Diving Reports
July 10-17, 2010
Weather: Warm, moderate winds, rain showers, and scattered storms
Air Temp: High 80’s to Mid 90’s
Water Temp: 84 degrees
Visibility: 40ft- 60 ft
Sunday, the dive group went to the northwest side of the atoll for protection from the winds and showers. Water conditions were good at Elkins Bay, Tunnels and Barrels, and Molly’s Folly. Lloyd K., from San Francisco, was impressed by the razor fish diving into the sand and Marty H., also from CA, loved the two peacock flounders at Elkins Bay. Tunnels & Barrels was a fantastic dive and there was no dive traffic in the area. Highlights of the dive included a school of Creole wrasse, lobsters, huge Spanish moray eels, and tiger tail sea cucumbers. Molly’s Folly was full of memorable moments. The divers saw a cleaning station full of Creole wrasse, yellow head jaw fish, a southern sting ray feeding in the sand, and they were able to hear snapping shrimp snapping at box fishes.
The skies were clearer today and the winds continued to blow out of the east. The dive group went back to the northwest side of the atoll to The Terrace, Chasbo’s Corner, and Mandy’s Dandy. Highlights of the day included eagle rays, barracudas, green moray, decorator crabs, and a big channel cling crab. Lloyd K. and Marty H. were thrilled to have their photo taken with this huge crab.
Tuesday the dive group went to the west side of the atoll to Crickozeen Cut and Lobster Bay. Highlights of the day included garden eels, morays, several types of grouper, grunts, and Marty H. loved the jaw fish swimming around their holes. The day is cut short to rest up for the night dive in front of the lodge. The divers saw a variety of shrimp, lobsters, webbed burr fish, and tiger tail cucumber.
Today is the most anticipated dive of the week, Belize’s popular Blue Hole. The divers plunged 130 ft. into the hole to see the stalactite formations and were entertained by four sharks that swam around them throughout the entire dive. Half Moon Caye Wall, one of our guest’s favorite spots, is next on the agenda. The divers loved the swim throughs and saw hundreds of conchs, a dozen sting rays, and the finale was a six foot logger head turtle that hung around long enough for excellent photo opportunities. The final dive of the day, Aquarium, was just as the name implies. The divers saw hundreds of chubs, sergeant majors, huge tarpon, and a hawksbill turtle also made an appearance.
Thursday the divers went South on the atoll to The Elbow, Myrtle’s Turtles, and Front Porch. Highlights of the day included two close swimming eagle rays, permit, jacks, dog snappers, spade fish, box fish, green moray, and yellow fin grouper.
The dive group went to the east side of the atoll today to Lindsey’s Back Porch, Cockroach, and Front Door. At Lindsey’s Back Porch, the divers saw blue parrot fish, turtles, clinging crab, and plenty of angel fish. Cockroach was a nice sandy area with huge patches of coral, lots of lobsters, shrimp, crabs, golden tail moray, and several drums. Front Door was the final dive and the group saw slender file fish, diamond blenny, and a beautiful hawksbill turtle relaxing in the sand.
To ensure privacy, Turneffe Flats does not use last names of guests in our reports.
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June 26-July 3, 2010
Weather: Overcast skies early in the week and clearing toward the end of the week, moderate winds, and high temperatures
Air Temp: High 80s to mid-90’s
Water Temp: 85 degrees
Visibility: 30-100 feet
It was the first trip to Turneffe Flats for all five divers this week. Tropical Storm Alex passed through on Saturday (6/26) creating less than ideal conditions for the first few days. However, conditions improved markedly throughout the week.
Sunday, the dive group went north of the resort to Cockroach Cut and Barracuda Bay and had limited visibility at 30-50 feet. The divers enjoyed the company of several barracuda, saw a juvenile drum fish, and found a white spotted toad fish, which is only found in Belize. Barracuda Bay offered the divers a large variety of tropical fish.
The skies began to clear and conditions improved on Monday. The group went to the west side of the atoll to dive The Terrace, Chasbo’s Corner, and Elkin’s Bay. The Terrace is a beautiful wall that was full of yellow tube sponges. Chasbo’s Corner was a relaxing dive that offered the guests excellent photo opportunities. On the way to Elkin’s Bay, the group enjoyed photographing a large group of resident dolphins playing beside the boat. Highlights of the last dive included tiger tail sea cucumber, Nassau grouper, razor fish diving in the sand. Michelle W., from New York City, and Nik B., from Johnson City, Tenn., were impressed by the spaghetti worms.
Tuesday, conditions were great for the trip to The Blue Hole, Half Moon Caye, and Tres Cocos. The Blue Hole was the first deep dive for Sabrina S., from Johnson City, Tenn. She and Nik B. dove to a depth of 130 feet. The divers saw a reef shark, several large black groupers, and were all very impressed with the massive stalactites. Peter B., from New York City and Victor L., from Ontario, Canada, both captured excellent video footage. Half Moon Caye Wall was dubbed the divers “best dive to date.” They saw sting rays, turtles, permit, red snapping shrimp, and an eagle ray passed by slowly for some great photo opportunities. Tres Cocos, named for a cluster of three coconut trees on Long Caye, did not disappoint. Highlights of the dive included adult drum fish, soap fish, jaw fish, and scarlet shrimp. Michelle W. found a huge green moray as Peter B. took some awesome photos and video footage. There was a lot to talk about at dinner that night, as the divers shared their videos with the fisherman and staff.
Wednesday, the night dive was the highlight of the day. The night dive location is within close proximity to the lodge and everyone enjoyed the shallow dive. The divers all commented that they liked starting the dive with day light and watching it gradually get darker. Highlights of the dive included lobster, trunk fish, brittle stars, urchin, and flamingo tongue.
Winds began to pick up again on Thursday and the dive group went west on the atoll to Lobster Bay and Elkin’s Bay. The visibility at Lobster Bay was 40 feet and highlights included garden eels, lion fish, peacock flounder, and several schools of tropical fish. The visibility improved to 60 feet at Elkin’s Bay and highlights included tiger tail sea cucumber, channel clinging crab, golden tail eels, banned pipe fish, and king fish.
Friday, the group went to The Terrace, Mandy’s Dandy, and Tunnels & Barrels. The Terrace had good visibility and they saw a small school of horse eye jacks, spotted eagle ray, and a white spotted moray with cleaning station. Peter B. and Michelle W. had a great time taking photos as the cleaner shrimp worked on Michelle’s mask. The tides and winds began to change in the afternoon making for poor visibility at Mandy’s Dandy, but they ended the day with Tunnels & Barrels enjoying the swim-throughs. The dive group had a wonderful time and ended their week by exchanging photos and videos compiled throughout their stay at Turneffe Flats.
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June 19-26, 2010
Weather: Partly cloudy with moderate winds and warm temperatures early in the week with rain moving in by the end of the week
Air Temp: High 80’s to low 90’s
Water Temp: 85 degrees
Visibility: 50ft- 100 ft.
This week there were several return divers and three newcomers to Turneffe Flats all visiting from Texas. Three were return guests and the others were diving with us for the first time.
Sunday, the winds were from the southeast and the dive group went to the west side of the atoll to begin their day at Crickozeen. The visibility was poor at 50 ft but there were still plenty of schooling fish and corals to see. Our dive master Alex decided to move north to Chasbo’s Corner for improving visibility. The conditions were better at 60-70 ft and the divers saw several neck crabs in addition to magnificent coral and several reef fish.
The second day, the group went to the southeast side of the atoll to Jo Jo’s Split, Little Calabash, and Chrissea. The visibility was pretty good at 60-80ft and some of the highlights of the day included black grouper, logger head turtles, eagle rays, scorpion fish, and spotted trunk fish. Our dive master, Alex, was also able to accommodate a few requests today, spotting a flounder for Patsy C., from Brenhan, Texas, and a slender file fish for Carrie C., from San Antonio, Texas, The group also saw an upside down jelly fish, which is very rare to see at 50 ft.
Today the divers went to some of Belize’s most popular sites, The Blue Hole and Half Moon Caye Wall followed by Que Brada. The Blue Hole was a little murky but the divers still saw reef sharks, grouper, and the massive stalactites at 130 ft. Half Moon Caye Wall was a perfect dive beginning with an eagle ray cruising over the divers. The group saw eagle ray, reef sharks, dozens of sting rays, and a sea turtle picking at a jelly fish from mid water. Que Brada, which breaks Long Caye Wall into two parts, was full of marine life and the guests commented about how they loved the topography of the wall.
Wednesday, the visibility was at 100 ft. and the dive group stayed close to the resort for the day. The group went to Devil’s Deep, Nelson’s Turnover, and Lindsey’s Shallows. Highlights of the day included several tropical reef fish, lobster, morays, and an enormous eagle ray resting along the sandy bottom. Once again, Alex fulfilled guest requests finding a juvenile trunkfish for Decy D., from San Antonio, Texas, and a golden tail moray for Michael C.
Thursday, the dive group went to the southern tip of the atoll to dive The Elbow, Myrtle’s Turtle, and Front Porch. Highlights of the day were a white spotted toad fish at The Elbow, tons of tropical fish, corals, and sponges at Myrtle’s Turtle, and a yellow head jaw fish with an egg sack in its mouth.
The final day of theirtrip, our divers returned Crickozeen North and South looking for the best possible visibility. Crickozeen was full of fish with toad fish, morays, schooling grunts, and schooling master snappers. Lobster Bay was the final dive and the group saw a green moray and an interesting egg sack for some type of snail got the groups attention. Carrie C. was happy to see two golden coral shrimp and anemone shrimp. It was an excellent way to end the week for both our return guests and newcomers to Turneffe Flats.
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June 13-18, 2010
Weather: Partly cloudy with moderate to high winds from the east
Air Temp: Mid- to High-80s
Water Temp: 80 to 86 degrees
Visibility: 30-90 feet
Christi and Nate W. from Montana joined us for their first Turneffe Flats experience. They are both experienced divers and enjoyed the personal service from our talented dive staff. Both dove with Nitrox all week.
Sunday was the first day of diving and the winds from the east sent the divers to the west side of the atoll: North Crickozeen, South Crickozeen, and Amber Head. The visibility was only 30-40 feet, but the water was a comfortable 84 degrees. They saw lots of schooling fish including Creole wrasse and Bermuda chub. Christi commented that she had never seen such large schools of fish and loved it! They also saw yellow line arrow crabs, spotted moray eels, southern sting rays, barracuda, and a hawksbill sea turtle.
Monday, our divers went to the northwest side of the atoll to The Terrace, Elkins Bay, and Tunnels & Barrels. Visibility was a bit better at 50 feet; the water temperature remained the same. The divers saw some large barracuda, hawksbill turtles, both green and spotted moray eels, spiny lobster, batwing crab, and a rough head blenny.
Tuesday, they headed to the Blue Hole. As usual, they dove to 130 feet and along the way saw a large black grouper and Caribbean reef sharks and with the massive stalactites starting at 90 feet. The next stop was Half Moon Caye Wall with the best visibility of the week so far. Highlights included barracuda, black grouper, queen trigger fish, dog snapper midnight parrot fish, horse eye jacks, Bermuda chub, and a southern sting ray. After the dive, they enjoyed Belizean fried chicken at Half Moon Caye Natural Monument.
