Under water

Belizean waters are home to nearly every species of fish, coral and sponge in the Caribbean. Amongst the hundreds of offshore cayes and atolls lies an amazing underwater safari to experience. Off the south coast, near Placencia, whale sharks arrive with the full moon between March and June.  You can snorkel or dive with the whale sharks, which are the world’s largest fish and grow up to a whopping 60 feet in length.  The waters are also home to nurse, reef and hammerhead sharks, stingrays, spotted eagle rays, barracuda, spot moray eels and even octopus, together with a vast kaleidoscope of reef fish including snapper, jack, angel fish, blue tang with some big old groupers hanging out in the mix.

The rather sedate West Indian manatees hang out in river mouths, around the cayes and in coastal lagoons. They are typically 10 feet in length and are the only vegetarian sea mammals in existence. Hawksbill, loggerhead, leatherback and green sea turtles are common spots in the waters of Belize.