Surrounded by a deep abyss nearly 3,000 feet beneath the surface, Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve is an enormous area that boasts more than 800 patch reefs and is home to countless species. Pristine and protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, this is an amazing place to visit, which you may never want to leave. Located approximately 70 miles from Belize City, there are many wonderful dive sites to explore, among habitats that include sandy channels, steep canyons, lush beds of seagrass, and fascinating mangroves that serve as nurseries for tiny fish. To help you learn more about what is available, we have compiled a list of just seven of the best dive sites Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve has to offer.
Emerald Forest Reef
Located along Glover’s western arm, Emerald Forest Reef features depths between 15 and 70 feet, and is suitable for all divers, and as the reef’s crest begins just one foot beneath the water’s surface, the site is ideal for snorkelers as well. This luxuriant virgin reef is named in honor of the enormous elkhorn coral that dominates the top of the reef. With trunks more than a foot in diameter, and arms outstretched to heights of up to ten feet, these are some of the most incredible examples of elkhorn you may ever see. Look for starfish and urchins, crabs, and angelfish, along with snappers, wrasse, blue chromis, and grouper as you explore the forest.
Along the reef’s slope, you’ll find splendid brain and star coral, along with yellow pencil coral and club finger coral. Sea fans and forked sea feathers add more color and texture, while gobies and shrimp operate cleaning stations for groupers and other larger fish that patiently wait to be tended to.
Southwest Caye Wall
Suitable for intermediate divers and up, Southwest Caye Wall provides a thrilling opportunity to fly above the abyss thousands of feet below you. Located just a short distance from the Manta Resort’s Pier, the wall features a shallow reef crest that ends abruptly at about 50 feet below the surface. From there the colorful, beautifully textured wall drops to a shelf at 130 feet, and beyond that is a sheer drop into the blue inkwell that provides a rich upwelling of nutrients that keep this system so vibrant. Wedges of hard coral and clusters of sponge, spirals of whip coral, and sea fans with arms outstretched host an abundance of shrimp, lobsters, and other little creatures, along with thousands of fish in every shape and color imaginable. This is an absolutely mesmerizing dive, and one you’ll very likely want to enjoy more than once.
Middle Caye Reefs
One of the most remote sites on Glover’s Reef, and named for the small palm and mangrove forested caye that rises up from beyond the reef’s crest, Middle Caye Reefs are usually visited by special charter or by liveaboard. Beginning in very shallow water, and dropping away into the bottomless blue, the reef is only diveable during flat, calm conditions. It is extensive, and is home to a wealth of crustaceans and invertebrates, along with a colorful array of splendidly healthy reef fish. The wall, which begins 40 feet below the surface, is adorned with soft coral and sea fans, and is terraced, rather than plummeting sharply away from the reef above. Some of the least common stony corals can be found here, including giant brain coral, rare rose coral, and huge cactus coral, and elaborate sponges add even more color to this incredible site.
Although Middle Caye is suitable for intermediate divers, experts will be thrilled with the opportunity to do a deep dive here. Terraces at 100 feet, 150 feet, and 210 feet are covered in platy boulder coral, and offer an exceptional vantage point for viewing the huge pelagics that come here in large numbers. Watch for big pompano and jacks, sharks, and a variety of others.
Long Caye Wall
Beginning with a shallow reef area which can be easily accessed from the beach when conditions are calm, Long Caye Wall is a site which is ideal for all divers, and suitable for snorkeling as well. Near shore, elkhorn coral and fire coral create a lovely contrast with the white stone corals and sandy bottom. Openings in the reef lead out to still shallow pools about 20 feet deep, and at a depth of 30 feet, beyond a barren but intriguingly rippled swathe of sand, the top of the wall begins. As you cross the sand, look for sand divers and jawfish, along with small colonies of garden eels and the occasional ray.
When you reach the top of the wall, the change in scenery is dramatically splendid, and when your reach a depth of 50 feet, you will see huge plates of sheet coral, along with a tapestry of black coral and wire coral, brilliantly colored sponges, and an abundance of sea fans. Look for manta rays and turtles, eagle rays, and barracuda, along with the occasional reef shark as you explore.
Grouper Flats
Named for the groupers that congregate here, Grouper Flats is a domed reef in 40-60 feet of water. Suitable for intermediate divers and above, the reef is less colorful than some other sites, but it does feature huge stands of elkhorn coral and patches of splendid mature lettuce coral. Winding white sand pathways lead from one place to another, and the groupers, which hide inside crevices fringed in soft coral, are amazing. You’ll find spotted and marble groupers here, along with tiger groupers and Nassau groupers. Patches of sea fans and sea feathers provide some texture and create an interesting backdrop for photos of these diver-friendly fish.
Split Reefs
With two reef zones that cover an area about 800 feet long, Split Reefs is suitable for intermediate divers and above. Beginning just inches beneath the surface and extending to 40 feet, then descending to 70 feet and meeting the seabed at a depth of 100 feet, the reefs are separated by a sloping field of sand dotted here and there with stony and soft corals.
The shallow reef is elegantly sheathed in a tapestry of colorful sponges as well as hard and soft corals of every imaginable variety. With twirling sea whips and sea fingers, Venus sea fans and stands of elkhorn, star coral and meandrina brain coral in just about 30 feet of water, it offers endless opportunities for photography. Hundreds of blue chromis and blue-headed wrasse, sergeant majors and angelfish, butterfly fish and anthias add motion to the already colorful display.
Equally impressive, the deep reef features towers and huge boulder corals, along with deepwater sea whips and rods, and lettuce corals with enormous leaflike extensions. Here, pelagics can be seen with regularity, including jacks and barracuda, pompano, and the occasional pair of passing rays.
Shark Point
Exposed and often undiveable due to heavy seas, Shark Point is suitable for intermediate divers and up, with maximum depth at 90 feet. If you can get here on a good day, expect to be amazed. The site lives up to its name, as nurse sharks and black tip reef sharks, along with hammerhead sharks and tiger sharks are seen here with incredible regularity. The area is a spawning ground for groupers and other fish, and the reef itself is a dome-shaped mound that hosts an abundance of tropical fish. More than a mile wide, this is a fascinating area and is one of the best shark dives in Belize.
The best way to get to Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve is through Dangriga, which is served by the airport in Belize City, or to employ the services of a liveaboard. There are fantastic resorts which are well-within reach, and prices are affordable. Be sure to check into your options and plan ahead for what is certain to be one of the most incredible dive vacations you have ever had the pleasure to take.