The largest of the more than 200 cayes located off the coast of Belize, Ambergris Caye is sheltered by the Belize Barrier Reef, which is just a quarter mile offshore. Twenty five miles long and separated from Mexico’s Yucatan peninsula by a short channel, it is an excellent place to dive and snorkel with marine life that can be hard to find in other places. While there are many scenic dive sites surrounding the caye, some offer close encounters with sharks, rays, and other spectacular marine life. Here are three of the best sites for diving with these magnificent creatures.
The Cut
Also known as Hol Chan Cut, The Cut is an important part of the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Suitable for all divers, and often used for diver instruction, this site allows rays, sharks, and other pelagics to pass through the barrier reef, to and from the open sea. Near the buoy, which marks the turnaround point inside the cut, there is a swimthrough cave where you can usually find a big dog snapper hiding. Smaller grottoes shelter six foot moray eels, and enormous snappers can be seen swimming among smaller reef fish. Huge groupers can be found here as well, along with nurse sharks and eagle rays.
The most popular night dive site in the area, it is teeming with a completely different set of creatures once the sun goes down. Gigantic spider crabs teeter on spindly legs, while huge lobsters emerge from their hiding spots in search of their evening meal. Stingrays and the occasional lemon shark can be seen resting in the sand, while octopi emerge from their dens, searching beds of seagrass for their prey.
Thirty to forty-five feet wide, and thirty feet deep at most, The Cut is subject to swift currents at times. Watch for blue striped grunts, curious schoolmasters, and horse-eye jacks, along with the occasional turtle as you explore.
Eagle Ray Canyons
At its best early in the morning, Eagle Ray Canyons is named for the numerous eagle rays which can be encountered, usually in groups of two or three, but sometimes schooling in groups that number as many as a dozen individuals. With a fantastic spur and groove reef acting as a backdrop, this site is played by a strong current and is suitable for intermediate divers and up. Eagle Ray Canyons is part of the Marine Reserve. Touching or taking anything is completely off-limits, and these rules are strictly enforced. Depths vary from about 60 to 80 feet, and you can expect to encounter a fantastic variety of other marine life in addition to the eagle rays.
Shark Ray Alley
Sharks and Rays arrive the minute your dive boat shows up, and while there are special trips here which include shark feeding, most of the time this site is visited as part of a snorkeling trip, or included as part of a surface interval stop. Just eight to ten feet deep, the site allows you to interact with both nurse sharks and stingrays which, while known as non-threatening species, can cause injury if startled. Often, most of the nurse sharks you’ll see are female juveniles, as this is a nursery and food is plentiful, thanks to the fact that fishermen often clean their catch in the area. With stunning hard coral formations and a wide array of reef fish and even some large snappers and groupers, this is also a good place to encounter the occasional flight of eagle rays.
Travelling to Ambergris Caye is easy, and the atmosphere on shore is casual. Be sure to plan your trip in advance so that you get the opportunity to visit the sites you want to see most – and enjoy these spectacular one on one encounters with some of the most amazing marine life in Ambergris Caye.