Diving Reports
Our dive reports are written regularly by Turneffe Flats. If you have any questions about current diving conditions or would like to contact us, please email us at: tflats@rapidnet.com or by telephone at 1-888-512-8812.
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.
_____________________________________________________________________________
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.
____________________________________________________________________________
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.
___________________________________________________________________________
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.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
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.
_____________________________________________________________________________
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.
____________________________________________________________________________
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.
_____________________________________________________________________________
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.
_______________________________________________________________________
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.
______________________________________________________
June 7-14, 2008
The North West side madethe second day even better with black coral covering the steep wall at the terrace and topping the day of with schools of dog and cubera snapper at Chasbo’s Corner.
We hit the Elbow on day 3. Schools of bar jacks and creole wrasse led us to stalking Black Grouper off the wall while some yellow fin and tiger grouper waited patiently as cleaner shrimp and gobies cleaned them up near some barrel sponges. Black Beauty was great with eagle rays, toad fish, moray eels and lots of bush black coral. The highlight of the day was a massive head of star coral housing over twenty spiny lobster at anchor creek.
Day 4 took us back to the northwest side. Schools of black grouper and dog snapper as well as a curious eagle ray made Mandy’s Dandy worthwhile. Swim throughs, barrel sponges, deep water sea fans, schools of Creole wrasse and yellow tail snapper at Tunnels & Barrels kept us amazed throughout the dive. WE headed home after the second dive and waited for sunset and our night dive. The dark was crawling with critters. Octopus, sea starts, anemones, urchins, parrot fish, cardinal fish, glossy sweepers and many others made time go fast.
The following day we departed early for the Blue Hole. Stalactites, great visibility, black grouper and reef sharks filled the list. Half Moon Caye Wall with deep canyons and endless swim-throughs was nothing short of amazing. Three eagle rays cruised by in a single file as we came over the wall. Barracuda, grouper, snapper, hog fish, parrot fish, and countless live conchs had us alert all the way. We had a picnic style lunch at Half Moon Caye. After a tour at the Baby Bird Sanctuary, we headed to Silver Caves at Long Caye. The shallow 20 foot ledge drops to 180 feet. We leveled off at 55 feet and were immediately greeted by yellow tail snapper and thousands of creole wrasse.
Horse eye jacks circled by and I spotted a pair of neck crabs doing their best to camouflage themselves with algae and blend into a sea rod but not when I’m around. Bush black coral abound in large quantities starting at 50 feet. We finished of through a maze of swim throughs and a curious eagle ray posing for photos at the safety stop. We broke through the huge school of bermuda chub under the boat and called it a day.
June 7-14, 2008
On the last day the wind had eased down enough for us to do the East side. JoJo’s Splits was rich in marine life. Cleaning stations, schooling fish and brilliant coral all in a spectacular wall, we finished off the day at Calabash Caye. Two more great dives with friendly turtles, eagle rays, morays, and swaying gorgonians.
______________________________________________________
June 5-6, 2008,
We kicked off 2 days of diving with only 2 guests; a pair of experienced and excited instructors from Australia. Our first dive was Blue Hole. We had excellent visibility regardless of the large number of divers from at least 5 other dive boats that were there. We swam through the Stalactites and were greeted by a huge black grouper and seven Caribbean reef sharks at our safety stop. Half Moon Caye Wall and Quebrada were both great dives with great visibility, plenty of marine life, swim-throughs, colorful coral and sponges, and the highlight was when an 8 Foot manta ray came to check us out at our safety stop on our last dive. Three fishing guests took time off to join us on the second day. We started at the Elbow where vibrant coral, swaying sea fans and other gorgonians beckoned us toward the blue abyss. We leveled off at 100 feet and drifted in the mild current. Several black and tiger groupers stalked Creole Wrasse and Bar Jacks who teased them as they schooled by. Rainbow parrot fish grazed on algae and dog snapper hovered, waiting for an opportunistic meal to pass by. A few scattered permit swam by and horse-eye jacks circled about. Our second dive was at Black Beauty. A pair of Wahoo came out of the blue towards us followed by an eagle ray then a hawksbill turtle. It was a great dive with lots to see. The wind picked up and we moved to the south west side for the last dive. Anchor Creek was the best choice. Visibility was not bad; we dropped down to 50 feet by a coral encrusted 17th century anchor. Schools of Creole Wrasse and yellow tail snapper abound here. Lots of lobster peeped from every crevice, and a few channel clinging crabs crawled by on the coral heads. It was a good 2 days of diving.