Winds continued from the east, so the divers went to the west side of the atoll to dive both North and South Lobster Bay. The visibility was significantly better than previous days and the water was a warm 86 degrees. Highlights of the dive included three spotted eagle rays, spotted moray eel, slender file fish, southern sting rays, sand tile fish, and barracuda. Our divers then took the afternoon off and at dusk headed out for a night dive near the lodge. Christi really wanted to see an octopus and she got her wish, along with long spine sea urchin, spotted moray eels, sleeping parrot fish, and spiny lobsters.
Thursday, the winds diminished and the conditions were perfect for a trip south to The Elbow and Sayonara. The visibility was much improved at 90 feet and the waters were calm. Highlights of The Elbow included permit, black groupers, dog snappers, horse eye jacks, rough tail sting ray, rainbow parrot fish, Atlantic spades, and Bermuda chub. Sayonara was equally impressive with southern sting ray, spotted drum fish, harlequin bass, file fish, and spotted moray eels.
The final day was absolutely perfect with light winds and excellent visibility. Divers went to the east side of the atoll to Jo Jo’s Split and Little Calabash. Highlights included school master snappers, garden eels, hog fish, blue tangs, smooth trunk fish, and barracuda. It was a fantastic way to end the week with excellent conditions and relaxing dives. Christi and Nate planned to stay a few more days for fishing and snorkeling before heading back to Montana.
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June 5-12, 2010
Weather: Clear skies, sunshine, and moderate winds
Air Temp: High 80s to 90s
Water Temp: 80-84 degrees
Visibility: 60-100 feet at most dives
The majority of our guests this week were from Florida and California. Several were return guests to Turneffe Flats who brought along friends and family to enjoy all that Turneffe Flats has to offer including Ray B., David G., Shannon C., Roxanne K. and John K. were all return guests. Andrea T., Nikki G., Stephan T., and David T. were all new to the atoll; and Christopher K. and Evan K. were both here to receive their Open Water Referrals from our Dive Master, Alex.
Day one (Sun.) and the winds were steady from the east, so the dive group went west to Crickozeen North and South, followed by Amber Head. Crickozeen North had good visibility of 70 feet and warm 84 degree water. The group saw lots of tropical fish including lobster, snapper, a jaw fish with an egg sack in its mouth, and the students were able to “hang out” with a huge southern ray that was 4 feet in diameter. Crickozeen North was just as exciting, with several varieties of shrimp, lobster, and the first spotted moray spotted. Amber Head did not disappoint. The highlight of the dive were the two turtles, one perched along the coral watching the divers and the other swimming alongside them. What a great way to start the week!
Mon., the group went northwest to The Terrace, Elkin’s Bay, and Chasbo’s Corner. The group loved the beautiful wall of black coral at The Terrace and the three massive channel clinging crab stole the show. The visibility at Elkin’s bay was excellent at 100-feet. This was the two students’ check-out dive and they were impressed with the razor fish crashing into the sand. They also got to see their first underwater cleaning station, thanks to a grouper and a group of cleaner shrimp. Chasbo’s Corner was a spectacular dive with a plethora of tropical fish among the lush coral. Lizard fish, honey comb cowfish, indigo hamlets, red band parrot fish, tiger grouper, and a batwing crab were just a few of the notable sightings.
The Blue Hole was the first stop of the day on Tues. Three of the divers went to 130 feet to see the massive stalactites while eight divers dove to only 70 feet. The highlight of the dive were five sharks circling as divers ascended. Half Moon Caye Wall was the second dive of the day. The divers loved the swim-throughs and saw over a dozen sting rays and a large green turtle. Quebrada, the final dive of the day, is a beautiful wall with colorful sponges, black coral, and the highlights were a five foot tarpon and a large hawksbill turtle.
Wed. was another beautiful day and the divers went to the west side of the atoll to dive Tarpon Bay, Sponge Shop, and Elgene’s Inn. They were impressed with the lack of dive boats and the calm of the waters in this section of the atoll. Some of the day’s highlights included green moray, hawksbill turtles, lion fish, and scorpion fish.
Conditions were perfect with blue skies, light winds, and excellent visibility beyond 100 feet. The dive group went to the southern tip of the atoll today to dive The Elbow and Little Calabash. Highlights of the day included schooling fish jacks and snapper, file fish, cowfish, eagle rays, and a huge goliath grouper over 200 pounds. That night, some of the divers chose to do a night dive in front of the lodge and saw octopus, squid, lobster, morays, and parrot fish sleeping in their mucus cocoon.
The last day of the trip divers went west on the atoll to Mandy’s Dandy and Molly’s Folly. Highlights of the day included several schools of tropical fish and a large group of yellow jaw fish at Mandy’s Dandy. Mandy’s Dandy was a fantastic finale! The divers saw eagle rays, golden tail moray, a huge hairy cling crab in a barrel sponge, and two massive barracuda.
It was a great week for a great group of family and friends with excellent weather and diving conditions.
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May 29 - June 5, 2010
Weather: Weather this week varied was mostly very nice with some overcast skies and light rain early in the week.
Air Temp: Mid 80’s to low 90’s
Water Temp: 79 to 82 at most dive sites
Visibility: 60ft.-80ft. at most dive sites
The week began with light sprinkes but it soon became absolutely perfect with plenty of sunshine. We had all newcomers to Turneffe Flats this week including two couples from California, John and Janice G., and Lydia H. and Kirk H. John, Lydia, and Kirk were all experienced divers and Janice chose Turneffe Flats to complete her open water dive certification.
Sunday winds from the east and the dive group headed north for their first dive at Lindsey’s Back Porch. They saw an impressive array of sea life including a large hawk’s bill turtle, juvenile spotted drums, rainbow parrots, smooth trunk fish, black grouper. As the winds began to pick up from the east, the group went to the west side of the atoll for the second and third dives at North and South Crickozeen. Highlights of these included yellow line arrow crabs, snapping shrimp, spiny lobsters, a large channel clinging crab, wire coral shrimp, and a southern sting ray. Lydia H. was especially excited to see three spotted moray eels at North Crickozeen.
On Monday the dive group went to the northwest side of the atoll to began their day at The Terrace. Highlights of the dive were horse eye jacks, channel clinging crab, adult lion fish, a school of creole wrasse, and the groups favorite, the batwing crab. The sun began to peek out as the dive group made their way to Elkins Bay. Elkins Bay South was the first stop and the divers saw ocean trigger fish, barracuda, razor fish, and big black grouper. Elkins Bay North was the final dive today and the group saw diamond blenny, adult spotted drum fish, and black durgeons. Janice G. spent the last few days perfecting her skills with our dive master, Alex.
On Tuesday the sun was shining and conditions are great for a trip to The Blue Hole. This highly anticipated dive is a deep dive to 130 ft. to see massive stalactites, large black grouper, Bermuda chubs, and Caribbean reef sharks. Half Moon Caye Wall was next on the agenda and the divers were impressed with the wide variety of sea life. Highlights of the dive were spotted eagle rays, southern sting rays, permit, queen trigger fish, enormous tarpon, green moray eels, and hawks bill sea turtles. The Manta Ray Wall was the final dive of the day with great visibility and lots to see including Bermuda chubs, spiny lobster, honey comb cow fish, and spotted drum fish. The group also had the opportunity to see the red footed boobie birds on Half Moon Caye after their picnic lunch, complete with Belizean fried chicken!
Beautiful blue skies, warm temperatures, and light winds created the perfect conditions for the dive group to head southeast on the atoll on Wednesday. The first dive site, Chinaman Wall, delivered a huge barracuda, southern sting ray, remora, and hog fish. Little Calabash was the second dive today and highlights included green moray eels, southern sting rays, more barracuda, and another spotted eagle ray. The dive group went on a night dive this evening to Northern Bogue, within close proximity to the lodge, and saw octopus, starfish, and sea urchin.
Thursday the group went to the south tip of the atoll to dive The Elbow, Permit Paradise, and Black Beauty. Highlights of the day included huge schools of dog snapper, horse eye jacks, Atlantic Spade, lobster, toad fish, green moray eels, permit and southern sting ray. The weather was excellent and the divers commented on the beauty of the various blue waters around the atoll.
The divers ended their week on the southeastern side of the atoll diving Jo Jo’s Split, Chrissea, and Lee Ellen’s Melons. Highlights of the dive included midnight parrotfish, big barrel sponges, spotted toad fish with babies, spotted eagle ray, spotted drum, large barracuda, and green moray. The group had an excellent week with fantastic weather conditions and they raved about the lack of dive boat traffic around the atoll.
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May 22-29, 2010
Weather: Weather varied from calm and sunny to overcast with light winds.
Air Temp: Mid- to high-80s.
Water Temp: 80 to 84 at most dive sites.
Visibility: 80 to 100 feet.
This week offered generally good conditions for diving around the atoll. As often is the case, we dove all sides of the Atoll due to varying weather patterns. We had veteran Turneffe Flats’ divers Kay and Grif S. from Denver as well as newcomers to Turneffe Flats, Kari and Nick O., from Calgary, Alberta. Nick diversified his week by fly-fishing as well as diving, making sure not to miss Belize’s best-known dive, the Blue Hole. This was the fourth visit to Turneffe Flats for Kay and Grif.
Sunday, the dive group headed to the west side of the atoll as we had some winds from the East at around 8 miles per hour. The first two of the three dives were at South and North Crickozeen, with the water temperature a comfortable 84 degrees and visibility of 80-feet. The third dive was Amber Head and the divers were very impressed by the variety of healthy corals and the lack of dive traffic in the area. Highlights of the day included black grouper, decorator crabs, snapping shrimp, and several lobster. The day ended with a magical display by a jaw fish and its egg sack that left the divers with a lot to talk about over dinner.
Monday, the divers again dove the west side of the atoll and Nick joined the group for his first dive to prepare himself for the Blue Hole on Tuesday. The first dive was Tarpon Bay, followed by Sponge Shop, and finally Elgene’s Inn. Highlights included spotted morays, four types of hamlet and a giant barrel sponge covered in coral shrimp. Once again, the divers commented on the health of the reef.
Tuesday was a beautiful clear day with moderate seas and all divers headed out early for the Blue Hole. The water temperatures were around 84 degrees and the visibility was up to 100 feet. As usual, our dive boat was one of the first boats of the day at the Blue Hole. This is always a very popular and deep dive to 130 feet with huge stalactites and Caribbean reef sharks to view. The next stop was Half Moon Caye where Half Moon Wall offered the group some spectacular swim-throughs and photo opportunities such as sting rays, eagle rays, and green morays. Grif shot some excellent video footage of a hungry ray with a jack tagging along for the leftovers. The last stop was Manta Ray Wall where the divers spotted a large porcupine puffer, enormous barracuda, and cruising tarpon. There was plenty to talk about at the Tuesday evening dinner table, including the fantastic picnic lunch and bird watching at Half Moon Caye.
The divers went south on Wednesday to dive The Elbow and Front Porch. The Elbow, at the southernmost tip of the atoll, often has significant current. Some of the highlights were snapper, jacks, and schools of horse eye jacks and permit. The Front Porch was calm and the divers were delighted to see a pair of big eagle rays. Highlight of the night dive that evening was a playful pair of squid, offering Grif some great photo ops before returning to the lodge for a late dinner.
