Belize reef conditions & resorts

[wadivediva]

Anyone know the current condition of the Belize reef? We are hearing there has been a lot of damage due to hurricanes.
Also, any recommendations on resorts or all-inclusive for diving and food?
Looking for a June or July 08 trip

 

[ronscuba]

I can tell you the reefs at Lighthouse and Turneffe Atoll are in great shape.

I was just there Dec 8-15.

They say a picture is worth a thousand words...well, here is a video.

 

[wadivediva]

Thanks for the great pictures - this is part of my husband's Christmas present so this will certainly charge him up!

 

[polysemous1]

Don't do an all inclusive in San Pedro. There are a ton of great restaurants and you don't want to get locked in to the all-inclusive buffet and rubber food treadmill. As for resorts, it depends on what you want. I stay at a little inn called "the tides," but there are nicer and not-nicer places. Lots of people like Ramon's Village as a resort. 've never stayed so I won't comment.

I haven't been down to dive since last summer, right before the first hurricane, but nothing hit San Pedro square, and nothing seemed to linger over the coastline, so the reefs shouldn't have taken too much damage.

Enjoy Belize!!

Dave

 

[Ecologic Divers]

The reef is still in good condition, better than in most areas of the Caribbean. agree with Poly about an all inclusive there are great restaurants on the island and then you can choose what type of accommodation's you would like, Places like Porotofino's up north to xanadu or Banana Beach to the south. Banana beach or portofino will offer you a limited or full meal plan if you want. all the dive centers will pick you up at any resort dock.

 

[pilot fish]

Great video ronscuba. As Polyemous says, don't get caught up in the all inclusive deal at a place you pick because there are pleanty of affordable places to eat on Ambergris Caye. Avoid Ramon's Village "resort", it's noisy and the beach directly in front of the resort is very crowded with locals passing by to and from town [ read my trip report on it ] and also stopping to swim and sit on the resort chairs, which, to us, raised security issues. The diving was fine.

 

[ronscuba]

How does the diving on Ambergris compare to Turneffe and Lighthouse ?

 

[pilot fish]

How does the diving on Ambergris compare to Turneffe and Lighthouse ?

I am told that Turneffe and Lighthouse are hands down better. If I head back that way, Turneffe and Lighthouyse is where I'd go. Ambergris is good but not as good as T and LH.

 

[H20Bubbles]

We just got back from 5 days in Belize, and comparing the diving off of Ambergris and Turneffe and Lighthouse is a lot like comparing apples and oranges - from what we saw.

Ambergris is spur and groove coral formations with finger like spurs separated by drops into the canyons. The sea life here was great - sharks, eels, octopus, turtles, eagle rays, southern stingrays but it seemed like the corals did have some sand on them and the overall coral life was not as great as we might have expected. None the less, the diving here was very fun and well worth the trip.

Lighthouse Reef: One day, we made the trip to the Blue Hole and Lighthouse Reef and have to say that the diving there was FANTASTIC. The diving here was typical wall diving that you find in other Caribbean locations. We enjoyed eagle rays, turtles, large schools of fish, tarpon. If the other sites around these areas are any indication we will definitely be going back to these areas for longer stays and more diving.

 

[Diver Lori]

I highly recommend Turneffe Island Lodge. A small island on the Atoll. Quiet, serene and remote. If you are not in to nightlife, this is the place for you. Hammocks, private cabanas, kayaks, sailboats, hammocks, quiet, awesome staff, good food, picturesque, hammocks, fantastic diving, reading in a hammock, no phones, no computers, hammocks, small boats, naps in a hammock, home cooked food, freshly baked cookies after dives, freshly baked breads at meals, hammocks....... I could go on and on. Did I mention they had hammocks?