Scuba Diving at its best on Turneffe Atoll, Belize

 

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.

 

 
 

Dive report for week January 19 - January 26

 

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. 

 

 
 
 
 

Dive report for week January 12 - January 19

 

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.

 

 
 
 
 

Dive report for week January 5 - January 12

 

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.

 
 
 
 

Dive report for week November 24 - December 1

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.     

 
 
 
 

Weekly Diving Report for November 17 - 24

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.

 
 
 
 

Dive Report: Week of November 10-17

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.     

 
 
 
 

Dive Report: September 15-22

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. 

 
 
 
 

Dive Report: Christmas Week

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.

 
 
 
 

Dive Report: Nov - 11-25

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. 

 
 
 
 

Dive Report: Sept 9-13                                                              

A great few days!  This week's divers were only here for three days before they took off for the mainland.  Those few days were packed with great dives.  The first day was spent at Crickozeen Creek, where the divers wondered through the nice coral gardens.  The next day they took off to the Elbow where they saw huge schools of permit, jacks, and snappers.  Tuesday was spent at Calabash Caye a few miles south of the lodge.  The three dives were action packed.  The guys saw a hawksbill that let Aleah tag along on it's back and a hammerhead cruised by during the 2nd dive.  The weather was fantastic all week as was the visibility. 

 
 
 
 

Dive Report: August 19-26

Last week we were blessed with great weather the entire week. This allowed us to explore all Turneffe has to offer.  The Northwest Corner was one of the highlights of the week.  Good visibility and lots of small critters kept everyone's attention.  The Aquarium and Silverside Canyon were both highlights of the Lighthouse trip.  FYI we will be offering Nitrox in the near future. 

 
 
 
 

Dive Report: August 5-12

We were joined by Tri-State Scuba from Cincinnati, Ohio.  The weather was nice nearly all week with only a few mid week showers.  The trip to Lighthouse Reef was very nice and there were lots of Reef Sharks to be seen at the Blue Hole.  The crew also had nice dives at the Elbow and Crickozeen.

 
 
 
 
 

Dive Report: June 24-July1

Last week One World Scuba, from Yakima Washington, filled the dive boat.   One World has a very healthy travel program with willing participants.  There was great weather for the entire week and we were able to dive the entire atoll.  The highlight of the week were the dolphins that joined us at Tarpon Cut on the west side.

 
 
 
 

Dive Report:  February 18 – February 24, 2006

A family from Washington and Chicago made the dive boat this week.  They dove sites all around the atoll including The Elbow, Baker’s Rock, Calabash, and many others. The visibility was great this week with 80+ feet and the weather couldn’t have been better.  Our guests chose not to do the Blue Hole but still enjoyed the other great dives at Lighthouse.  Half Moon Caye Wall, The Cathedral, and The Aquarium were our dives on Lighthouse Reef.    

 
 
 
 

Dive Report:  January 28 – February 3, 2006

Another great week of diving at Turneffe Flats.  We had many things to see and visited great dive sites.  The Blue Hole trip was great and three fishermen joined us to experience the Blue Hole and Half Moon Caye.  On Wednesday, we dove Lindsay’s Back Porch, Baker’s Rock, and the night dive.  At Baker’s Rock, we had an once-in-a-lifetime opportunity and swam with a pod of ten dolphins!  The week continued with dives around Calabash Caye and those down by the Elbow.  Our divers really enjoyed Sayonara and said it felt they were walking through a garden. We had a great week and hope to see everyone again on a return trip to Turneffe Flats.

 
 
 
 

Dive Report:  January 21 – January 27, 2006

A small dive group this week came from Kansas City, MO.  Unfortunately, we didn’t have the best weather but we enjoyed some great diving.  Most of the days were overcast and some were rainy but Blue Hole day was filled with sunshine and sharks. Although the weather didn’t cooperate this week, many interesting things were sited.  We saw turtles, white-spotted toadfish, eels, sharks, and lots more.  Hopefully next week the sun will make more of an appearance, but I know the dives will be great as always.

 
 
 
 

Dive Report:  January 7 – January 13, 2006

During the week, some of our better dives were at Baker's Rock, Pelican Wall, Crickozeen Cut, Sponge Shop as well as a nice night dive.  Two anglers decided to try some diving doing a Discover Scuba course with dives at Calabash Cut and China Man's Wall.  The water was especially clear this week and the temperature is holding steady at 79 degrees.  Ceiba Nature Tours visited during the later half of the week with guests participating in our Inland/Island program visiting Chaa Creek Resort in Western Belize, as well as Turneffe Flats.  Judy, one of the Ceiba's travelers decided to dive after many years off and rekindled her love of diving with dives at Half Moon Caye and The Aquarium.  At The Aquarium, a green moray swam with us for about 5 minutes.  It was an amazing sight!