Calm seas and overcast skies sent the divers to our northeast dive sites, The Terrace, Elkins Bay, and Tunnels and Barrels, on Thursday. The group had three beautiful dives. Highlights included green morays, two eagle rays, lobsters, large groupers, and a plethora of schooling fish. All of the divers raved about the eagle rays and loved this relaxing day in the water.
On Friday, the last day of the trip, the divers were hoping to end the week spotting sharks and turtles, and they got their wish! Calm seas and clear skies with 80-foot visibility made for great conditions as the divers headed south to Jo Jo Split and Little Calabash. This was a day to remember with a huge hawksbill turtle, golden tail moray eel, schools of horse eye jacks, and an exceptional nurse shark as highlights. After such amazing dives, you would not think the day could get better, but it did. On the way back to the resort, they had the opportunity to snorkel with five dolphin – a fantastic week at Turneffe Flats!
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January 10-17, 2009
Among our divers were two from Norway who had come to Belize for their first time. With an 80+ degree difference in winter air temperatures, it was a good choice!
Sunday was overcast with a slight southeasterly wind. We made our way to the west side where it was calm and protected. Crickozeen Cut, Lobster Bay, and Pine Ridge were warm and clear with plenty of fish activity. Schools of Creole wrasse, scad, brown and blue chromis, parrotfish, and several grouper brought the reef to life. We found several spotted eels, green morays, queen angels, lobsters, crabs and two turtles. Our guests were happy snapping pictures of everything and had a varied collection by the end of the day.
On Monday, we went over to the east side and our first dive at JoJo’s Splits was a joyride in the swift current from a falling tide. We covered a long distance in our 50 minute drift and came across schools of horseeye jacks, Cubera snapper, a couple hawksbill turtles, stingrays, and Creole wrasse by the thousands. Chinaman Wall and Little Calabash Caye Wall were spectacular with plenty of fish and more turtles. We found two white spotted toadfish, file fish, porcupine fish, and moray eels.
Tuesday, we decided to dive close to the resort and do our surface interval on the dock. Nelson’s Turnover was a clear and the deep canyons were amazing. A shy turtle refused to have its picture taken, but a permit was very willing and even followed us for a few minutes. There were a few spotted eels and a huge barracuda that escorted us on the last 15 minutes of the dive. After our surface interval, we went out about five minutes from the dock to Secret Garden and it was also spectacular. Barracuda, filefish, morays, lobsters and grouper were all present. The best find was a tiny spotted drum swimming back and forth near a coral head. After lunch, we headed to the Conference Room in front of Cockroach Caye where a couple stingrays quickly greeted us and swam away. A school of more than 30 Cubera snapper cruised back and forth corralling a larger school of bar jacks doing their best to evade the hungry predators.
We did two great dives during the day Wednesday at Chasbo’s Corner and Lindsay’s Back Porch. These were excellent drift dives filled with fish and live coral. We searched the shallows for elusive sea horses, but they were absent. We came in for lunch and then did a great night dive at Northern Bogue after sunset. We were accompanied by a school of juvenile grunt in the beginning and then found a rare sea hare, octopus, several lobsters, shrimp, anemones, brittle stars, crabs and almost everything the night has to offer.
A mild northwesterly wind cleared the water outside the dock and we decided to dive close to the lodge. The weather was overcast, but visibility was easily at over 100-feet at Baker’s Rock, Barracuda Beach, and Devil’s Deep where the wall drops to over 2,000 feet. At only five minutes from the dock, we came in for the surface interval and had a very relaxing rest ashore. The final dive produced several toadfish, lobster, channel clinging crabs and morays. A turtle kept its distance and was very wary about our presence.
Overall it was a great week and out guests took Friday afternoon to fill out their dive logbooks in detail.
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January 3-10, 2009
We had four guests that were looking for some laid back fun and easy diving. Crickozeen Cut had excellent marine life with plenty of active cleaning stations and feeding points. Black grouper and schools of Creole wrasse played the perpetual game of hunter and hunted as gorgonians swayed in the current filtering nutrient-rich plankton. We came across a couple of spotted morays under barrel sponges and even a large channel-clinging crab inside a barrel sponge. Our guests were quite amazed with the vibrant coral that decorated the reef on the Elbow dive. The tide was not at its best and the fish were not very active, but the coral is always there. There were several large rainbow parrot fish, white spotted file fish and the endemic white spotted toad fish. The Blue Hole trip was a little bumpy, but the dives more than made up for it and no one had to convince our divers the trip was worth it. Reef sharks, rays, grouper, turtle, lobsters and the famous booby bird sanctuary visit all combined for a great day. Wednesday we did to easy dives at Elkins Bay and The Terrace where we swam with schools of Creole wrasse and scad while observing some large black grouper and barracuda. After the two dives, we relaxed until sunset and went into our night dive. It was extremely exciting with slipper lobsters, spiny lobsters, different types of crabs and shrimp, a colorful display by a reef octopus; and at the end of the dive we came across a very large sea hare grazing happily on a tuft of algae. Lindsey’s Back Porch had over 100-feet of visibility and schools of fish hovered off the wall. Ocean triggerfish, cero, barracuda, and black durgons aggregated to feed over the wall. Grassy Caye Range also had some excellent visibility and we noticed several grouper, snapper, and parrot fish along the wall. The shallows were littered with sharp nose puffers, sand tile fish, and several conch.
Friday morning we headed for the northwest side in search of calm seas. We were not disappointed and we plunged into the blue water at Chasbo’s Corner where we immediately came face to face with a large barracuda followed by a small hawksbill turtle. We were engulfed by schools of Creole wrasse, scad and herring off the wall as we drifted down. Two more dives at Tunnels and Barrels and Mandy’s Dandy completed the day. A shy green moray inside a tunnel tried his best to avoid the camera, but to no avail. We also found a juvenile spotted drum, decorator crabs, tiny blennies, big snapper, and several large grouper. This week turned out quite good with excellent weather conditions and very happy guests.
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December 28, 2008 - January3, 2009
Mild southeasterly winds directed us to the west side. We scouted around until we found clear blue water at Lobster Bay. Our guests were unfamiliar with Caribbean diving and had brought 5mm wetsuits. We spent a few minutes adjusting their weights and they were surprised to learn we had to triple the amount they originally requested. We went down the wall where a school of about 30 horse eye jacks approached us, turned around and swam off. We found several neck crabs on the deep water sea fans and a couple reef squid over the wall. A tiny hawksbill turtle was gently tucked under a coral head and quickly swam away when we approached. Our second dive at South Snake Point was just as full of marine life and healthy coral, mostly concentrated around a pinnacle that rises from the depths. Our diving guests decided they would take it easy and take the rest of the day off. The week continued with some even better diving on the northwest side and on the east side close to the dock. The dives were full of rays, eels, different types of crabs, lobster, grouper, snapper, colorful sponges, and some of the healthiest coral around. Every dive from The Terrace to Secret Garden had something exciting to see.
On Wednesday, we took out “Ms Ellie,” our Pro 48 Custom Dive Boat. It was so spacious that Karin, one of our divers, hung a hammock to relax during surface interval. The dives were just as great, she even saw her first nurse shark ever. Chinaman Wall, Rusty’s, and The Notch were at their best. We kicked off the New Year with our long boat ride to the Blue Hole. Just like on our Christmas visit, we were the only ones there and the sharks were once again shy. The water was clear and the stalactites were amazing.
Half Moon Caye Wall was crystal clear starting with a solitary permit to a school of bar jacks, followed by an eagle ray and a green turtle. The best part was when we startled an octopus crawling in the sand as we came out a tunnel. Our picnic-style lunch was amazing at Half Moon Caye and all the guests were excited to see the booby bird sanctuary.
The Aquarium was full of friendly fish that gathered around the boat. We even observed four large kingfish hunting among a school of scad and herring. Friday morning we went down to JoJo’s Splits where big horse eye jacks, and dog snapper appeared from nowhere, surrounded us, and then swam away. We also came across several school master snapper, stingrays in the sand, and some of the largest barrel sponges in the atoll. Our second dive was at Nelson’s Turnover in front of the dock. We followed a groove from the wall up to the shallows where a very large barracuda curiously observed us before heading straight to one of the guest’s camera housing dome. We came in for lunch and our guests decided they were ready to hang their wetsuits for the week.
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December 20-27, 2008
It was a great week with mild breeze and flat seas. We started around Calabash Caye on the east side of the atoll with guests eager to explore our underwater marvels. Turtles, eagle rays, moray eels, sting rays, and of course, millions of sharp nose puffers, all greeted us as we drifted along the walls. Everyone took snapshots of the marine life that abounded on the healthy reef from wide angle to macro and everything in between. The week was going well, with several rare findings including batwing crabs, nudibranchs, a sea horse (that only one guest saw), and even a sea hare. On Christmas morning, we departed early to the Blue Hole. Surprisingly, we were the only ones there and the sharks were very shy and kept their distance. Visibility was not the best, but it was still clear at depth as we glided along the stalactites. Half Moon Caye Wall had great visibility and we saw a hawksbill turtle and several lobsters along with the usual schools of fish. Three very large tarpon caught our attention as we prepared for our safety stop. They circled us and hung under the boat for a couple minutes before swimming away. Our last dive for the day was at the Aquarium at Long Caye. Schools of Bermuda Chub, Yellowtail snapper, sergeant majors, and horse eye jacks assembled around the boat when we moored. We drifted at 50 feet and were immediately engulfed by thousands of Creole wrasse, scad, and herring. As we broke out of the school, we noticed several black grouper stalking out in the blue. A pair of cero and a solitary king fish cruised back and forth trying to get a bite out of the polarized schools. A couple medium size reef sharks also cruised down the wall beneath us while a large hawksbill turtle calmly swam over the wall. We immediately joined the turtle without disturbing it and everyone with a camera snapped away as the turtle posed generously. We ended the week on the northwest side where we plunged into action at Chasbo’s Corner, Tunnels and Barrels, and Mandy’s Dandy. The usual schools of Creole wrasse, vibrant coral, brilliant sponges, and endless tropical fish were present. A pair of eagle rays cruised gently off the wall on the second dive ignoring our presence as we stared in amazement at these magnificent creatures. The guests were very satisfied with our operation and the quality of the reef and plan to make a return trip to Turneffe Flats for some of the best diving around.
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November 23 - 29, 2008
The week started with sunny and warm conditions so we decided to head for the Western side of Turneffe Atoll for three dives. All the dives had over 80 feet visibility and mild current which gave guests an outstanding preview of Turneffe diving. Crickozeen Cut was teaming with a variety of reef fish and a colony of garden eels swayed in the sand near the mooring. An adult spotted drum patrolled its territory as a tiny juvenile spotted drum shadowed it under a coral head. Black grouper stalked the sea fans as schools herring, scad, and creole wrasse confused bar jacks in the water column. Amber Head was full of fish as well. Two green morays stared at us as we descended as a hawksbill turtle rested in the sand. We even found a perfectly camouflaged octopus under a brain coral staring at us with threatening eyes. An eagle ray glided over the edge of the drop off while several dog snapper hunted over the ard corals. Barrel sponges concealed everything from lobsters to spider crabs plus green and spotted morays. It was an exciting dive. Tarpon Bay was even better with even more fish than the previous dive. We found a juvenile smooth trunkfish less than half an inch big with a round black body and yellow dots just like a little marble. It was a good first day and we were ready for more.