_______________________________________________________
May 3-10, 2008
The week started hyped up with four divers looking for a great week of diving in Belize. Nice weather took us to the West side of the Atoll to kick off the week. “Tarpon Bay” was just right with over 80 Feet visibility and plenty of fish to keep us busy. Black Grouper lined up at cleaning stations and sea fans swayed back and forth as we searched for the elusive Pigmy File Fish. We were not disappointed as a handful of them did their best to avoid the cameras flashing about. We ended day one with a curious turtle checking us out around the safety stop.
The excitement just rolled on as we descended into day number 2. “Chasbo’s Corner” has never been a disappointment on a falling ride and we timed it just right. Dog Snapper, Black Grouper, Channel Clinging Crabs, and another turtle shared the spotlight. We called it a day after and a day after an amazing immersion at “Elkin Bay”.
Two more divers joined us on day three. We headed to Calabash Caye for spectacular wall diving. “The Chutes”, Chinaman Wall” and “Sheer Delight” were filled with marine life curious to greet us. Squid, Eagle Rays, Turtles, Morays, and schools of Creole Wrasse kept us all on our fin tips. We found ourselves at the “Elbow” on day 4. This dive is worth diving any time. Current was mild and schooling fish were not very active but the vibrant coral cannot be matched anywhere else. Colors and variety is the norm here as well as Dog Snapper, Black Grouper and thousands of Bar Jack. “Front Porch” was marvelous. The South East Side of Turneffe has never let me down when I’m looking for Spotted Eagle Rays and the endemic White spotted Toad Fish. This day was no different. After lunch we decided to take a dip by “Dead man’s Caye” instead of “Grand Bogue”. A pod of 10 curious dolphins came around as we descended. They hung around us for a while then moved off. Colorful coral, Pigmy filefish and more Toad Fish made the dive even better.
On day 5 we started with the best dive so far. After an hour boat ride to Light House Reef we plunged for 2 great dives of Half Moon Caye. A 9’ Caribbean Reef shark welcomed us as we dove off the wall. Graceful Triggerfish, Grouper, colorful Tropicals, Conch and Stingrays filled the sea. After lunch on the beach and a visit to the Booby Bird Sanctuary, we went over to “the Cathedral” on Long Caye, Tarpon, Rays, Creole Wrasse, Horse Eye Jacks, unlimited coral, swim-throughs and Barracuda made the trip worth while.
We ended the week with two relaxed dives on the North West side. Black Coral, Turtles, Schools of fish, and calm, warm tropical waters completed our itinerary.
____________________________________________________________________
January 19 - January 26, 2008
Weather Conditions: High winds in the early week with clearing skies as the days went on.
Winds: 10-15 mph out of the N/NE.
Air Temp.: Upper 70s.
Water temp.: Temperatures were cool in the upper 70s.
Visibility: 100-foot visibility.
We started the week with a cold front passing through. With the windy weather, the two divers were a little skeptical at first, but we still did two dives the first day. We boarded the “Sea Dog” and Capt. Frank took us to a couple of dive sites around Calabash Caye, famous for sheer walls and a forest of yellow tube sponges. Joe, one of the divers, suggested that we go look for some small critters because he was interested in doing some macro photography. We found shrimp, crabs, and some shy toad fish mixed in with the sea fans that worked well for his needs. Joe’s camera was outfitted with various lenses and buttons and rigged with fancy strobes. It could have easily blended into a sci-fi movie set. We spent the next two days on the east and northeast side of the atoll looking for the tiniest reef dwellers while ignoring the turtles, rays, sharks, and barracuda that would swim by wondering why we were so interested in the dark nooks and crannies. One ‘cuda wanted continuous attention as it followed Joe everywhere.
The next day, Joe decided to go fishing while Missy went to the northwest side of the atoll with Aldo Perez, our Dive Master. The spur and groove formations and colorful coral with abundant fish, topped off with 100-foot visibility were just right. We even stopped off for a beach break on a small island on the way back to the resort. The night dive was great with glassy sweepers, damselfish, and gobies everywhere. Apart from the annoying worms that swarmed our lights, this was a great dive.
We ended the week on the west side, gliding through sea fans and sea plumes that seemed to reach out and touch us. Scattered coral covers the western slope patrolled by yellow tail snapper and doctor fish. Visibility was down a bit, but the dive team enjoyed gliding through the blue – not worrying about anything but their trip coming to an end.
