Ambergris Caye & Hol Chan Marine Reserve - Belize
Ambergris Caye's barrier reef starts a few minutes by boat from San Pedro. The Hol Chan Marine Reserve (Mayan for 'little channel'), declared in 1987 and now 41,706 ha after its 2016 expansion, was Belize's first marine reserve: the cut through the reef is the classic shallow dive with schools of snapper, grunts and jacks and spotted eagle rays; Shark Ray Alley (Zone D) is the famous nurse shark and southern stingray encounter, but scuba diving is not allowed inside its exclusive recreation area - it is a snorkel site; Mexico Rocks (Zones G/H) is a no-take area of patch reefs with big boulder corals. Everyone entering needs a Hol Chan day pass; operators collect it with the tour or you can buy it online. North and south of the reserve, local shops run reef 'canyon' dives along the barrier reef; those sites are not individually published with coordinates and are not mapped here.
Facts
- Best season: Dry season roughly February-May; hurricane season about August-October
- Water temperature: About 27-29 C all year; shallow dives (cut about 9 m)
- Reserve pass: Hol Chan day pass sold online by the reserve (listed range US$0-30 depending on ticket type: Belizean/non-Belizean, age); press reported US$15 for visitors from 1 Aug 2024
- Rules: Max 8 divers or snorkellers per guide, no gloves, no fish feeding in Zone A, mooring buoys only, no scuba in the Shark Ray Alley recreation area
- Marine life: Nurse sharks and southern stingrays at Shark Ray Alley, spotted eagle rays, large groupers, schools of grunts and snappers, spider crabs
Season
- Best months: Feb, Mar, Apr, May
- Acceptable: Nov, Dec, Jan, Jun, Jul
- Poor: Aug, Sep, Oct
- Water temperature: 27–29 °C
The drier season (roughly late November to May, best February-May) gives the best visibility and calmest seas; the hurricane season runs about August to October (poorer visibility, choppier water). Water stays warm all year (about 27-29 C).
Dive sites (3)
Hol Chan Marine Reserve
- Hol Chan Cut – 3–12 m, beginner
- Shark Ray Alley (snorkel only - no scuba) – 1–4 m, beginner
Mexico Rocks & north of San Pedro
- Mexico Rocks (snorkel / shallow patch reefs) – 0–3 m, beginner
Operators (2)
- Ambergris Divers – dive centre, Over the water off Black Coral Street / Barrier Reef Drive, San Pedro, Ambergris Caye
- White Sands Dive Shop – dive centre, 6.5 miles north of San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye
Routes (1)
Site positions come from official mooring lists, atlas data and operator descriptions and are for orientation only - never for navigation; where a position is estimated this is marked. Belize's protected areas charge fees and have rules (no touching, no taking, licensed guides/boats); dive with a licensed operator and within your training.