any where you drop in the water you will see the amazing underwater world that makes up the coral reef. Right now while you are reading this there is a whole other world under the sea just waiting to be explored. We have 5 options for you to choose from: Historic Offshore Cayes, Goff's Caye, Caye Caulker, Hol Chan & Shark Ray Alley, and the Blue Hole & Lighthouse Atoll!
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The coral reefs along the main barrier reef offer endless hours of exploring and observing marine life living on coral reefs under the sea.
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Belize Barrier ReefOur snorkeling trip to the Belize Barrier Reef visits sites 10 miles east of Belize City, or 30 minutes by boat. There are many snorkeling sites along this 15 mile stretch of reef but we often visit South Gallows, North Gallows, Sergeant's Caye and sometimes Goff's Caye. We snorkel twice, once in the morning and again after lunch. This is one of our most popular trips since it is close by and there are some amazing sites to explore. Along the way or if time permits at the end of the day we look for manatees and dolphins.
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Goff's Caye is an idyllic coral isle located right inside the Belize Barrier Reef and a popular destination for snorkelers.
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Goff's CayeA visit to Goff's Caye is a favorite for families traveling with children. Goff's Caye is managed by the Coastal Zone Management Authority and Institute and is about 40 minutes from Belize City. We usually offer this trip as a private charter and our first stop is Goff's Caye where young children can play and snorkel at the water's edge while the older kids and adults can snorkel around the outside of the reef in deeper water. BBQ chicken or fish cooked right on the grill is available for purchase. In the afternoon we can snorkel again and head off in search of the endangered West Indian manatee and Atlantic bottlenose dolphins.
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Grey angelfish are one of the most curious fish encountered on the reef.
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Caye Caulker Snorkel & ExploreCaye Caulker is a popular overnight destination for travelers from around the world and a great place to explore for the day. The island is about 45 minutes from Belize City and offers excellent snorkeling inside the Belize Barrier Reef. We'll visit the Caye Caulker Marine Reserve in the morning and after you have lunch on your own at one of the many restaurants on the island we'll visit another reef site in the afternoon before heading back to Belize City. Along the way we may also see the Atlantic bottlenose dolphins and marine birds soaring overhead.
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Large schools of fish can be observed since the area is a protected area where no fishing is permitted.
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Hol Chan & Shark Ray AlleyThe Hol Chan Marine Reserve is about an hour and fifteen minutes away from Belize City. The abundant marine life makes an excellent back drop for the underwater photographer and naturalist. Your professional marine guide will lead you through this amazing marine protected area that many different species of fish call home, and there are also some resident green sea turtles are observed feeding on seagrass. We have lunch on the boat and our next stop is snorkeling at Shark Ray Alley. Nurse sharks and southern stingrays were first attracted to the scraps discarded by fishermen cleaning their catch. On our way back to Belize City, if time permits we'll stop at Caye Caulker for about 20-40 minutes.
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Schools of jack greet snorkelers as they enter the water at the Blue Hole.
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Blue Hole & Lighthouse AtollLighthouse Reef is one of 3 remote coral atolls in Belize and is about 60 miles east of Belize City and takes about 2 hours to reach. The Blue Hole Natural Monument and Half Moon Caye Natural Monument are managed by the Belize Audubon Society. Snorkelers will have the opportunity to snorkel at 3 sites: Blue Hole, Half Moon Caye and Long Caye. We stop at Half Moon Caye for lunch and to explore the island and visit the red footed booby birds colony that nest in the littoral forest on the southern end of Half Moon Caye. One our way back to Belize City we stop to snorkel at Long Caye Wall. Everyone should bring an underwater camera to capture images of this unique reef and special sites only found at Lighthouse Atoll.
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