On Monday we did two dives in the morning at Corona and The Notch. Sheer walls with schools of creole wrasse and herring as well as plenty of black grouper, barracuda, and bar jacks decorated by colorful sponges and corals grabbed our attention throughout the dive. We did a surface interval in the afternoon and prepared for the night dive at Northern Bogue. The evening sky showed brittle stars as the sun went down. Several anemones came out and hunted around the coral heads while tiger tail sea cucumbers stretched out over the sand feeding on detritus. Long spine sea urchins grazed on algae as flamingo tongue cowries feasted on sea plumes. The night dive was a perfect transition into a day at the Blue Hole and Half Moon Caye.
Visibility at the Blue Hole was average but we could still make out reef sharks in the distance as we glided through the stalactites. We did our last two dives at Half Moon Caye and visibility was once again average but improved 100% by the final dive. Schools of fish hovered above us as we glided through the maze of canyons and tunnels. It was a very nice day under the water and everyone enjoyed his or her experience.
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November 16 - 21, 2008
This week brought a cold front and northerly winds that allowed us to utilize many leeward sites around Turneffe Atoll.
On Sunday, the water was 80°F which was warmer than the air causing a little discomfort during the surface interval. All the divers were eager to stay in the water as long as possible. The wind also produced some challenges on Sunday when water from inside the lagoon was pushed onto the reef leaving a green hue on the surface. After 2 dives full of short nose puffers, barracuda, garden eels, and an eagle ray at The Chutes and Rusty’s, both in front of Calabash Caye, our guests decided they were ready to go in and we called it a day.
Monday was completely different from Sunday. All the green water had blown out and the sea was blue and clear with visibility in the 100 feet range. We did not feel as cold as the day before though temperatures remained the same. JoJo’s Splits, Corona, and The Notch were splendid with schools of creole wrasse, black groupers, colorful sponges, and a variety of coral. We even found two endemic white spotted toadfish and an octopus.
On Tuesday the area near the lodge was really nice and we decided to stay close. We took the short boat ride and had three excellent dives at Lindsey’s Back Porch, Grassy Caye Range, and Cockroach Caye Banks. We saw eagle rays on all three dives as well as plenty of conch, several lobsters, a couple green morays, spotted morays, a school of cero, and some barracuda.
Wednesday was even better with three great dives less than 5 minutes from the dock. Barracuda at Nelson’s Turn Over and Front Door were very active. Lobsters were sparse but spider crabs and channel clinging crabs were abundant. A shy eagle ray made a couple passes but kept its distance while some black grouper stared at us curiously. We hovered over deep canyons at Secret Garden and came across large nurse shark. We can almost guarantee nurse sharks at this site and the one we found as over 6 feet long.
The weather dramatically improved by Thursday and we made the trip to the Blue Hole. Visibility was great allowing us to see reef sharks at a distance as we swam around the stalactites. Our second dive was at The Chimney at Half Moon Caye Wall where we explored the tunnels and canyons as fish of all sizes gazed at us in amazement. We followed a southern stingray that appeared to have a huge shark bite on one of its wings and two other stingrays joined us at our safety stop. The last dive was the most amazing of the week when we went down the wall at The Cathedral and a reef shark tailed us in curiosity. The shark’s produced close, curious passes but was quick to keep a distance when we faced it with our own curious looks. It eventually swam away and did not return for further close passes.
On the last day we went to the Elbow on the southern tip of the atoll. The cold front had blown all the murky water south and it was very disappointing. The first few feet were warm and clear but past 20 feet it immediately got green, visibility was down to less than 20 feet and it was a chilling 75°F. We aborted the dive after half an hour since we could hardly see anything and we were too busy trying to stay warm. We decided to do two longer dives to finish off the week. Dead Mabiklan’s Caye South was warm and clear. Creole wrasse and a few stingrays welcomed us as we glided over small canyons and gorgonians. We inspected the star coral heads in the shallows for octopus and found four nice specimens. Empty shells from previous meals quickly gave away the position of two octopuses beneath the same coral head. We finished at Monkey Man Cut where the buttress wall shelters many juvenile tropical fish. Plate and star coral cover the entire wall and we came across a toadfish lying proud in a small crevice. A huge channel clinging crab waved menacing at us on a small canyon as we inspected a discarded anchor with several feet of line coral encrusted on the reef. We ended a good week when a large barracuda circled us during our safety stop.
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October 26 - November 1, 2008
The sea was flat Sunday and our guest wanted to dive close by the resort. We went out to Lindsey’s Back Porch where we were able to make out a magnificent wall in the clear water. Black grouper patrolled us as creole wrasse picked the water column for plankton. We came across a huge green moray with a fresh cut under its chin. It looked menacing and we all gave it space to heal its wounds. Towards the end of the dive a school of big king fish came around us and hung around for a few minutes before disappearing into the blue. The second dive was at Grassy Caye Range where channel clinging crabs and lobster decorated the wall. We also found several large conchs that had obviously evaded fishermen looking for them. Black durgons and queen triggerfish hovered in small schools as we observed a sand tilefish build a nest in the sand. We came to the dock for lunch and went out to the Secret Garden for the next dive. The visibility was unbelievable with over 100 feet of clear water. A hawksbill turtle lay motionless inside a deep canyon and 2 large barracuda curiously inspected us as we were coming close to the end of our dive. At the end of the dive we hovered over a large star coral head decorated with colorful juvenile fish and sea fans.
The second day we did 2 dives at JR’s Place and The Chutes on the East side of Turneffe. The sheer wall covered with deep-water sea fans was full of angelfish, wrasse, and parrotfish. We even found four channel clinging crabs in one small section of the wall and a huge green moray. In the shallows was a small school of squid and several yellow head jawfish popping in and out of the sand. All the divers enjoyed the diverse species as well as outstanding visibility.
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August 16-23, 2008
Weather Conditions: Sunny with Scattered Clouds
Winds: 5- 10 with one windier day.
Air Temp.: High 80’s most of the week.
Water Temp.: low 80’s with moderate visibility. Coral Spawn on Wednesday.
Tides: August 16-23- Low tide around noon.
Moon Phase: Full Moon on Saturday, August 16th.
The week began with plenty of fish at “Amber Head” on the west side of Turneffe Atoll. Occasional clouds lowered visibility every now and then but it was never disappointing.
A school of ocean triggerfish greeted us as we plunged into ‘Lindsay’s Back Porch” on the second day. Stingrays, grouper, moray eels and toadfish made up an exciting day of diving in the immediate vicinity of the resort.
Tuesday was hot with unusually flat seas as we headed to the “Blue Hole.” A 130-foot plunge to swim among stalactites in an overhead environment is nothing short of exciting. Reef sharks and black grouper kept us company at our safety stop. Our second dive at “Half Moon Caye Wall” was breathtaking. Stingrays foraged in the sand and we came close and personal with a spotted eagle ray, which swam straight into us as we exited a canyon. The wall was full of macro life, huge gorgonians and sponges. Several swim-throughs and schooling fish added to the experience to make an amazing dive. We had a picnic lunch on the beach at Half Moon Caye to wind down a great day around the “Blue Hole.”
Patrolling eagle rays along the wall at “Elkin’s Bay” were a welcome sight in cloudy water. “Devil’s Deep,” about 5 minutes from the Turneffe Flat’s dock proved to be cloudy as well due to spawning coral. Although the visibility was limited we still saw plenty of critters including a channel clinging crab that posed for pictures.
The night dive this week was spectacular with an unusual amount of bioluminescence near the surface. Hundreds of brittle stars skirmished about the hard coral and sleeping parrotfish were everywhere. We even found a sleeping slender filefish firmly attached to a sea plume and a lettuce sea slug crawling around.
On Thursday morning we dove the “Elbow.” Visibility was excellent and hundreds of Cubera snapper stalked the reef. Brilliant colored gorgonians swayed in the fast current as schools of horse eye jacks circled above. We saw several black grouper, jacks and snapper gang up on a polarized school of herring breaking it up in a frenzy. We followed up with two milder dives at “Sayonara” and “Triple Anchors.”
Friday was very relaxed. The weather was nice and the sea was flat. We drifted down “Chasbo’s Corner” through schools of creole wrasse and yellowtail snapper. The day ended at “Tunnels and Barrels” as we saw millions of silversides and minnows that attracted all types of fish for a feeding frenzy. We glided gently with a hawksbill turtle before our safety stop.
Despite the coral spawn and a small mechanical issue the week was very exciting. Turneffe Flats offers such close proximity to a variety of diverse dive sites that it’s almost impossible to have a bad week. Weather its drifting along in the current of the “Elbow” or looking up at the overhead environment at the “Blue Hole” Turneffe offers some of the Caribbean’s best diving.
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July 27-30, 2008
The week started well with calm and flat seas. We prepared out dive boat and headed for the East Side of the Atoll. We divided our group into two and descended down “Chinaman Wall” by Calabash Caye. Schools of creole wrasse circled us while gorgonians swayed in the mild current along the wall.
This was a fairly easy drift dive and everyone adjusted quickly. Several grouper, lobster, crabs and snapper filled the dive. “Jo-Jo’s Splits” and “Little Calabash Caye Wall” completed the day with sting rays, morays, grouper, snapper and jacks.
The following day was just as smooth and we went straight to Lighthouse Reef. “Blue Hole” was spectacular wit few divers and excellent visibility The reef sharks are always fun when they are swimming around us and everyone loved them. “Half Moon Caye Wall” was clear with astonishing walls and colorful coral. Plenty of stingrays and a gentle turtle made our day. We had picnic style lunch on the beach and took a tour of the Booby Bird Sanctuary. We then moved over to “Silver Caves” at Long Caye for our last dive. The shallow ledge drops down into the abyss and plenty of fish make it their home. Black coral abounds in less than 80 ft of water and tarpon and permit cruise by graciously. Limited time restricted us to the west side on the last day but poor visibility made us change location. “Lobster Bay” and “Snake Point” had far better visibility as well as healthy coral and plenty of fish. Turtles, rays, squid, and deep water sea fans kept our eyes busy as we glided thought the blue water.
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Weather: Warm, moderate winds, rain showers, and scattered storms
Air Temp: High 80’s to Mid 90’s
Water Temp: 84 degrees
Visibility: 40ft- 60 ft
Sunday, the dive group went to the northwest side of the atoll for protection from the winds and showers. Water conditions were good at Elkins Bay, Tunnels and Barrels, and Molly’s Folly. Lloyd K., from San Francisco, was impressed by the razor fish diving into the sand and Marty H., also from CA, loved the two peacock flounders at Elkins Bay. Tunnels & Barrels was a fantastic dive and there was no dive traffic in the area. Highlights of the dive included a school of Creole wrasse, lobsters, huge Spanish moray eels, and tiger tail sea cucumbers. Molly’s Folly was full of memorable moments. The divers saw a cleaning station full of Creole wrasse, yellow head jaw fish, a southern sting ray feeding in the sand, and they were able to hear snapping shrimp snapping at box fishes.
The skies were clearer today and the winds continued to blow out of the east. The dive group went back to the northwest side of the atoll to The Terrace, Chasbo’s Corner, and Mandy’s Dandy. Highlights of the day included eagle rays, barracudas, green moray, decorator crabs, and a big channel cling crab. Lloyd K. and Marty H. were thrilled to have their photo taken with this huge crab.