 
 
 
 

Dive Report:  December 31, 2005 – January 6, 2006

An Atlanta based dive shop, Divers @ Sea, filled our dive boat this week taking advantage of our generous group package rate. We dove all sides of Turneffe Atoll during the week and had great encounters with marine life.  During the week, we saw 3 daytime octopuses, nudibranchs, white spotted toadfish, scorpion fish, spotted eagle rays, morays and much more.  It was an especially great week for spotting the camouflaged.  The dive sites consisted of Pelican Wall, Lobster Trap, The Terrace, Chazbo Corner, The Elbow, Front Porch and the weekly trip to the Blue Hole.  We did our night dive on Wednesday and saw tons of nocturnal creatures.  Divers @ Sea decided to name the site Squid Alley, a perfect choice!  If you would like to arrange a group trip to Turneffe Flats contact our reservation office and check on availability for your group.

 
 
 
 

Dive Report:  December 10 – December 16, 2005

Our diving week started off with some cloudy rainy weather, but by late Tuesday it improved to the normal sun and SE breeze.  This week, as usual, dives sites were chosen from all around the atoll.  The water temperature is staying around the average of 81 F and we have been experiencing good visibility.  Our night dive this week consisted of three octopus, a cuttlefish and lots more.  We have been seeing octopus a lot especially since our divemaster can remember their exact location from week to week.  The most common octopus we see is at the dive site Hollywood.  Hopefully it will be there when you visit us at Turneffe Flats.  Happy Holidays!

 
 
 
 

Dive Report:  December 3 - December 9, 2005

We had divers this week from Colorado.  Daniel, our divemaster, and Frederick, our boat captain, took them to sites like Sponge Shop, Crickozeen Cut, Wishbone, The Elbow, Sayonara, and Hollywood.  They really seemed to enjoy the diversity of life and the quality of the coral and sponges here at Turneffe.  The visibility was great this week with some dives being over 100 feet!  During our Blue Hole trip this week we were joined by two fishermen from YellowDog Flyfishing Adventures, who decided to see what diving the atolls was all about.  They were not disappointed as a school of 8 tarpon passed 3 feet from them, a fisherman's and diver's dream.  We had beautiful sunny weather and calm waters this week and it's expected to continue. 

 
 
 
 

Dive Report:  November 26 - December 2, 2005

Our divers this week came all the way from Germany to enjoy dives around Turneffe Atoll.  They had great weather throughout the week and got to take Sea Dog, our 28' dive boat, to dive sites around the atoll.  They experienced the dive sites of Pelican Wall, Baker's Rock, Sponge Shop, Calabash Cut, China Man's Wall, and of course, the Blue Hole dives.  The visibility is great with a typical 80 feet and should be the same the next few weeks with no cold fronts in sight.  The marine life we saw this week consisted of turtles, morays, white spotted toadfish, and many more.  Diving at Turneffe is great in January and February and we still have availability, so call our reservation office to check on dates that will work for you.

 
 
 
 

Dive Report:  November 21 - November 25, 2005 

Our lodge this week was filled with Divers and Atoll Adventurers.  They were excited about the diversity of marine life found around Turneffe Flats.  On the first day, and all week, the weather was great for some dives in front of the lodge.  On the second dive, our divers saw, up close a 35-40 foot whaleshark.  Last week, we saw a goliath grouper; this week a whaleshark.  What's next? Other dive sites we dove throughout the week were Fat Jon's, Small Calabash, The Elbow, plus many more.  We had nice smooth calm waters for our Blue Hole trip this week and our Atoll Adventure guests joined us on the boat for a wonderful day.
 
 
 
 
 

Dive Report:  November 18 - November 20, 2005 

This week we were privileged to host The Summit Foundation, who held their Annual Board Meeting at Turneffe Flats.  This wonderful organization funds several important ecological projects in Mesoamerica related to maintaining a healthy coral reef system.   

During their stay, they learned about coral reef challenges from Melanie McField, of the World Wildlife Fund, and Patricia Kramer, a consultant from Florida.  While here, they also spent two days diving and observing first hand what they had studied.

During their dives this week they visited the Calabash area as well as The Elbow where we saw a white-spotted toadfish and a goliath grouper. The goliath grouper hasn't been seen for a long time.  It was very promising to know they are still around and hopefully will make a stronger presence on the Atoll.  We look forward to the difference The Summit Foundation will make on Turneffe and hope to see them again in the future.

 
 
 
 

Dive Report:  November 12 - November 17, 2005 

The small dive group this week got to enjoy our fast 28' boat to the dive sites around Turneffe Atoll. 

