Belize Diving Services – Turneffe Atoll, Elbow

This extraordinary dive is a three-tank trip that takes divers to the south, east, and west sides of Turneffe Atoll. Your first dive of the day is a little less than 2 hours away. With only 20 minutes of open seas and the remainder of the trip inside the barrier reef, this boat ride is more leisurely than going to the Great Blue Hole and Lighthouse Reef.

The southern tip of Turneffe is a spawning and aggregation site whose currents and nutrients mix to form a dance club in the sea where fishes gather to meet members of the opposite sex and … you know. When the currents are kicking, you will find schools of hundreds of horse-eyed jacks and other pelagic fish such as marlin, sail fish, and tuna, rarely seen on scuba dives. For the second dive, weather permitting, we head north along the east coast of Turneffe towards Calabash Caye. This rarely visited area of Belize offers an unparalleled look at an unspoiled Caribbean reef. For the second dive, weather permitting, we head north along the east coast of Turneffe towards Calabash Caye.

After the second dive, divers are treated to a wonderful lunch prepared by owner, Danielle Petersen, who uses her skills as a trained chef to prepare safe, healthy fare. As you eat lunch, we tour through the lagoons and mangroves of to view the natural beauty of the atoll and abundant bird life.

The third dive of the trip is shallow and on the western part of the island. Here divers will enjoy the calmer waters offered by the leeward side of the atoll and be able to maintain a shallower depth so as to stay within decompression limits.