January 5 - January 12, 2008
Weather Conditions: Overcast on day one and sunny the rest of the week.
Winds: 5-15mph with winds throughout the week
Water Temp.: 81 degrees from surface down to 90’.
Visibility: 80’-100’.
The Beaver Diver group from Vail, Colorado joined us for a great week of diving. All divers were Nitrox certified and enjoyed nice conditions throughout the week. The first day's dives took place on the leeward side of the Atoll where the underwater life and reef were spectacular. Sitings included Spiny Lobster, Southern Stingrays and Eagle Rays which continued to circle our group throughout the dive.
Our trip to the Blue Hole was a nearly perfect day. The weather was calm and allowed for 3 great dives. As one of the first boats to the Blue Hole that morning, we had good visibility in the Blue Hole and the stalagtitels at 90 feet were very impressive. Large Black Grouper were present as well as a number of Caribbean Reef Sharks.
The picnic at Half Moon Caye was lots of fun for everyone and Half Moon Wall was spectacular with large schools of Jacks that enveloped the dive group at times. Our Dive Masters, Alex and Anthony found all sorts of things from Scorpion Fish to Eels and even a large Octopus in the middle of feeding on a large Conch. The Octopus put on a display of color changes for all divers but didn't give up his meal.
This week was finished with a trip to the southern end of the Turneffe Atoll to dive The Elbow. With a nice variety of fish seen, it was a great last dive for an already great week. Casey, the group leader,, commented that "both of the Dive Masters did an excellent job keeping us entertained and well informed on all dives. This is why I like bringing groups to Turneffe Flats." We hope to see Beaver Divers again soon.
November 24 - December 1, 2007
Weather Conditions: Overcast in early week, mostly sunny by the end of the week.
Winds: 5-15mph with winds switching from North to Northeast.
Air Temp.: low 80’s.
Water Temp.: 81 degrees from surface down to 90’.
Visibility: 80’-100’
This week brought us several experienced divers as well as a student referral along with his newly certified friend. Skye, our student referral, said "I couldn’t have picked a better spot to finish my Open Water course." Alex, our Dive Instructor, took Skye and Bennet on an amazing underwater experience and found plenty of Spiny Lobster along with a 4’ Nurse Shark that almost posed for the cameras.
Alex Edwards feels that there is no better place in the world to finish your Certification than here at Turneffe Atoll. We have a great environment with calm waters, excellent visibility, and a wide diversity of Caribbean species that inhabit our reef. This is a great place to spoil the first time divers and experienced divers as well.
"It always amazes me to see the expressions on new divers faces when they view those Giant Barrel Sponges, and watching the Banded Shrimp under the sponges. No matter what their age, it is like seeing the look of a kid discovering something for the first time. I enjoy answering all of their questions that come from these experiences and sharing dive stories."
Emric Cabrall, our Dive Master, took the experienced dive group for a tour around the forest like environment consisting of colorful corals, sponges and tropical fish. On these dives Emric skillfully spotted many different critters that roam our reef ranging from Nurse Sharks, Eels, Rays, and the many Channel Clinging crabs. Our trip to the Blue Hole on Friday allowed the divers a good look at the many Stalactites, huge Groupers, and Reef Sharks that call this spot home. The Red Footed Booby birds complimented the trip well.
November 17 - 24, 2007
Weather Conditions: Overcast skies early in week with mostly sunny skies during the later part of the week.
Winds: 5-15 mph with shifting winds throughout the week.
Air Temp.: 80-86 degrees.
Water temp.: From surface to 90 feet, the temperature was 81 degrees.
Visibility: 80’ clearly
The first few day started with some rain which fortunately didn’t affect the dives at all. This was a week of Lobsters, Rays, and Eels.
Everyone had their own special occurrences. Michelle was dubbed our "Ray lady". On nearly every dive she had multiple rays congregate around her almost like a magical aura. These rays seemed just as interested in her as she was with them .
Volker from California had a particularly good eye and was fortunate to spot a number of interesting things. "I have been with many lucky divers before, but Volker was very lucky on every dive" says Alex Edwards, our Dive Instructor here on the Island. He seemed to find Eels on every dive, from Spotted Morays to Golden Tails. During one of our surface intervals Volker had told me that he had seen most all the sharks that inhabit our reef with the exception of the Nurse Shark. Almost like it was meant to be, on the very next dive we spotted a 5’ Nurse Shark that seemed to appear just for Volker. His camera and mind captured many images of this moment!