Tuesday the dive group went to the west side of the atoll to Crickozeen Cut and Lobster Bay. Highlights of the day included garden eels, morays, several types of grouper, grunts, and Marty H. loved the jaw fish swimming around their holes. The day is cut short to rest up for the night dive in front of the lodge. The divers saw a variety of shrimp, lobsters, webbed burr fish, and tiger tail cucumber.
Today is the most anticipated dive of the week, Belize’s popular Blue Hole. The divers plunged 130 ft. into the hole to see the stalactite formations and were entertained by four sharks that swam around them throughout the entire dive. Half Moon Caye Wall, one of our guest’s favorite spots, is next on the agenda. The divers loved the swim throughs and saw hundreds of conchs, a dozen sting rays, and the finale was a six foot logger head turtle that hung around long enough for excellent photo opportunities. The final dive of the day, Aquarium, was just as the name implies. The divers saw hundreds of chubs, sergeant majors, huge tarpon, and a hawksbill turtle also made an appearance.
Thursday the divers went South on the atoll to The Elbow, Myrtle’s Turtles, and Front Porch. Highlights of the day included two close swimming eagle rays, permit, jacks, dog snappers, spade fish, box fish, green moray, and yellow fin grouper.
The dive group went to the east side of the atoll today to Lindsey’s Back Porch, Cockroach, and Front Door. At Lindsey’s Back Porch, the divers saw blue parrot fish, turtles, clinging crab, and plenty of angel fish. Cockroach was a nice sandy area with huge patches of coral, lots of lobsters, shrimp, crabs, golden tail moray, and several drums. Front Door was the final dive and the group saw slender file fish, diamond blenny, and a beautiful hawksbill turtle relaxing in the sand.
To ensure privacy, Turneffe Flats does not use last names of guests in our reports.
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June 26-July 3, 2010
Weather: Overcast skies early in the week and clearing toward the end of the week, moderate winds, and high temperatures
Air Temp: High 80s to mid-90’s
Water Temp: 85 degrees
Visibility: 30-100 feet
It was the first trip to Turneffe Flats for all five divers this week. Tropical Storm Alex passed through on Saturday (6/26) creating less than ideal conditions for the first few days. However, conditions improved markedly throughout the week.
Sunday, the dive group went north of the resort to Cockroach Cut and Barracuda Bay and had limited visibility at 30-50 feet. The divers enjoyed the company of several barracuda, saw a juvenile drum fish, and found a white spotted toad fish, which is only found in Belize. Barracuda Bay offered the divers a large variety of tropical fish.
The skies began to clear and conditions improved on Monday. The group went to the west side of the atoll to dive The Terrace, Chasbo’s Corner, and Elkin’s Bay. The Terrace is a beautiful wall that was full of yellow tube sponges. Chasbo’s Corner was a relaxing dive that offered the guests excellent photo opportunities. On the way to Elkin’s Bay, the group enjoyed photographing a large group of resident dolphins playing beside the boat. Highlights of the last dive included tiger tail sea cucumber, Nassau grouper, razor fish diving in the sand. Michelle W., from New York City, and Nik B., from Johnson City, Tenn., were impressed by the spaghetti worms.
Tuesday, conditions were great for the trip to The Blue Hole, Half Moon Caye, and Tres Cocos. The Blue Hole was the first deep dive for Sabrina S., from Johnson City, Tenn. She and Nik B. dove to a depth of 130 feet. The divers saw a reef shark, several large black groupers, and were all very impressed with the massive stalactites. Peter B., from New York City and Victor L., from Ontario, Canada, both captured excellent video footage. Half Moon Caye Wall was dubbed the divers “best dive to date.” They saw sting rays, turtles, permit, red snapping shrimp, and an eagle ray passed by slowly for some great photo opportunities. Tres Cocos, named for a cluster of three coconut trees on Long Caye, did not disappoint. Highlights of the dive included adult drum fish, soap fish, jaw fish, and scarlet shrimp. Michelle W. found a huge green moray as Peter B. took some awesome photos and video footage. There was a lot to talk about at dinner that night, as the divers shared their videos with the fisherman and staff.
Wednesday, the night dive was the highlight of the day. The night dive location is within close proximity to the lodge and everyone enjoyed the shallow dive. The divers all commented that they liked starting the dive with day light and watching it gradually get darker. Highlights of the dive included lobster, trunk fish, brittle stars, urchin, and flamingo tongue.
Winds began to pick up again on Thursday and the dive group went west on the atoll to Lobster Bay and Elkin’s Bay. The visibility at Lobster Bay was 40 feet and highlights included garden eels, lion fish, peacock flounder, and several schools of tropical fish. The visibility improved to 60 feet at Elkin’s Bay and highlights included tiger tail sea cucumber, channel clinging crab, golden tail eels, banned pipe fish, and king fish.
Friday, the group went to The Terrace, Mandy’s Dandy, and Tunnels & Barrels. The Terrace had good visibility and they saw a small school of horse eye jacks, spotted eagle ray, and a white spotted moray with cleaning station. Peter B. and Michelle W. had a great time taking photos as the cleaner shrimp worked on Michelle’s mask. The tides and winds began to change in the afternoon making for poor visibility at Mandy’s Dandy, but they ended the day with Tunnels & Barrels enjoying the swim-throughs. The dive group had a wonderful time and ended their week by exchanging photos and videos compiled throughout their stay at Turneffe Flats.
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June 19-26, 2010
Weather: Partly cloudy with moderate winds and warm temperatures early in the week with rain moving in by the end of the week
Air Temp: High 80’s to low 90’s
Water Temp: 85 degrees
Visibility: 50ft- 100 ft.
This week there were several return divers and three newcomers to Turneffe Flats all visiting from Texas. Three were return guests and the others were diving with us for the first time.
Sunday, the winds were from the southeast and the dive group went to the west side of the atoll to begin their day at Crickozeen. The visibility was poor at 50 ft but there were still plenty of schooling fish and corals to see. Our dive master Alex decided to move north to Chasbo’s Corner for improving visibility. The conditions were better at 60-70 ft and the divers saw several neck crabs in addition to magnificent coral and several reef fish.
The second day, the group went to the southeast side of the atoll to Jo Jo’s Split, Little Calabash, and Chrissea. The visibility was pretty good at 60-80ft and some of the highlights of the day included black grouper, logger head turtles, eagle rays, scorpion fish, and spotted trunk fish. Our dive master, Alex, was also able to accommodate a few requests today, spotting a flounder for Patsy C., from Brenhan, Texas, and a slender file fish for Carrie C., from San Antonio, Texas, The group also saw an upside down jelly fish, which is very rare to see at 50 ft.
Today the divers went to some of Belize’s most popular sites, The Blue Hole and Half Moon Caye Wall followed by Que Brada. The Blue Hole was a little murky but the divers still saw reef sharks, grouper, and the massive stalactites at 130 ft. Half Moon Caye Wall was a perfect dive beginning with an eagle ray cruising over the divers. The group saw eagle ray, reef sharks, dozens of sting rays, and a sea turtle picking at a jelly fish from mid water. Que Brada, which breaks Long Caye Wall into two parts, was full of marine life and the guests commented about how they loved the topography of the wall.
Wednesday, the visibility was at 100 ft. and the dive group stayed close to the resort for the day. The group went to Devil’s Deep, Nelson’s Turnover, and Lindsey’s Shallows. Highlights of the day included several tropical reef fish, lobster, morays, and an enormous eagle ray resting along the sandy bottom. Once again, Alex fulfilled guest requests finding a juvenile trunkfish for Decy D., from San Antonio, Texas, and a golden tail moray for Michael C.
Thursday, the dive group went to the southern tip of the atoll to dive The Elbow, Myrtle’s Turtle, and Front Porch. Highlights of the day were a white spotted toad fish at The Elbow, tons of tropical fish, corals, and sponges at Myrtle’s Turtle, and a yellow head jaw fish with an egg sack in its mouth.
The final day of theirtrip, our divers returned Crickozeen North and South looking for the best possible visibility. Crickozeen was full of fish with toad fish, morays, schooling grunts, and schooling master snappers. Lobster Bay was the final dive and the group saw a green moray and an interesting egg sack for some type of snail got the groups attention. Carrie C. was happy to see two golden coral shrimp and anemone shrimp. It was an excellent way to end the week for both our return guests and newcomers to Turneffe Flats.
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June 13-18, 2010
Weather: Partly cloudy with moderate to high winds from the east
Air Temp: Mid- to High-80s
Water Temp: 80 to 86 degrees
Visibility: 30-90 feet
Christi and Nate W. from Montana joined us for their first Turneffe Flats experience. They are both experienced divers and enjoyed the personal service from our talented dive staff. Both dove with Nitrox all week.
Sunday was the first day of diving and the winds from the east sent the divers to the west side of the atoll: North Crickozeen, South Crickozeen, and Amber Head. The visibility was only 30-40 feet, but the water was a comfortable 84 degrees. They saw lots of schooling fish including Creole wrasse and Bermuda chub. Christi commented that she had never seen such large schools of fish and loved it! They also saw yellow line arrow crabs, spotted moray eels, southern sting rays, barracuda, and a hawksbill sea turtle.
Monday, our divers went to the northwest side of the atoll to The Terrace, Elkins Bay, and Tunnels & Barrels. Visibility was a bit better at 50 feet; the water temperature remained the same. The divers saw some large barracuda, hawksbill turtles, both green and spotted moray eels, spiny lobster, batwing crab, and a rough head blenny.
Tuesday, they headed to the Blue Hole. As usual, they dove to 130 feet and along the way saw a large black grouper and Caribbean reef sharks and with the massive stalactites starting at 90 feet. The next stop was Half Moon Caye Wall with the best visibility of the week so far. Highlights included barracuda, black grouper, queen trigger fish, dog snapper midnight parrot fish, horse eye jacks, Bermuda chub, and a southern sting ray. After the dive, they enjoyed Belizean fried chicken at Half Moon Caye Natural Monument.
Winds continued from the east, so the divers went to the west side of the atoll to dive both North and South Lobster Bay. The visibility was significantly better than previous days and the water was a warm 86 degrees. Highlights of the dive included three spotted eagle rays, spotted moray eel, slender file fish, southern sting rays, sand tile fish, and barracuda. Our divers then took the afternoon off and at dusk headed out for a night dive near the lodge. Christi really wanted to see an octopus and she got her wish, along with long spine sea urchin, spotted moray eels, sleeping parrot fish, and spiny lobsters.
Thursday, the winds diminished and the conditions were perfect for a trip south to The Elbow and Sayonara. The visibility was much improved at 90 feet and the waters were calm. Highlights of The Elbow included permit, black groupers, dog snappers, horse eye jacks, rough tail sting ray, rainbow parrot fish, Atlantic spades, and Bermuda chub. Sayonara was equally impressive with southern sting ray, spotted drum fish, harlequin bass, file fish, and spotted moray eels.
The final day was absolutely perfect with light winds and excellent visibility. Divers went to the east side of the atoll to Jo Jo’s Split and Little Calabash. Highlights included school master snappers, garden eels, hog fish, blue tangs, smooth trunk fish, and barracuda. It was a fantastic way to end the week with excellent conditions and relaxing dives. Christi and Nate planned to stay a few more days for fishing and snorkeling before heading back to Montana.
