The Belize Barrier Reef is a superb coastal reef system with dozens of dive sites offering excellent diving. Visitors experience an underwater world populated by a rich diversity of species including groupers, snappers, four varieties of angel fish, many varieties of parrot fish, eels, barracudas, turtles, stingrays, lobsters, a great number of corals and sponges, and more.
The Placencia area is rapidly becoming a popular regional diving spot. Here dive sites have been left in a more pristine state because they have felt less impact from boats and divers.
The Reef separates further from the coast the more it progresses southward, resulting in substantial patches of coral, separated by channels dropping to 80 feet or more, forming canyon-like walls, which rise sharply to form coral shoals and Caye’s. This provides shallow sites for snorkelers, while allowing divers’ access to deeper waters nearby.
The Inner Reef acts as a home for juvenile aquatic animals. Here divers will find most of the sea fans, sea rods, seawips, sea plumes, cleaner shrimp, yellow-line Arrow Crab, Giant Hermit Crab and a wide variety of juvenile fish such as spotted drum, barracuda, eagle rays and stingray. The depth range on these inner reef dives is between 60 and 80 feet.