Robert sighted a Hawks billed Turtle at 60’ foot depth. The turtle measured 2-1/2’ across and he spent several intimate minutes kneeling beside this magnificent creature.
Tina even had her special memories with some Balloon Puffers that were "puffed up" for her to see. Kate, one of our anglers, took time out from her fishing to dive one day. She was treated to a large school of Horse eyed Jacks, Black Groupers, Creole Wrasses, and countless, colorful, reef fish that helped make her trip even more memorable.
November 10-17, 2007
Divers were greeted with a cool weather and winds that shifted between the northwest and the northeast. Air temperatures ranged from the mid-70s to mid-80s and water temperatures hovered right at 80, which felt like bathwater in the cooler air. Visibility was very good – 80 to 100 feet!
The week’s first dives offered up two of the Atoll’s residents, a couple of loggerhead turtles and an manatee. Robert, of Ledyard, Conn., a frequent Turneffe Flats visitor, commented, “I have never seen a manatee on any of my previous dives here . . . what a special memory.”
The shifting winds made it necessary to utilize various diving options on both the west and east sides of the Atoll. These are really two very different underwater areas with a great diversity of diving. “That is one good thing about Turneffe Flats, you can always find a leeward area to dive,” said Alex Edwards, our Dive Instructor.
As the week went on, the overcast weather made dive site selection an issue. Despite the weather, Dive Master Emric Cabral was always able to find clear water, ideal locations to spot numerous reef inhabitants from spiny lobster to Moray eels.
Al, from Mass., was overjoyed to come face-to-face with several spotted eagle rays that seemed just as interested in him as he was with them.
The week ended with an exciting dive into the nearby world famous Blue Hole. Both black tipped reef sharks and bull sharks were out in numbers and they stayed with the divers for most of the dive, affording plenty of camera opportunities. Additionally, large black grouper put on quite an underwater show.
September 15-22, 2007
What a great week! Jeff Gay took over the lodge exclusively with a great group from Gainesville, Georgia. Including Dana, Sylvia and Christine who came to finish their Open Water Certification with us. Recently our dive staff has been joined by Alex Edwards, PADI instructor and now our new Dive Program Manager. Alex has certified many divers from all levels and these were his first with Turneffe Flats. The three succeeded wonderfully - congratulations ladies - and enjoyed great diving at Calabash and the infamous Elbow, amongst other dive sites.
Earlier this year we were joined by Emric Cabral who is Dive mastering the Turneffe Flats dive boat and took our newly certified divers out for their first OW diving. Emric is brother of Dubs and Dion, both are fishing guides at Turneffe Flats.
Christmas Week, 2007
We had a blast Christmas Week. We certified 5 new divers along the way. Nearly every dive was fantastic. We were able to dodge the 2 bad weather days and put in time around Calabash and out front. We saw turtles, toad fish and octopus. Half Moon Wall was the dive of the week, 14 Eagle Rays were counted. This time of year we can get cold fronts (75 degrees), it can get a little chilly on the boat so bring along a sweat shirt. Also a 3mm full suit will help keep you warm.
November 11-25, 2006
This week we were joined by "the Mud Club" a great group of diving buddies from the D.C. area. These guys really enjoyed diving out front and around the calabash area a few miles south. Sorry about the huge gap in updates. We added a new page to the website and everything since the last update was deleted. So.... since Sept 13th, we have expanded our dive services to include Nitrox and opened our new dive center. The dive center houses our rental equipment and serves as our class room for dive certifications.
September 9-13, 2006
A great few days! This week's divers were only here for three days before they took off for the mainland. Those fe
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.
_____________________________________________________________________________
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.
____________________________________________________________________________
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.
___________________________________________________________________________
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.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________
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.
_____________________________________________________________________________
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.
____________________________________________________________________________
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.
_____________________________________________________________________________
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.
_______________________________________________________________________
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.
______________________________________________________
June 7-14, 2008
The North West side made
We hit the Elbow on day 3. Schools of bar jacks and creole wrasse led us to stalking Black Grouper off the wall while some yellow fin and tiger grouper waited patiently as cleaner shrimp and gobies cleaned them up near some barrel sponges. Black Beauty was great with eagle rays, toad fish, moray eels and lots of bush black coral. The highlight of the day was a massive head of star coral housing over twenty spiny lobster at anchor creek.