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June 5-12, 2010
Weather: Clear skies, sunshine, and moderate winds
Air Temp: High 80s to 90s
Water Temp: 80-84 degrees
Visibility: 60-100 feet at most dives
The majority of our guests this week were from Florida and California. Several were return guests to Turneffe Flats who brought along friends and family to enjoy all that Turneffe Flats has to offer including Ray B., David G., Shannon C., Roxanne K. and John K. were all return guests. Andrea T., Nikki G., Stephan T., and David T. were all new to the atoll; and Christopher K. and Evan K. were both here to receive their Open Water Referrals from our Dive Master, Alex.
Day one (Sun.) and the winds were steady from the east, so the dive group went west to Crickozeen North and South, followed by Amber Head. Crickozeen North had good visibility of 70 feet and warm 84 degree water. The group saw lots of tropical fish including lobster, snapper, a jaw fish with an egg sack in its mouth, and the students were able to “hang out” with a huge southern ray that was 4 feet in diameter. Crickozeen North was just as exciting, with several varieties of shrimp, lobster, and the first spotted moray spotted. Amber Head did not disappoint. The highlight of the dive were the two turtles, one perched along the coral watching the divers and the other swimming alongside them. What a great way to start the week!
Mon., the group went northwest to The Terrace, Elkin’s Bay, and Chasbo’s Corner. The group loved the beautiful wall of black coral at The Terrace and the three massive channel clinging crab stole the show. The visibility at Elkin’s bay was excellent at 100-feet. This was the two students’ check-out dive and they were impressed with the razor fish crashing into the sand. They also got to see their first underwater cleaning station, thanks to a grouper and a group of cleaner shrimp. Chasbo’s Corner was a spectacular dive with a plethora of tropical fish among the lush coral. Lizard fish, honey comb cowfish, indigo hamlets, red band parrot fish, tiger grouper, and a batwing crab were just a few of the notable sightings.
The Blue Hole was the first stop of the day on Tues. Three of the divers went to 130 feet to see the massive stalactites while eight divers dove to only 70 feet. The highlight of the dive were five sharks circling as divers ascended. Half Moon Caye Wall was the second dive of the day. The divers loved the swim-throughs and saw over a dozen sting rays and a large green turtle. Quebrada, the final dive of the day, is a beautiful wall with colorful sponges, black coral, and the highlights were a five foot tarpon and a large hawksbill turtle.
Wed. was another beautiful day and the divers went to the west side of the atoll to dive Tarpon Bay, Sponge Shop, and Elgene’s Inn. They were impressed with the lack of dive boats and the calm of the waters in this section of the atoll. Some of the day’s highlights included green moray, hawksbill turtles, lion fish, and scorpion fish.
Conditions were perfect with blue skies, light winds, and excellent visibility beyond 100 feet. The dive group went to the southern tip of the atoll today to dive The Elbow and Little Calabash. Highlights of the day included schooling fish jacks and snapper, file fish, cowfish, eagle rays, and a huge goliath grouper over 200 pounds. That night, some of the divers chose to do a night dive in front of the lodge and saw octopus, squid, lobster, morays, and parrot fish sleeping in their mucus cocoon.
The last day of the trip divers went west on the atoll to Mandy’s Dandy and Molly’s Folly. Highlights of the day included several schools of tropical fish and a large group of yellow jaw fish at Mandy’s Dandy. Mandy’s Dandy was a fantastic finale! The divers saw eagle rays, golden tail moray, a huge hairy cling crab in a barrel sponge, and two massive barracuda.
It was a great week for a great group of family and friends with excellent weather and diving conditions.
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May 29 - June 5, 2010
Weather: Weather this week varied was mostly very nice with some overcast skies and light rain early in the week.
Air Temp: Mid 80’s to low 90’s
Water Temp: 79 to 82 at most dive sites
Visibility: 60ft.-80ft. at most dive sites
The week began with light sprinkes but it soon became absolutely perfect with plenty of sunshine. We had all newcomers to Turneffe Flats this week including two couples from California, John and Janice G., and Lydia H. and Kirk H. John, Lydia, and Kirk were all experienced divers and Janice chose Turneffe Flats to complete her open water dive certification.
Sunday winds from the east and the dive group headed north for their first dive at Lindsey’s Back Porch. They saw an impressive array of sea life including a large hawk’s bill turtle, juvenile spotted drums, rainbow parrots, smooth trunk fish, black grouper. As the winds began to pick up from the east, the group went to the west side of the atoll for the second and third dives at North and South Crickozeen. Highlights of these included yellow line arrow crabs, snapping shrimp, spiny lobsters, a large channel clinging crab, wire coral shrimp, and a southern sting ray. Lydia H. was especially excited to see three spotted moray eels at North Crickozeen.
On Monday the dive group went to the northwest side of the atoll to began their day at The Terrace. Highlights of the dive were horse eye jacks, channel clinging crab, adult lion fish, a school of creole wrasse, and the groups favorite, the batwing crab. The sun began to peek out as the dive group made their way to Elkins Bay. Elkins Bay South was the first stop and the divers saw ocean trigger fish, barracuda, razor fish, and big black grouper. Elkins Bay North was the final dive today and the group saw diamond blenny, adult spotted drum fish, and black durgeons. Janice G. spent the last few days perfecting her skills with our dive master, Alex.
On Tuesday the sun was shining and conditions are great for a trip to The Blue Hole. This highly anticipated dive is a deep dive to 130 ft. to see massive stalactites, large black grouper, Bermuda chubs, and Caribbean reef sharks. Half Moon Caye Wall was next on the agenda and the divers were impressed with the wide variety of sea life. Highlights of the dive were spotted eagle rays, southern sting rays, permit, queen trigger fish, enormous tarpon, green moray eels, and hawks bill sea turtles. The Manta Ray Wall was the final dive of the day with great visibility and lots to see including Bermuda chubs, spiny lobster, honey comb cow fish, and spotted drum fish. The group also had the opportunity to see the red footed boobie birds on Half Moon Caye after their picnic lunch, complete with Belizean fried chicken!
Beautiful blue skies, warm temperatures, and light winds created the perfect conditions for the dive group to head southeast on the atoll on Wednesday. The first dive site, Chinaman Wall, delivered a huge barracuda, southern sting ray, remora, and hog fish. Little Calabash was the second dive today and highlights included green moray eels, southern sting rays, more barracuda, and another spotted eagle ray. The dive group went on a night dive this evening to Northern Bogue, within close proximity to the lodge, and saw octopus, starfish, and sea urchin.
Thursday the group went to the south tip of the atoll to dive The Elbow, Permit Paradise, and Black Beauty. Highlights of the day included huge schools of dog snapper, horse eye jacks, Atlantic Spade, lobster, toad fish, green moray eels, permit and southern sting ray. The weather was excellent and the divers commented on the beauty of the various blue waters around the atoll.
The divers ended their week on the southeastern side of the atoll diving Jo Jo’s Split, Chrissea, and Lee Ellen’s Melons. Highlights of the dive included midnight parrotfish, big barrel sponges, spotted toad fish with babies, spotted eagle ray, spotted drum, large barracuda, and green moray. The group had an excellent week with fantastic weather conditions and they raved about the lack of dive boat traffic around the atoll.
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May 22-29, 2010
Weather: Weather varied from calm and sunny to overcast with light winds.
Air Temp: Mid- to high-80s.
Water Temp: 80 to 84 at most dive sites.
Visibility: 80 to 100 feet.
This week offered generally good conditions for diving around the atoll. As often is the case, we dove all sides of the Atoll due to varying weather patterns. We had veteran Turneffe Flats’ divers Kay and Grif S. from Denver as well as newcomers to Turneffe Flats, Kari and Nick O., from Calgary, Alberta. Nick diversified his week by fly-fishing as well as diving, making sure not to miss Belize’s best-known dive, the Blue Hole. This was the fourth visit to Turneffe Flats for Kay and Grif.
Sunday, the dive group headed to the west side of the atoll as we had some winds from the East at around 8 miles per hour. The first two of the three dives were at South and North Crickozeen, with the water temperature a comfortable 84 degrees and visibility of 80-feet. The third dive was Amber Head and the divers were very impressed by the variety of healthy corals and the lack of dive traffic in the area. Highlights of the day included black grouper, decorator crabs, snapping shrimp, and several lobster. The day ended with a magical display by a jaw fish and its egg sack that left the divers with a lot to talk about over dinner.
Monday, the divers again dove the west side of the atoll and Nick joined the group for his first dive to prepare himself for the Blue Hole on Tuesday. The first dive was Tarpon Bay, followed by Sponge Shop, and finally Elgene’s Inn. Highlights included spotted morays, four types of hamlet and a giant barrel sponge covered in coral shrimp. Once again, the divers commented on the health of the reef.
Tuesday was a beautiful clear day with moderate seas and all divers headed out early for the Blue Hole. The water temperatures were around 84 degrees and the visibility was up to 100 feet. As usual, our dive boat was one of the first boats of the day at the Blue Hole. This is always a very popular and deep dive to 130 feet with huge stalactites and Caribbean reef sharks to view. The next stop was Half Moon Caye where Half Moon Wall offered the group some spectacular swim-throughs and photo opportunities such as sting rays, eagle rays, and green morays. Grif shot some excellent video footage of a hungry ray with a jack tagging along for the leftovers. The last stop was Manta Ray Wall where the divers spotted a large porcupine puffer, enormous barracuda, and cruising tarpon. There was plenty to talk about at the Tuesday evening dinner table, including the fantastic picnic lunch and bird watching at Half Moon Caye.
The divers went south on Wednesday to dive The Elbow and Front Porch. The Elbow, at the southernmost tip of the atoll, often has significant current. Some of the highlights were snapper, jacks, and schools of horse eye jacks and permit. The Front Porch was calm and the divers were delighted to see a pair of big eagle rays. Highlight of the night dive that evening was a playful pair of squid, offering Grif some great photo ops before returning to the lodge for a late dinner.
Calm seas and overcast skies sent the divers to our northeast dive sites, The Terrace, Elkins Bay, and Tunnels and Barrels, on Thursday. The group had three beautiful dives. Highlights included green morays, two eagle rays, lobsters, large groupers, and a plethora of schooling fish. All of the divers raved about the eagle rays and loved this relaxing day in the water.
On Friday, the last day of the trip, the divers were hoping to end the week spotting sharks and turtles, and they got their wish! Calm seas and clear skies with 80-foot visibility made for great conditions as the divers headed south to Jo Jo Split and Little Calabash. This was a day to remember with a huge hawksbill turtle, golden tail moray eel, schools of horse eye jacks, and an exceptional nurse shark as highlights. After such amazing dives, you would not think the day could get better, but it did. On the way back to the resort, they had the opportunity to snorkel with five dolphin – a fantastic week at Turneffe Flats!
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January 10-17, 2009
Among our divers were two from Norway who had come to Belize for their first time. With an 80+ degree difference in winter air temperatures, it was a good choice!
Sunday was overcast with a slight southeasterly wind. We made our way to the west side where it was calm and protected. Crickozeen Cut, Lobster Bay, and Pine Ridge were warm and clear with plenty of fish activity. Schools of Creole wrasse, scad, brown and blue chromis, parrotfish, and several grouper brought the reef to life. We found several spotted eels, green morays, queen angels, lobsters, crabs and two turtles. Our guests were happy snapping pictures of everything and had a varied collection by the end of the day.
