SNORKELING ADVENTURES
Why should you consider snorkeling on your vacation?
Tours and adventures are a wonderful way to experience the Belizean rain-forest, barrier reef, Mayan temples, and cave systems located throughout this country. Tours, help you to get an "up-close & personal" look at the habitat for many wonderful creatures living on this planet. Traversing through rain-forests and mountains of Belize is a wonderful way to discover another side of this diverse and beautiful country in Central America. Belize is home to many exotic and beautiful birds, incredible wildlife and presents you with ample opportunities to see for yourself, why Belize is "Mother Natures Best Kept Secret".
BELIZE BARRIER REEF
Truly one of the great natural wonders of the world, the Belize Barrier Reef is home to one of the most abundant and diverse marine ecosystems found anywhere on the planet. Measuring more than 190 miles long, the reef is part of the bigger Meso-American Barrier Reef System that stretches from Mexico to Honduras, making it the second biggest coral reef system in the world, and the largest in the hemisphere. There are many popular islands, known locally as cayes (“keys”), situated in and around the Belize Barrier Reef. Three atolls also exist near the Belize Barrier Reef (1) Lighthouse Atoll (2) Turneffe Atoll (3) Glover's Reef Atoll. Located within the Lighthouse Reef, is the famous Great Blue Hole. One of the most beautifully unique dive sites anywhere on Earth. The Belize Barrier Reef is easily accessible from the coastline of Belize, as it comes with 300 meters (980) feet of land in the north, and 40 kilometers (25 miles) in the south.
HOL CHAN MARINE RESERVE
The Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley is a marine reserve close to Ambergris Caye & Caye Caulker, off the coast of Belize. It covers approximately 13,000 acres, with 4,448 acres of this being (zones A, B & C), the coral reefs, sea-grass beds, and mangrove forest. It is the most popular diving/snorkeling sites in all of Belize. The reason for its popularity, is due to its close proximity to Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker. It's located off the southern tip of Ambergris Caye, and is the oldest marine reserve in Belize. The entire park focuses on a cut through the reef (called quebrada) which is a little more than 25 yards wide, 30 feet deep, and 3 miles southwest of San Pedro. Because this is a protected marine reserve, you will be able to see a great abundance of fish and marine life. Hol Chan is a Maya word, meaning "Little Channel". Hol Chan offers a huge diversity of marine life encountered throughout the 4 zones of the park, not to mention the excitement and novelty of swimming with large numbers of nurse sharks and sting rays.
SHARK RAY ALLEY
It's about a 15 minute boat ride from Ambergris Caye and a 40 minute boat ride from Caye Caulker. Shark Ray Alley sits in the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, and comprises a section of the reserve known as "Zone-D". First established in 1987, today Hol Chan measures more than 13,000 acres. For many, snorkeling at Hol Chan and Shark Ray Alley has been the highlight of their trip to Belize. As the boats approach, the sharks hear the hum of the engines and they being to gather in anticipation of bait being thrown into the water. When you arrive, you will see the surface often boiling with rolling sharks and sting ray wings as they search for the scrapes. These creatures have a great tolerance for divers and snorkelers, and seem to effortlessly swim around humans.