Day 4 took us back to the northwest side. Schools of black grouper and dog snapper as well as a curious eagle ray made Mandy’s Dandy worthwhile. Swim throughs, barrel sponges, deep water sea fans, schools of Creole wrasse and yellow tail snapper at Tunnels & Barrels kept us amazed throughout the dive. WE headed home after the second dive and waited for sunset and our night dive. The dark was crawling with critters. Octopus, sea starts, anemones, urchins, parrot fish, cardinal fish, glossy sweepers and many others made time go fast.
The following day we departed early for the Blue Hole. Stalactites, great visibility, black grouper and reef sharks filled the list. Half Moon Caye Wall with deep canyons and endless swim-throughs was nothing short of amazing. Three eagle rays cruised by in a single file as we came over the wall. Barracuda, grouper, snapper, hog fish, parrot fish, and countless live conchs had us alert all the way. We had a picnic style lunch at Half Moon Caye. After a tour at the Baby Bird Sanctuary, we headed to Silver Caves at Long Caye. The shallow 20 foot ledge drops to 180 feet. We leveled off at 55 feet and were immediately greeted by yellow tail snapper and thousands of creole wrasse.
Horse eye jacks circled by and I spotted a pair of neck crabs doing their best to camouflage themselves with algae and blend into a sea rod but not when I’m around. Bush black coral abound in large quantities starting at 50 feet. We finished of through a maze of swim throughs and a curious eagle ray posing for photos at the safety stop. We broke through the huge school of bermuda chub under the boat and called it a day.
June 7-14, 2008
On the last day the wind had eased down enough for us to do the East side. JoJo’s Splits was rich in marine life. Cleaning stations, schooling fish and brilliant coral all in a spectacular wall, we finished off the day at Calabash Caye. Two more great dives with friendly turtles, eagle rays, morays, and swaying gorgonians.
______________________________________________________
June 5-6, 2008,
We kicked off 2 days of diving with only 2 guests; a pair of experienced and excited instructors from Australia. Our first dive was Blue Hole. We had excellent visibility regardless of the large number of divers from at least 5 other dive boats that were there. We swam through the Stalactites and were greeted by a huge black grouper and seven Caribbean reef sharks at our safety stop. Half Moon Caye Wall and Quebrada were both great dives with great visibility, plenty of marine life, swim-throughs, colorful coral and sponges, and the highlight was when an 8 Foot manta ray came to check us out at our safety stop on our last dive. Three fishing guests took time off to join us on the second day. We started at the Elbow where vibrant coral, swaying sea fans and other gorgonians beckoned us toward the blue abyss. We leveled off at 100 feet and drifted in the mild current. Several black and tiger groupers stalked Creole Wrasse and Bar Jacks who teased them as they schooled by. Rainbow parrot fish grazed on algae and dog snapper hovered, waiting for an opportunistic meal to pass by. A few scattered permit swam by and horse-eye jacks circled about. Our second dive was at Black Beauty. A pair of Wahoo came out of the blue towards us followed by an eagle ray then a hawksbill turtle. It was a great dive with lots to see. The wind picked up and we moved to the south west side for the last dive. Anchor Creek was the best choice. Visibility was not bad; we dropped down to 50 feet by a coral encrusted 17th century anchor. Schools of Creole Wrasse and yellow tail snapper abound here. Lots of lobster peeped from every crevice, and a few channel clinging crabs crawled by on the coral heads. It was a good 2 days of diving.
_______________________________________________________
May 3-10, 2008
The week started hyped up with four divers looking for a great week of diving in Belize. Nice weather took us to the West side of the Atoll to kick off the week. “Tarpon Bay” was just right with over 80 Feet visibility and plenty of fish to keep us busy. Black Grouper lined up at cleaning stations and sea fans swayed back and forth as we searched for the elusive Pigmy File Fish. We were not disappointed as a handful of them did their best to avoid the cameras flashing about. We ended day one with a curious turtle checking us out around the safety stop.
The excitement just rolled on as we descended into day number 2. “Chasbo’s Corner” has never been a disappointment on a falling ride and we timed it just right. Dog Snapper, Black Grouper, Channel Clinging Crabs, and another turtle shared the spotlight. We called it a day after and a day after an amazing immersion at “Elkin Bay”.