On Monday, we went over to the east side and our first dive at JoJo’s Splits was a joyride in the swift current from a falling tide. We covered a long distance in our 50 minute drift and came across schools of horseeye jacks, Cubera snapper, a couple hawksbill turtles, stingrays, and Creole wrasse by the thousands. Chinaman Wall and Little Calabash Caye Wall were spectacular with plenty of fish and more turtles. We found two white spotted toadfish, file fish, porcupine fish, and moray eels.
Tuesday, we decided to dive close to the resort and do our surface interval on the dock. Nelson’s Turnover was a clear and the deep canyons were amazing. A shy turtle refused to have its picture taken, but a permit was very willing and even followed us for a few minutes. There were a few spotted eels and a huge barracuda that escorted us on the last 15 minutes of the dive. After our surface interval, we went out about five minutes from the dock to Secret Garden and it was also spectacular. Barracuda, filefish, morays, lobsters and grouper were all present. The best find was a tiny spotted drum swimming back and forth near a coral head. After lunch, we headed to the Conference Room in front of Cockroach Caye where a couple stingrays quickly greeted us and swam away. A school of more than 30 Cubera snapper cruised back and forth corralling a larger school of bar jacks doing their best to evade the hungry predators.
We did two great dives during the day Wednesday at Chasbo’s Corner and Lindsay’s Back Porch. These were excellent drift dives filled with fish and live coral. We searched the shallows for elusive sea horses, but they were absent. We came in for lunch and then did a great night dive at Northern Bogue after sunset. We were accompanied by a school of juvenile grunt in the beginning and then found a rare sea hare, octopus, several lobsters, shrimp, anemones, brittle stars, crabs and almost everything the night has to offer.
A mild northwesterly wind cleared the water outside the dock and we decided to dive close to the lodge. The weather was overcast, but visibility was easily at over 100-feet at Baker’s Rock, Barracuda Beach, and Devil’s Deep where the wall drops to over 2,000 feet. At only five minutes from the dock, we came in for the surface interval and had a very relaxing rest ashore. The final dive produced several toadfish, lobster, channel clinging crabs and morays. A turtle kept its distance and was very wary about our presence.
Overall it was a great week and out guests took Friday afternoon to fill out their dive logbooks in detail.
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January 3-10, 2009
We had four guests that were looking for some laid back fun and easy diving. Crickozeen Cut had excellent marine life with plenty of active cleaning stations and feeding points. Black grouper and schools of Creole wrasse played the perpetual game of hunter and hunted as gorgonians swayed in the current filtering nutrient-rich plankton. We came across a couple of spotted morays under barrel sponges and even a large channel-clinging crab inside a barrel sponge. Our guests were quite amazed with the vibrant coral that decorated the reef on the Elbow dive. The tide was not at its best and the fish were not very active, but the coral is always there. There were several large rainbow parrot fish, white spotted file fish and the endemic white spotted toad fish. The Blue Hole trip was a little bumpy, but the dives more than made up for it and no one had to convince our divers the trip was worth it. Reef sharks, rays, grouper, turtle, lobsters and the famous booby bird sanctuary visit all combined for a great day. Wednesday we did to easy dives at Elkins Bay and The Terrace where we swam with schools of Creole wrasse and scad while observing some large black grouper and barracuda. After the two dives, we relaxed until sunset and went into our night dive. It was extremely exciting with slipper lobsters, spiny lobsters, different types of crabs and shrimp, a colorful display by a reef octopus; and at the end of the dive we came across a very large sea hare grazing happily on a tuft of algae. Lindsey’s Back Porch had over 100-feet of visibility and schools of fish hovered off the wall. Ocean triggerfish, cero, barracuda, and black durgons aggregated to feed over the wall. Grassy Caye Range also had some excellent visibility and we noticed several grouper, snapper, and parrot fish along the wall. The shallows were littered with sharp nose puffers, sand tile fish, and several conch.
Friday morning we headed for the northwest side in search of calm seas. We were not disappointed and we plunged into the blue water at Chasbo’s Corner where we immediately came face to face with a large barracuda followed by a small hawksbill turtle. We were engulfed by schools of Creole wrasse, scad and herring off the wall as we drifted down. Two more dives at Tunnels and Barrels and Mandy’s Dandy completed the day. A shy green moray inside a tunnel tried his best to avoid the camera, but to no avail. We also found a juvenile spotted drum, decorator crabs, tiny blennies, big snapper, and several large grouper. This week turned out quite good with excellent weather conditions and very happy guests.
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December 28, 2008 - January3, 2009
Mild southeasterly winds directed us to the west side. We scouted around until we found clear blue water at Lobster Bay. Our guests were unfamiliar with Caribbean diving and had brought 5mm wetsuits. We spent a few minutes adjusting their weights and they were surprised to learn we had to triple the amount they originally requested. We went down the wall where a school of about 30 horse eye jacks approached us, turned around and swam off. We found several neck crabs on the deep water sea fans and a couple reef squid over the wall. A tiny hawksbill turtle was gently tucked under a coral head and quickly swam away when we approached. Our second dive at South Snake Point was just as full of marine life and healthy coral, mostly concentrated around a pinnacle that rises from the depths. Our diving guests decided they would take it easy and take the rest of the day off. The week continued with some even better diving on the northwest side and on the east side close to the dock. The dives were full of rays, eels, different types of crabs, lobster, grouper, snapper, colorful sponges, and some of the healthiest coral around. Every dive from The Terrace to Secret Garden had something exciting to see.
On Wednesday, we took out “Ms Ellie,” our Pro 48 Custom Dive Boat. It was so spacious that Karin, one of our divers, hung a hammock to relax during surface interval. The dives were just as great, she even saw her first nurse shark ever. Chinaman Wall, Rusty’s, and The Notch were at their best. We kicked off the New Year with our long boat ride to the Blue Hole. Just like on our Christmas visit, we were the only ones there and the sharks were once again shy. The water was clear and the stalactites were amazing.
Half Moon Caye Wall was crystal clear starting with a solitary permit to a school of bar jacks, followed by an eagle ray and a green turtle. The best part was when we startled an octopus crawling in the sand as we came out a tunnel. Our picnic-style lunch was amazing at Half Moon Caye and all the guests were excited to see the booby bird sanctuary.
The Aquarium was full of friendly fish that gathered around the boat. We even observed four large kingfish hunting among a school of scad and herring. Friday morning we went down to JoJo’s Splits where big horse eye jacks, and dog snapper appeared from nowhere, surrounded us, and then swam away. We also came across several school master snapper, stingrays in the sand, and some of the largest barrel sponges in the atoll. Our second dive was at Nelson’s Turnover in front of the dock. We followed a groove from the wall up to the shallows where a very large barracuda curiously observed us before heading straight to one of the guest’s camera housing dome. We came in for lunch and our guests decided they were ready to hang their wetsuits for the week.
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December 20-27, 2008
It was a great week with mild breeze and flat seas. We started around Calabash Caye on the east side of the atoll with guests eager to explore our underwater marvels. Turtles, eagle rays, moray eels, sting rays, and of course, millions of sharp nose puffers, all greeted us as we drifted along the walls. Everyone took snapshots of the marine life that abounded on the healthy reef from wide angle to macro and everything in between. The week was going well, with several rare findings including batwing crabs, nudibranchs, a sea horse (that only one guest saw), and even a sea hare. On Christmas morning, we departed early to the Blue Hole. Surprisingly, we were the only ones there and the sharks were very shy and kept their distance. Visibility was not the best, but it was still clear at depth as we glided along the stalactites. Half Moon Caye Wall had great visibility and we saw a hawksbill turtle and several lobsters along with the usual schools of fish. Three very large tarpon caught our attention as we prepared for our safety stop. They circled us and hung under the boat for a couple minutes before swimming away. Our last dive for the day was at the Aquarium at Long Caye. Schools of Bermuda Chub, Yellowtail snapper, sergeant majors, and horse eye jacks assembled around the boat when we moored. We drifted at 50 feet and were immediately engulfed by thousands of Creole wrasse, scad, and herring. As we broke out of the school, we noticed several black grouper stalking out in the blue. A pair of cero and a solitary king fish cruised back and forth trying to get a bite out of the polarized schools. A couple medium size reef sharks also cruised down the wall beneath us while a large hawksbill turtle calmly swam over the wall. We immediately joined the turtle without disturbing it and everyone with a camera snapped away as the turtle posed generously. We ended the week on the northwest side where we plunged into action at Chasbo’s Corner, Tunnels and Barrels, and Mandy’s Dandy. The usual schools of Creole wrasse, vibrant coral, brilliant sponges, and endless tropical fish were present. A pair of eagle rays cruised gently off the wall on the second dive ignoring our presence as we stared in amazement at these magnificent creatures. The guests were very satisfied with our operation and the quality of the reef and plan to make a return trip to Turneffe Flats for some of the best diving around.
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November 23 - 29, 2008
The week started with sunny and warm conditions so we decided to head for the Western side of Turneffe Atoll for three dives. All the dives had over 80 feet visibility and mild current which gave guests an outstanding preview of Turneffe diving. Crickozeen Cut was teaming with a variety of reef fish and a colony of garden eels swayed in the sand near the mooring. An adult spotted drum patrolled its territory as a tiny juvenile spotted drum shadowed it under a coral head. Black grouper stalked the sea fans as schools herring, scad, and creole wrasse confused bar jacks in the water column. Amber Head was full of fish as well. Two green morays stared at us as we descended as a hawksbill turtle rested in the sand. We even found a perfectly camouflaged octopus under a brain coral staring at us with threatening eyes. An eagle ray glided over the edge of the drop off while several dog snapper hunted over the ard corals. Barrel sponges concealed everything from lobsters to spider crabs plus green and spotted morays. It was an exciting dive. Tarpon Bay was even better with even more fish than the previous dive. We found a juvenile smooth trunkfish less than half an inch big with a round black body and yellow dots just like a little marble. It was a good first day and we were ready for more.
On Monday we did two dives in the morning at Corona and The Notch. Sheer walls with schools of creole wrasse and herring as well as plenty of black grouper, barracuda, and bar jacks decorated by colorful sponges and corals grabbed our attention throughout the dive. We did a surface interval in the afternoon and prepared for the night dive at Northern Bogue. The evening sky showed brittle stars as the sun went down. Several anemones came out and hunted around the coral heads while tiger tail sea cucumbers stretched out over the sand feeding on detritus. Long spine sea urchins grazed on algae as flamingo tongue cowries feasted on sea plumes. The night dive was a perfect transition into a day at the Blue Hole and Half Moon Caye.
Visibility at the Blue Hole was average but we could still make out reef sharks in the distance as we glided through the stalactites. We did our last two dives at Half Moon Caye and visibility was once again average but improved 100% by the final dive. Schools of fish hovered above us as we glided through the maze of canyons and tunnels. It was a very nice day under the water and everyone enjoyed his or her experience.
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November 16 - 21, 2008
This week brought a cold front and northerly winds that allowed us to utilize many leeward sites around Turneffe Atoll.
On Sunday, the water was 80°F which was warmer than the air causing a little discomfort during the surface interval. All the divers were eager to stay in the water as long as possible. The wind also produced some challenges on Sunday when water from inside the lagoon was pushed onto the reef leaving a green hue on the surface. After 2 dives full of short nose puffers, barracuda, garden eels, and an eagle ray at The Chutes and Rusty’s, both in front of Calabash Caye, our guests decided they were ready to go in and we called it a day.