 
 
 
 

Dive Report:  November 5 - November 11, 2005 

We had four divers that carried over from the previous week to enjoy a longer stay at Turneffe Flats.  Two of them decided to increase their diving knowledge by taking the PADI Advanced Open Water course.  

More divers joined us on Saturday for a great dive week.  We dove great sites from around the Atoll which included Sponge Shop, Tarpon Cut, Black Coral Wall, The Terrace, Baker's Rock, China Man's Wall, and many more.  The weather was perfect for diving and the water and visibility is back to normal after last week's weather.  The visibility is at 80+ feet and the water temperature is 81 to 84 degrees depending on the dive site.  It's almost time for the groupers to start spawning by the Elbow and we are excited to see that occur within the next couple weeks.

 
 
 
 

Dive Report:  October 29 - November 4, 2005

Stormy weather brought some big waves in the beginning of the week, but it didn't affect our ability to find great dives.  Having the opportunity to dive the whole Atoll, like we do at Turneffe Flats, allowed us to find calm waters and dive sites with tons of marine life.  We spent the first two days experiencing dives down by Calabash Caye including Calabash Cut, China Man Wall and Small Calabash.  With the weather improving as the week moved on, closer dive sites to Turneffe Flats like Bakers Rock, Hollywood and Pelican wall made for nice days. Diving this week has showed that the reefs seem unaffected by Hurricane Wilma and if anything, made them more spectacular than they were before.  We finished our week with a trip to the Blue Hole with great shark views and two dives at Half Moon Caye Wall. 

 
 
 
 

Dive Report:  October 22 - October 28, 2005

Due to Hurricane Wilma, our divers decided to reschedule.  We look forward to seeing them in the future.

 
 
 
 

Dive Report:  October 15 - October 21, 2005

Our dive group this week was filled with beginners and veterans of diving.  We had two guests that did their PADI Open Water certifications with our PADI dive instructor, Sally.  They got a few more dives under their belt after their certification before Hurricane Wilma decided to make an appearance.  The dive boat spent two days exploring the reefs out in front of Turneffe Flats and another day diving at Calabash.  We saw eagle rays, eels, and a 100+ year old loggerhead turtle.  Hurricane Wilma cut our dive week short, but it was still some great diving when we were in the water.

 
 
 
 

Dive Report:  October 8 - October 14, 2005 

The Turneffe Flats dive boat took 8 divers to some of the best dive sites around the Turneffe Atoll.  Our divers saw sharks, eels, eagle rays and dolphins!  Pelican Wall, The Elbow, China Man's Wall, Billy Bob's, Lindsay's Back Porch, Calabash Cut and many more were our playground for the week.  As always, we try to get our divers to the best visibility and the best conditions from sites around the entire atoll.  Our weekly trip to the Blue Hole was also great and the weather couldn't have been better.  There were nice calm waters all week which made for enjoyable boat rides and great views. 

 
 
 
 

Dive Report:  October 1 - October 7, 2005 

No divers this week. 

 
 
 
 

Dive Report:  September 24 - September 30, 2005 

This week at Turneffe Flats we had excellent divers of varying levels, Junior Open Water to Advanced.  It was a fun week and we dove some great dive sites that could accommodate everyone's personal level. We dove the best dive sites all around Turneffe Atoll including the Front Porch, Pelican Wall, Crickozeen Cut, Lindsay's Back Porch and many more.  Nice calm waters and great September weather made diving particularly enjoyable this week.  Not only did we dive great dive sites on all sides of Turneffe Atoll, we made our weekly trip to the Blue Hole.  It was a great trip as we were the only boat there.  There was 100+ visibility and 20 grey reef sharks that were swimming no more than 10 feet away. It was a great day.  All week, there was great weather, great dives, and great marine life. 

 
 
 
 

Dive Report:  September 17 - September 23, 2005

Happy Birthday Belize! Turneffe Flats was closed this week in celebration of Belize's 24 th Birthday.  We are looking forward to having guests next week taking advantage of the great diving that September has to offer.

 
 
 
 

Dive Report:  September 3 - September 9, 2005

Larry Nycum, who was visiting Turneffe Flats on a non-diving package, wanted to experience scuba diving during his stay.  Larry did a Discover Scuba course with our Dive Instructor, Sally Hersrud.  After a short in-water introduction at the end of our dock, they headed for some great shallow water dives - Crickozeen Cut and Sponge Shop.  Larry greatly enjoyed the experience and we are optimistic that he will return for more diving

 
 
 
 

Dive Report:  August 27 - September 2, 2005

We had a quiet week at Turneffe Flats with no divers.  The weather is great and the visibility is the best of the year, so come on down.