Two more divers joined us on day three. We headed to Calabash Caye for spectacular wall diving. “The Chutes”, Chinaman Wall” and “Sheer Delight” were filled with marine life curious to greet us. Squid, Eagle Rays, Turtles, Morays, and schools of Creole Wrasse kept us all on our fin tips. We found ourselves at the “Elbow” on day 4. This dive is worth diving any time. Current was mild and schooling fish were not very active but the vibrant coral cannot be matched anywhere else. Colors and variety is the norm here as well as Dog Snapper, Black Grouper and thousands of Bar Jack. “Front Porch” was marvelous. The South East Side of Turneffe has never let me down when I’m looking for Spotted Eagle Rays and the endemic White spotted Toad Fish. This day was no different. After lunch we decided to take a dip by “Dead man’s Caye” instead of “Grand Bogue”. A pod of 10 curious dolphins came around as we descended. They hung around us for a while then moved off. Colorful coral, Pigmy filefish and more Toad Fish made the dive even better.
On day 5 we started with the best dive so far. After an hour boat ride to Light House Reef we plunged for 2 great dives of Half Moon Caye. A 9’ Caribbean Reef shark welcomed us as we dove off the wall. Graceful Triggerfish, Grouper, colorful Tropicals, Conch and Stingrays filled the sea. After lunch on the beach and a visit to the Booby Bird Sanctuary, we went over to “the Cathedral” on Long Caye, Tarpon, Rays, Creole Wrasse, Horse Eye Jacks, unlimited coral, swim-throughs and Barracuda made the trip worth while.
We ended the week with two relaxed dives on the North West side. Black Coral, Turtles, Schools of fish, and calm, warm tropical waters completed our itinerary.
____________________________________________________________________
January 19 - January 26, 2008
Weather Conditions: High winds in the early week with clearing skies as the days went on.
Winds: 10-15 mph out of the N/NE.
Air Temp.: Upper 70s.
Water temp.: Temperatures were cool in the upper 70s.
Visibility: 100-foot visibility.
We started the week with a cold front passing through. With the windy weather, the two divers were a little skeptical at first, but we still did two dives the first day. We boarded the “Sea Dog” and Capt. Frank took us to a couple of dive sites around Calabash Caye, famous for sheer walls and a forest of yellow tube sponges. Joe, one of the divers, suggested that we go look for some small critters because he was interested in doing some macro photography. We found shrimp, crabs, and some shy toad fish mixed in with the sea fans that worked well for his needs. Joe’s camera was outfitted with various lenses and buttons and rigged with fancy strobes. It could have easily blended into a sci-fi movie set. We spent the next two days on the east and northeast side of the atoll looking for the tiniest reef dwellers while ignoring the turtles, rays, sharks, and barracuda that would swim by wondering why we were so interested in the dark nooks and crannies. One ‘cuda wanted continuous attention as it followed Joe everywhere.
The next day, Joe decided to go fishing while Missy went to the northwest side of the atoll with Aldo Perez, our Dive Master. The spur and groove formations and colorful coral with abundant fish, topped off with 100-foot visibility were just right. We even stopped off for a beach break on a small island on the way back to the resort. The night dive was great with glassy sweepers, damselfish, and gobies everywhere. Apart from the annoying worms that swarmed our lights, this was a great dive.
We ended the week on the west side, gliding through sea fans and sea plumes that seemed to reach out and touch us. Scattered coral covers the western slope patrolled by yellow tail snapper and doctor fish. Visibility was down a bit, but the dive team enjoyed gliding through the blue – not worrying about anything but their trip coming to an end.
January 12 - January 19, 2008
Weather Conditions: Light winds consistent from the East with sunny days.
Winds: 5--10 mph out of the East.
Water Temp.: Low 80's.
Visibility: 100’ visibility.
It was a good week of diving. With four divers for the first half and only two the last half, we were able to be very flexible with our itinerary. On Sunday, the sea was calm in front of the lodge and Captain Carlton suggested that we take advantage of it. The dive team readied the “Sea Dog” and headed out. Amelia was a little nervous about her first dives as she had not been diving for a while. She had a slight problem equalizing, but quickly overcame it and was down enjoying the reef with all of us. The water was very clear and at the end of the first day we were all recounting the sheer wall, a black grouper, several cleaning stations, a spotted eel, and a very large nurse shark. Amelia went out on her own the next day and Captain Carlton found us a shallow site to make her more comfortable. In no time we were surrounded by a forest of pillar coral teaming with life; we had 100-foot visibility. There were numerous cleaning stations with cleaning shrimp and gobies everywhere. “It was just so colorful, you have to see it to believe it,” commented Aldo Perez, our Dive Master. Grouper and snapper were calmly getting cleaned while a baby nurse shark simply rested on the sandy floor under a ledge. Aldo even pointed out an endemic white spotted toad fish.
