Hol Chan Marine Park
Full of wildlife - large and friendly. Close-by. Coral canyons. Relatively
easy dives.
As
a protected Marine Reserve, Hol Chan is abundant with fish and marine
life, such as large Groupers, Eagle Rays, Nurse Sharks, Loggerhead and
Hawksbill turtles, see more below.
Only
25 minutes away, the park is situated in coral canyons which run like
fingers East from the Barrier Reef. We descend at approximately 50ft/15m
and dive out between the canyons, creating a unique sensation of coral
walls on either side. Possible dive sites include Eagle Ray Canyons, the
Small Aquarium, Pillar Corals, and Amigo's Wreck.
The dives are multilevel: we spend the first half of the dive between
the canyons at a maximum depth of 70ft/21m for the first dive and 60ft/18m
for the second dive; then, the latter half of each dive is spent on top
of the canyons at 50ft/15m to allow for a longer bottom time.
We spend our surface interval in a very popular snorkeling spot: inside the reef at Hol Chan Marine Park. You will often snorkel with Nurse sharks in this area. Please keep in mind that this snorkel area, which is "inside the reef" and a maximum depth of 24ft/ 8m is very different from "outside the reef" where we dive among huge coral canyons at a depth of 21m/ 70ft.
| Common* wildlife to see: | Eagle Rays, Nurse Sharks, large friendly Groupers, Moray Eels, Lobsters, Loggerhead Turtles, Hawksbill Turtles, Spotted Drums, Pederson Shrimps, Cleaner Shrimps, Arrowhead Crabs, Channel Crabs, Southern Sting Rays, Squid, French Angelfish. |
| Common coral to see: | Many varied species of: Gorgonians, Anemones, Tube Sponges, Barrel Sponges, Encrusting Sponges, Vase Sponges, Brain Coral, Staghorn, Fanworms, Feather dusters, Christmas Tree Worms, Hydroids, Tunicates, Zoanthids, Corallimorphs, Spaghetti Worms |
| Possible to see: | Reef Sharks, Hammerhead Sharks, Dolphins, Nudibranch. |
| Number of Dives: | 2, with snorkeling during the surface interval. |
| Number of Divers: | 2-10. |
| Schedule: | Leaves at 9AM. Returns at approximately 2PM. |
| Distance: | 25 minutes. |
| Includes: | Scuba gear, light snack and water. |
| Maximum Depth: | 70ft/21m. |
| Experience Level: | All. |
| Price: | $196 Belize/ $98 US (this includes a $20 Belize Marine Park Fee to ensure that the waters are protected). |
*Of course, we are talking about the wilderness; so every dive is unique.
All
information and photos copyright 2005
Website by Heidi Curry