Snorkel· Ambergris Caye· Other Caribbean
Hol Chan Marine Reserve & Shark Ray Alley
17° 51.8′ N · 87° 58.6′ W
Belize's first marine reserve (1987) centres on Hol Chan Cut, a 30-foot-deep break in the barrier reef packed with fish, while its Shark Ray Alley zone puts you in a few feet of water among nurse sharks and southern stingrays drawn by fishermen cleaning their catch. Position is Hol Chan Cut on OpenStreetMap.
Practical
About 18 square km in four zones: Zone A (the cut and reef) is no-take; Zone B seagrass includes the Boca Ciega blue hole, dangerous for inexperienced divers; Zone C mangroves; Zone D Shark Ray Alley, added 1999 (Wikipedia). Entrance fee US$15 per person since 1 August 2024, lower for Belizeans (San Pedro Sun). Visitors are expected to enter with licensed tour operators; independent snorkelling from private vessels in core zones generally needs authorisation, so the practical way is a local guide or tour boat from San Pedro or Caye Caulker. Use the mooring buoys, never anchor on coral, no gloves, no touching or feeding (only guides may feed sharks, from the boat), no scuba in the Shark Ray Alley snorkel zone, and fly a diver-down flag (thetraveler.org guide).
Best for
Snorkelling with nurse sharks and rays; fish-packed reef cut
Nearby
- Captain Sharks Boatyard & Marine Store (San Pedro)2.5 NM away
- Eco Fuels & Butane (San Pedro south)2.5 NM away
- San Pedro Fuel & Butane (lagoon side)2.9 NM away
- San Pedro Anchorage (Ambergris Caye)3.1 NM away
- Blue Water Grill (SunBreeze Hotel, San Pedro)3.3 NM away
- San Pedro Hyperbaric Chamber & Clinics3.4 NM away
- Belize Port of Entry & Clearance (San Pedro, Belize City, Big Creek, Punta Gorda)3.5 NM away
- Estel's Dine by the Sea (San Pedro)3.5 NM away