The following day, we headed out to Half Moon Caye. The first dive was filled with conch, groupers, barracuda, arrow crabs and a friendly turtle. We were able to give the guests a tour of the Booby Bird Sanctuary. During lunch, Capt. Carlton entertained us with stories of he and his father picking up lobster on this caye. We then headed for “The Aquarium,” a site that lives up to its name. It was full of fish, corals, and everything else that depends on this ecosystem.
Keffer, one of our young divers, had not dived since being certified years ago. He managed to revive his skills with the group and was treated to several dives with us. Then over to the west side of the atoll where we were welcomed by garden eels on the sandy floor with lobster and grouper as well. The week finished with dives on the northwest side of the atoll. The group enjoyed the sheer walls, spurs and grooves, swim-through, and the corals and sponges that inhabit this side. With a nice finish to a great week, the group plans on returning after “off-gassing” for a year.
January 5 - January 12, 2008
Weather Conditions: Overcast on day one and sunny the rest of the week.
Winds: 5-15mph with winds throughout the week
Water Temp.: 81 degrees from surface down to 90’.
Visibility: 80’-100’.
The Beaver Diver group from Vail, Colorado joined us for a great week of diving. All divers were Nitrox certified and enjoyed nice conditions throughout the week. The first day's dives took place on the leeward side of the Atoll where the underwater life and reef were spectacular. Sitings included Spiny Lobster, Southern Stingrays and Eagle Rays which continued to circle our group throughout the dive.
Our trip to the Blue Hole was a nearly perfect day. The weather was calm and allowed for 3 great dives. As one of the first boats to the Blue Hole that morning, we had good visibility in the Blue Hole and the stalagtitels at 90 feet were very impressive. Large Black Grouper were present as well as a number of Caribbean Reef Sharks.
The picnic at Half Moon Caye was lots of fun for everyone and Half Moon Wall was spectacular with large schools of Jacks that enveloped the dive group at times. Our Dive Masters, Alex and Anthony found all sorts of things from Scorpion Fish to Eels and even a large Octopus in the middle of feeding on a large Conch. The Octopus put on a display of color changes for all divers but didn't give up his meal.
This week was finished with a trip to the southern end of the Turneffe Atoll to dive The Elbow. With a nice variety of fish seen, it was a great last dive for an already great week. Casey, the group leader,, commented that "both of the Dive Masters did an excellent job keeping us entertained and well informed on all dives. This is why I like bringing groups to Turneffe Flats." We hope to see Beaver Divers again soon.
November 24 - December 1, 2007
Weather Conditions: Overcast in early week, mostly sunny by the end of the week.
Winds: 5-15mph with winds switching from North to Northeast.
Air Temp.: low 80’s.
Water Temp.: 81 degrees from surface down to 90’.
Visibility: 80’-100’
This week brought us several experienced divers as well as a student referral along with his newly certified friend. Skye, our student referral, said "I couldn’t have picked a better spot to finish my Open Water course." Alex, our Dive Instructor, took Skye and Bennet on an amazing underwater experience and found plenty of Spiny Lobster along with a 4’ Nurse Shark that almost posed for the cameras.
Alex Edwards feels that there is no better place in the world to finish your Certification than here at Turneffe Atoll. We have a great environment with calm waters, excellent visibility, and a wide diversity of Caribbean species that inhabit our reef. This is a great place to spoil the first time divers and experienced divers as well.
"It always amazes me to see the expressions on new divers faces when they view those Giant Barrel Sponges, and watching the Banded Shrimp under the sponges. No matter what their age, it is like seeing the look of a kid discovering something for the first time. I enjoy answering all of their questions that come from these experiences and sharing dive stories."
Emric Cabrall, our Dive Master, took the experienced dive group for a tour around the forest like environment consisting of colorful corals, sponges and tropical fish. On these dives Emric skillfully spotted many different critters that roam our reef ranging from Nurse Sharks, Eels, Rays, and the many Channel Clinging crabs. Our trip to the Blue Hole on Friday allowed the divers a good look at the many Stalactites, huge Groupers, and Reef Sharks that call this spot home. The Red Footed Booby birds complimented the trip well.
November 17 - 24, 2007
Weather Conditions: Overcast skies early in week with mostly sunny skies during the later part of the week.
Winds: 5-15 mph with shifting winds throughout the week.
Air Temp.: 80-86 degrees.
Water temp.: From surface to 90 feet, the temperature was 81 degrees.
