Caye Caulker Sights

Caye Caulker Marine Reserve

#2 of 41 things to do in Caye Caulker

#1 of 668 sights in Central America

2 reviews | Write a review

Good for: intermediate divers, novice divers

  • Address
    • Belize District

Correct these details

Lonely Planet review for Caye Caulker Marine Reserve

This section of the Belize barrier reef was declared a marine reserve in 1998. It's a subterranean paradise for divers and snorkelers with an array of colorful sponges, blue and yellow queen angel fish, Christmas tree worms, star coral, redband parrotfish, yellow gorgonians and more. Keep your eyes peeled for turtles and manatees from April to September.

 

Traveller reviews for Caye Caulker Marine Reserve (2)

  • Avatar
    To write a review sign in, register or   Connect_light_large_long
    Recommend
     
    Add your experience “ ”
    Say more…
  • Avatar

    Juni, the fish whisperer: not your average snorkel trip

    mikemaxwell recommends this,

    Juni is one of Caye Caulker's elders and a genuine character.

    He's lived there all his life, spent much of it on the sea, and in the tradition of Caulker shipwrights, he has by his estimation built over 100 boats including the sweet, wooden, single-masted sailboat he uses to take his guests on snorkel excursions to the beautiful coral gardens at the Hol Chan marine reserve.

    Although Juni limits his guests to only six, the price of his tour is right. He makes a point of trying to be on the reef at times when the other excursion groups are gone, which provides his guests a more intimate encounter with the reef's varied plant and animal life.

    Juni seems to have developed personal relationships with creatures of the reef, and he takes great pleasure in introducing them to his human guests: we saw nurse sharks, lots of stingrays, a sea turtle, moray eels, and various fish species including an undulating wall of yellow fin snappers, neon blue tangs, angel fish, big groupers, and striking little "disco" fish.

    For my wife and me, this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience, enhanced by the pleasant sailboat ride to and from the reef, and by the yarns Juni spinned about his earlier days on Caye Caulker including the time when his house was one of few left standing on the island, and that time when as a young boy he died.

    One caution: I am not a strong swimmer (somehow I could never learn to kick properly), and I had difficulty fighting some of the currents we encountered at the reef. If you are not a moderately good swimmer, I would recommend opting for something a bit less strenuous.

    Juni can be found most evenings hanging out at his home office, up one flight of stairs, across from the basketball court, on front street in the center of funky downtown Caye Caulker. If you ask nicely, maybe he'll take you for a sailboat ride.

    report
  • Avatar

    Pleasant, short ride to the Reserve for SCUBA or snorkel.

    spooty recommends this,

    of
    Previous image Next image Enlarge Close

    I went out with SCUBA Sensation and a small group headed by Bert, the owner. The 40-minute ride across calm water inside the barrier reef was pleasant; we got a good view of the north half of Caye Caulker, as yet sparsely populated. We dived just outside the barrier reef in the Reserve. The bottom was 60' with 100'+ viz. We cruised between coral ridges seeing turtles, Spotted Eagle Ray, Moray Eel, large grouper, and many smaller reef fish. We also saw several Lionfish which are venomous non-native predators invading the reef systems of the Caribbean. Local divers kill them when they can but are losing the battle.

    Good for: intermediate divers, novice divers

    report