Monday was completely different from Sunday. All the green water had blown out and the sea was blue and clear with visibility in the 100 feet range. We did not feel as cold as the day before though temperatures remained the same. JoJo’s Splits, Corona, and The Notch were splendid with schools of creole wrasse, black groupers, colorful sponges, and a variety of coral. We even found two endemic white spotted toadfish and an octopus.
On Tuesday the area near the lodge was really nice and we decided to stay close. We took the short boat ride and had three excellent dives at Lindsey’s Back Porch, Grassy Caye Range, and Cockroach Caye Banks. We saw eagle rays on all three dives as well as plenty of conch, several lobsters, a couple green morays, spotted morays, a school of cero, and some barracuda.
Wednesday was even better with three great dives less than 5 minutes from the dock. Barracuda at Nelson’s Turn Over and Front Door were very active. Lobsters were sparse but spider crabs and channel clinging crabs were abundant. A shy eagle ray made a couple passes but kept its distance while some black grouper stared at us curiously. We hovered over deep canyons at Secret Garden and came across large nurse shark. We can almost guarantee nurse sharks at this site and the one we found as over 6 feet long.
The weather dramatically improved by Thursday and we made the trip to the Blue Hole. Visibility was great allowing us to see reef sharks at a distance as we swam around the stalactites. Our second dive was at The Chimney at Half Moon Caye Wall where we explored the tunnels and canyons as fish of all sizes gazed at us in amazement. We followed a southern stingray that appeared to have a huge shark bite on one of its wings and two other stingrays joined us at our safety stop. The last dive was the most amazing of the week when we went down the wall at The Cathedral and a reef shark tailed us in curiosity. The shark’s produced close, curious passes but was quick to keep a distance when we faced it with our own curious looks. It eventually swam away and did not return for further close passes.
On the last day we went to the Elbow on the southern tip of the atoll. The cold front had blown all the murky water south and it was very disappointing. The first few feet were warm and clear but past 20 feet it immediately got green, visibility was down to less than 20 feet and it was a chilling 75°F. We aborted the dive after half an hour since we could hardly see anything and we were too busy trying to stay warm. We decided to do two longer dives to finish off the week. Dead Mabiklan’s Caye South was warm and clear. Creole wrasse and a few stingrays welcomed us as we glided over small canyons and gorgonians. We inspected the star coral heads in the shallows for octopus and found four nice specimens. Empty shells from previous meals quickly gave away the position of two octopuses beneath the same coral head. We finished at Monkey Man Cut where the buttress wall shelters many juvenile tropical fish. Plate and star coral cover the entire wall and we came across a toadfish lying proud in a small crevice. A huge channel clinging crab waved menacing at us on a small canyon as we inspected a discarded anchor with several feet of line coral encrusted on the reef. We ended a good week when a large barracuda circled us during our safety stop.
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October 26 - November 1, 2008
The sea was flat Sunday and our guest wanted to dive close by the resort. We went out to Lindsey’s Back Porch where we were able to make out a magnificent wall in the clear water. Black grouper patrolled us as creole wrasse picked the water column for plankton. We came across a huge green moray with a fresh cut under its chin. It looked menacing and we all gave it space to heal its wounds. Towards the end of the dive a school of big king fish came around us and hung around for a few minutes before disappearing into the blue. The second dive was at Grassy Caye Range where channel clinging crabs and lobster decorated the wall. We also found several large conchs that had obviously evaded fishermen looking for them. Black durgons and queen triggerfish hovered in small schools as we observed a sand tilefish build a nest in the sand. We came to the dock for lunch and went out to the Secret Garden for the next dive. The visibility was unbelievable with over 100 feet of clear water. A hawksbill turtle lay motionless inside a deep canyon and 2 large barracuda curiously inspected us as we were coming close to the end of our dive. At the end of the dive we hovered over a large star coral head decorated with colorful juvenile fish and sea fans.
The second day we did 2 dives at JR’s Place and The Chutes on the East side of Turneffe. The sheer wall covered with deep-water sea fans was full of angelfish, wrasse, and parrotfish. We even found four channel clinging crabs in one small section of the wall and a huge green moray. In the shallows was a small school of squid and several yellow head jawfish popping in and out of the sand. All the divers enjoyed the diverse species as well as outstanding visibility.
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August 16-23, 2008
Weather Conditions: Sunny with Scattered Clouds
Winds: 5- 10 with one windier day.
Air Temp.: High 80’s most of the week.
Water Temp.: low 80’s with moderate visibility. Coral Spawn on Wednesday.
Tides: August 16-23- Low tide around noon.
Moon Phase: Full Moon on Saturday, August 16th.
The week began with plenty of fish at “Amber Head” on the west side of Turneffe Atoll. Occasional clouds lowered visibility every now and then but it was never disappointing.
A school of ocean triggerfish greeted us as we plunged into ‘Lindsay’s Back Porch” on the second day. Stingrays, grouper, moray eels and toadfish made up an exciting day of diving in the immediate vicinity of the resort.
Tuesday was hot with unusually flat seas as we headed to the “Blue Hole.” A 130-foot plunge to swim among stalactites in an overhead environment is nothing short of exciting. Reef sharks and black grouper kept us company at our safety stop. Our second dive at “Half Moon Caye Wall” was breathtaking. Stingrays foraged in the sand and we came close and personal with a spotted eagle ray, which swam straight into us as we exited a canyon. The wall was full of macro life, huge gorgonians and sponges. Several swim-throughs and schooling fish added to the experience to make an amazing dive. We had a picnic lunch on the beach at Half Moon Caye to wind down a great day around the “Blue Hole.”
Patrolling eagle rays along the wall at “Elkin’s Bay” were a welcome sight in cloudy water. “Devil’s Deep,” about 5 minutes from the Turneffe Flat’s dock proved to be cloudy as well due to spawning coral. Although the visibility was limited we still saw plenty of critters including a channel clinging crab that posed for pictures.
The night dive this week was spectacular with an unusual amount of bioluminescence near the surface. Hundreds of brittle stars skirmished about the hard coral and sleeping parrotfish were everywhere. We even found a sleeping slender filefish firmly attached to a sea plume and a lettuce sea slug crawling around.
On Thursday morning we dove the “Elbow.” Visibility was excellent and hundreds of Cubera snapper stalked the reef. Brilliant colored gorgonians swayed in the fast current as schools of horse eye jacks circled above. We saw several black grouper, jacks and snapper gang up on a polarized school of herring breaking it up in a frenzy. We followed up with two milder dives at “Sayonara” and “Triple Anchors.”
Friday was very relaxed. The weather was nice and the sea was flat. We drifted down “Chasbo’s Corner” through schools of creole wrasse and yellowtail snapper. The day ended at “Tunnels and Barrels” as we saw millions of silversides and minnows that attracted all types of fish for a feeding frenzy. We glided gently with a hawksbill turtle before our safety stop.
Despite the coral spawn and a small mechanical issue the week was very exciting. Turneffe Flats offers such close proximity to a variety of diverse dive sites that it’s almost impossible to have a bad week. Weather its drifting along in the current of the “Elbow” or looking up at the overhead environment at the “Blue Hole” Turneffe offers some of the Caribbean’s best diving.
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We decided to dive the east side of Turneffe Atoll. “Jo-Jo’s Splits” and ‘The Notch” were both rich with marine life and visibility was great. Everything, from the big Eagle rays and channel clinging crabs, to the tiny cleaner shrimp and slender file fish, posed for great pictures. We finished at “Little Calabash Caye Wall” where we found an endemic White Spotted Toad Fish. “Lindsey’s Back Porch” had great visibility. The deep grooves and sheer wall that disappeared in the abyss were full of tiny tropicals, stalking grouper and barracuda, while “The Terrace” and “Mandy’s Dandy” were teeming with schooling fish. Dog Snapper, Creole Wrasse, Horse Eye Jacks, Black Grouper and Bar Jacks were all there, but the highlight of the day was a curious and friendly green turtle that swam toward us and hung around for a few minutes.
On Tuesday we took the hour-long trip to Lighthouse Reef. The boat rode the swells with ease and comfort. We took the 130 foot plunge into the Blue Hole, where our divers stared amazingly at the huge stalactites that suspended from the ceiling into the clear waters. Black Grouper, Bermuda Chub, and curious Reef Sharks kept us company at our safety stop.
“Half Moon Caye” Wall was abundant with fish as always. We were the first boat there, so we took our guests to one of my secret spots where we had fun in the swim-threws. “The Aquarium” had slight current sweeping plankton along the wall. Visibility was about 60 feet, but the fish variety was spectacular. A friendly Hawks Bill Turtle hung out with us at the end of the dive. “Now I know why you call here “The Aquarium” commented one of the guests, still amazed after the dive. I looked at Alex, our captain, and said, “It was only average, wait ‘til she comes here on a good day”. The fact is that any average day at any site on the west of Long Caye at Lighthouse Reef is better than what most of our guests are used to.
Our guests were scheduled to leave on Wednesday, but decided to stay one more day for extra great diving. It was a smooth ride to the famous “Elbow”. There were small swells but the water was clear and we could easily make out a large school of Horse Eye Jacks under the boat. “Are you sure this is the spot?” asked one of the guests. “Oh yeah, this place is my backyard” replied Captain Dubs. I agreed and in no time we were descending. The current swept us right through a school of Cubera Snapper. The 30 pounders looked menacing at first, but thoughts of how tasty they are, quickly put our fears away. Black Grouper stalked the deep water, sea fans and Bar Jacks attacked a polarized school of Herring. Horse Eye Jacks circled in their usual pattern, Dog Snapper faced the current for treats and Permit darted about the water column. I have done this dive so many times and not get bored. There is just something about “The Elbow” that keeps you wanting to come back. The current swept us over thousands of feet of blue water before our planned dive time. We cut it short and surfaced.
This dive was so spectacular it made our last dive at Black Beauty simply seem like filler.
The sheer wall, black coral, Toad Fish, cleaning stations and everything else seemed lame after the Elbow.
July 27-30, 2008
This was a fairly easy drift dive and everyone adjusted quickly. Several grouper, lobster, crabs and snapper filled the dive. “Jo-Jo’s Splits” and “Little Calabash Caye Wall” completed the day with sting rays, morays, grouper, snapper and jacks.
The following day was just as smooth and we went straight to Lighthouse Reef. “Blue Hole” was spectacular wit few divers and excellent visibility The reef sharks are always fun when they are swimming around us and everyone loved them. “Half Moon Caye Wall” was clear with astonishing walls and colorful coral. Plenty of stingrays and a gentle turtle made our day. We had picnic style lunch on the beach and took a tour of the Booby Bird Sanctuary. We then moved over to “Silver Caves” at Long Caye for our last dive. The shallow ledge drops down into the abyss and plenty of fish make it their home. Black coral abounds in less than 80 ft of water and tarpon and permit cruise by graciously. Limited time restricted us to the west side on the last day but poor visibility made us change location. “Lobster Bay” and “Snake Point” had far better visibility as well as healthy coral and plenty of fish. Turtles, rays, squid, and deep water sea fans kept our eyes busy as we glided thought the blue water.
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