Recent Experiences - Tranquility Bay Resort?

[ScubaJill]

I came across a few mentions of Tranquility Bay Resort, but most of them are from 2013 and earlier. Does anyone have any newer experiences? It looks quite delightful.

Trip would be May or June.

 

[AWMIII]

I have not stayed there, but have been up in the general area fishing and having a Beach BBQ a few times since then. It always looks exceptionally clean and manicured, but abandoned. This is probably because we are there around lunch time and most of their guests are napping or out on excursions. It is really a beautiful place, but there never seems to be any people around when we go past it. There was a management shuffle that involved some drama with the dive shop a couple of years ago. It may correspond with the lack of reviews. For sure it is open and running though.

If you go there, you need to understand just how remote the place is. It is like 15 miles north of anything. It is a long boat ride to town, probably at least and hour. The public water taxis do not go that far north. A private water taxi up there will be expensive. So you are limited to the TB boat. In addition, the area around the resort is the wild west. Every few months there is a story about the Coast Guard having a conflict with bad guys. I have never heard of a problem at Tranquility Bay, but for sure it is in a wild un-patrolled area. If I were staying up there, I would not wander far from the resort without a guide. There is nothing to do up there except dive, snorkel and fish. No restaurants, bars, or stores are within walking distance other than those at the resort.

The water is beautiful and fish are abundant. The fishing is great. It is the only place where I have seen a green moray come almost out of the water onto the beach to get our fish heads.

 

[ScubaJill]

I really appreciate your response, AWMIII. I read the TripAdvisor reviews and the SB thread on the management issues from 2012-2013, but there isn't much else to go by. I'm sold on the remoteness and the limited activities. But, I'm curious about the diving and which sites the resort's dive shop goes to.

Do you live in Belize or travel there often?

 

[AWMIII]

I go there a few times a year. The diving up there is supposed to be more pristine than out in front of town. Bacalar Chico reserve is just north of it. Basil Jones is right in front of it. The blue hole is probably not doable from there due to the fact that you would need to get town by 545 am or so. I have only freedove and snorkeled up there. I have not been lucky enough to scuba dive up there. I have tried but it hasn't worked out yet.

 

[mark01]

We were there early in February this year. Weather was terrible all week long, rain,wind, and cool - 70's. Mama was NOT a happy camper.....Water was warm - 78 give or take. Viz was generally 80 feet or so. We dove south side all week as the North was running 6-8 foot seas. Boats are BRAND NEW! Staff can't do enough for you. Food was good first few days, but seemed to fall off towards the end of the week. Good quality, but a lot of beans in every damn thing. Diving was the best I've had in the Caribbean. HOWEVER, the DMs had been feeding lion fish to the resident morays on several of the dive sites. One lady was bitten on the hand by one of these morays and required 55 stitches. That ended killing of the lion fish and feeding of the morays, at least for the week we were there. We continued to have incidents all week with the morays coming to us for food. They were put off easily with fins or a gentle push with a stick, but it took a bit of fun out of the diving having to watch out for those eels all week. Shark dive was good, but the current was 4 knots the day we went out and it was hand over hand all the way to the bottom, and kiss your ass goodbye if you got blown off that downline. It was fun once, but would not do it again. I'll go back next year, but mama won't go back because of the wx.

 

[ScubaJill]

I go there a few times a year.

Thanks, AWMIII. One of the reasons I want to head to Belize is to check out the potential for relocation. So I'm debating if it makes sense to spend most of my time in a very secluded spot. At the same time, I would need to make multiple trips to make sure it is a good spot for relocation, so this trip could just be for pure relaxation and getting a general sense of the environment.

Diving was the best I've had in the Caribbean. HOWEVER, the DMs had been feeding lion fish to the resident morays on several of the dive sites. One lady was bitten on the hand by one of these morays and required 55 stitches. That ended killing of the lion fish and feeding of the morays, at least for the week we were there. We continued to have incidents all week with the morays coming to us for food. They were put off easily with fins or a gentle push with a stick, but it took a bit of fun out of the diving having to watch out for those eels all week.

Thanks, Mark01. I'm not sure how I feel about swatting down eels on a relaxing Caribbean dive. Have you been to other sites in Belize? I'm not sold on the Blue Hole, but others have mentioned sites like Lighthouse and Elbow (I have a list around here somewhere). Does the dive op head to those sites or are they too far away? Do I even need to consider these popular sites, if the diving off of the resort is that great?

I did want an opportunity to check out the whale sharks, but it appears that it's best if I stay in/near Placencia for that?

 

[dlofting]

I did want an opportunity to check out the whale sharks, but it appears that it's best if I stay in/near Placencia for that?

Yes, contact Splash Dive for details on their whale shark dives.

Placencia (and area) is also a great place to consider if you're thinking of relocating to Belize.

 

[mark01]

Well, this is embarrassing. I completely misread your question in the original post. My comments regard Turquiose Bay in Roatan. Very sorry!

 

[chillyinCanada]

Mark01, I was getting ready to ask you if you meant Roatan but then I saw your last post.

 

[ScubaJill]

:-D Thanks, Mark01 and chillyinCanada. No worries. I was excited to get a recent dive report, though.