Visibility: 80’ clearly
The first few day started with some rain which fortunately didn’t affect the dives at all. This was a week of Lobsters, Rays, and Eels.
Everyone had their own special occurrences. Michelle was dubbed our "Ray lady". On nearly every dive she had multiple rays congregate around her almost like a magical aura. These rays seemed just as interested in her as she was with them .
Volker from California had a particularly good eye and was fortunate to spot a number of interesting things. "I have been with many lucky divers before, but Volker was very lucky on every dive" says Alex Edwards, our Dive Instructor here on the Island. He seemed to find Eels on every dive, from Spotted Morays to Golden Tails. During one of our surface intervals Volker had told me that he had seen most all the sharks that inhabit our reef with the exception of the Nurse Shark. Almost like it was meant to be, on the very next dive we spotted a 5’ Nurse Shark that seemed to appear just for Volker. His camera and mind captured many images of this moment!
Robert sighted a Hawks billed Turtle at 60’ foot depth. The turtle measured 2-1/2’ across and he spent several intimate minutes kneeling beside this magnificent creature.
Tina even had her special memories with some Balloon Puffers that were "puffed up" for her to see. Kate, one of our anglers, took time out from her fishing to dive one day. She was treated to a large school of Horse eyed Jacks, Black Groupers, Creole Wrasses, and countless, colorful, reef fish that helped make her trip even more memorable.
November 10-17, 2007
Divers were greeted with a cool weather and winds that shifted between the northwest and the northeast. Air temperatures ranged from the mid-70s to mid-80s and water temperatures hovered right at 80, which felt like bathwater in the cooler air. Visibility was very good – 80 to 100 feet!
The week’s first dives offered up two of the Atoll’s residents, a couple of loggerhead turtles and an manatee. Robert, of Ledyard, Conn., a frequent Turneffe Flats visitor, commented, “I have never seen a manatee on any of my previous dives here . . . what a special memory.”
The shifting winds made it necessary to utilize various diving options on both the west and east sides of the Atoll. These are really two very different underwater areas with a great diversity of diving. “That is one good thing about Turneffe Flats, you can always find a leeward area to dive,” said Alex Edwards, our Dive Instructor.
As the week went on, the overcast weather made dive site selection an issue. Despite the weather, Dive Master Emric Cabral was always able to find clear water, ideal locations to spot numerous reef inhabitants from spiny lobster to Moray eels.
Al, from Mass., was overjoyed to come face-to-face with several spotted eagle rays that seemed just as interested in him as he was with them.
The week ended with an exciting dive into the nearby world famous Blue Hole. Both black tipped reef sharks and bull sharks were out in numbers and they stayed with the divers for most of the dive, affording plenty of camera opportunities. Additionally, large black grouper put on quite an underwater show.
September 15-22, 2007
What a great week! Jeff Gay took over the lodge exclusively with a great group from Gainesville, Georgia. Including Dana, Sylvia and Christine who came to finish their Open Water Certification with us. Recently our dive staff has been joined by Alex Edwards, PADI instructor and now our new Dive Program Manager. Alex has certified many divers from all levels and these were his first with Turneffe Flats. The three succeeded wonderfully - congratulations ladies - and enjoyed great diving at Calabash and the infamous Elbow, amongst other dive sites.
Earlier this year we were joined by Emric Cabral who is Dive mastering the Turneffe Flats dive boat and took our newly certified divers out for their first OW diving. Emric is brother of Dubs and Dion, both are fishing guides at Turneffe Flats.
Christmas Week, 2007
We had a blast Christmas Week. We certified 5 new divers along the way. Nearly every dive was fantastic. We were able to dodge the 2 bad weather days and put in time around Calabash and out front. We saw turtles, toad fish and octopus. Half Moon Wall was the dive of the week, 14 Eagle Rays were counted. This time of year we can get cold fronts (75 degrees), it can get a little chilly on the boat so bring along a sweat shirt. Also a 3mm full suit will help keep you warm.
November 11-25, 2006
This week we were joined by "the Mud Club" a great group of diving buddies from the D.C. area. These guys really enjoyed diving out front and around the calabash area a few miles south. Sorry about the huge gap in updates. We added a new page to the website and everything since the last update was deleted. So.... since Sept 13th, we have expanded our dive services to include Nitrox and opened our new dive center. The dive center houses our rental equipment and serves as our class room for dive certifications.
September 9-13, 2006
A great few days! This week's divers were only here for three days before they took off for the mainland. Those fe