 
 
 
 

Dive Report:  August 20 - 26, 2005

Our divers this week chose to spend equal time diving and relaxing. As a result, we did two dives each morning, came in for a delicious lunch, and then enjoyed the afternoon with a good book.

A rain squall the first night didn't make for the best visibility (50-60 feet) on the first 2 dives, but we made up for it in the marine life we saw.  At Lyndsey's Back Porch and Wishbone, two scorpion fish and a toadfish decided to make an appearance making for some great pictures.  The visibility improved to its usual 80 - 100 feet as the freshwater mixed by the second day. 

The Elbow, Front Porch, and Pelican Wall were particularly great dives this week where we saw a 10-foot nurse shark, eagle rays, and again, more toadfish.  Although, we did only three days of diving this week, we packed in plenty of marine life and adventure.

 
 
 
 

Dive Report:  August 13 - 19, 2005

What a fantastic week of diving!  We had a great group of divers this week.  They asked particularly to see the best walls Turneffe Atoll had to offer and we succeeded.  With great visibility, we were able to go to the Northwest part of the island.  Black Coral Wall, Coral Canyons, and The Terrace had 80+ feet of visibility and tons of marine life.    The dive boat again made a great selection of dive sites around the Atoll, especially on the west through Crickozeen Cut and right in front of Turneffe Flats.  We had two fishermen decide to take their first breaths underwater participating in a Discover Scuba course and they were impressed.  It's always nice to see fisherman enjoying the aquatic life underwater as much as they do above.

The Blue Hole trip was made on Wednesday this week and our guests were not disappointed.  We were the only dive boat at the Blue Hole and the visibility was fantastic.  Our divers had the chance to see the entire cave with 40+ stalactites and sharks!  We also dove Half Moon Caye Wall and The Aquarium on Wednesday and with no other boats sharing the dive sites, it was peaceful and serene.

One animal that made an appearance often this week was the white-spotted toadfish.  This animal is unique to Belize and we often see them once a week.  This week, however, we saw one at least once a day!  The scorpion fish, sea turtles, eagle rays, and a day-time octopus made our dives very enjoyable. Then again, everyday underwater is a good day.

 
 
 
 

Dive Report:  July 24 - 29, 2005

This week's dive boat was filled with great divers from Prescott, AZ who made the week of diving very fun and entertaining.   Andy and Anastasia also joined us mid week to take advantage of the great weather and beautiful water we have at Turneffe Flats.  It is always fun to have great people on the boat enjoying the reefs around Turneffe Atoll.

The dives of the week represented a great selection of dive sites around the atoll.  We experienced dives on the northwest, south, east, and west.  Our dives were typically 30-100 feet with visibility between 60-80 feet.  This is the best thing about Turneffe Flats; we dive all sides of the atoll and are not limited to one area.  We want to give our divers the opportunity to experience the whole atoll. 

On our weekly trip to the Blue Hole the sandbar sharks and black-tips were hanging around 30 feet.  It is always wonderful to see these powerful animals in their natural habitat.  All of our dives this week had countless numbers of animals including eagle rays, turtles, schools of jacks, grouper, and many others. 

The food was excellent, the diving fantastic, not a bad way to spend a week in paradise.

 
 
 
 

Dive Report:  July 10 - 15, 2005

The week at Turneffe Flats started off with nice, calm waters for diving.  Taking advantage of the conditions, we spent the first day diving directly in front of Turneffe Flats.  These sites (Wishbone, Baker's Rock, and Hollywood) are very pristine and are not regularly dove due to the traditional SE breeze.  The calm weather continued on our second day leading to an early trip to the Blue Hole.  This dive was spectacular with large groupers, snappers, and great views.  We followed up with two favorite dive sites, Half Moon Caye Wall and The Aquarium.  These three sites are a definite must for anyone traveling to Belize. 

On Wednesday we moved to the NW side of Turneffe Atoll and dove Black Coral Wall, Placentia Wall and Crickozeen Cut.  These dives offer some great wall dives, coral canyons and beautiful coral heads with a variety of marine life including morays, flounders, black coral, and rays. 

Wednesday evening we also did our weekly night dive in front of the lodge.  A Common Reef Octopus made an appearance along with lobsters, brittle stars, crabs and other nocturnal reef dwellers.  On Thursday, we dove The Elbow - also a regular part of our dive week and it did not disappoint with large schools of permit, horse-eye jacks, spotted eagle rays, and magnificent walls.  We finished the week with Cianara, Lobster Trap, and Sponge Shop along with Crickozeen Cut which was a favorite of the week due to its wonderful marine life. 

All in all, we had a great week of diving and, as usually, dove sites on all sides of the Turneffe Atoll in addition to Lighthouse Reef.  We found great marine life, beautiful corals, and calm waters throughout the week which made the dive week very enjoyable.

 
 

 

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