Wildlife· Utila· Other Caribbean
Turtle Harbour Wildlife Refuge (Utila north side)
16° 6.6′ N · 86° 56.8′ W
A protected bay and pond on Utila's undeveloped north coast. Mangroves, reef and quiet water lie here, a world away from the dive-town bustle of East Harbour.
Practical
The coordinate is the Turtle Harbour bay from OpenStreetMap. OSM maps it inside the 'Refugio de Vida Silvestre Turtle Harbour' protected area, with Turtle Harbour Pond behind it at about 16.1005, -86.9335. You can get here by boat around the island, by kayak through the mangrove canal from the lagoon, or on a guided north-side snorkel trip (Utila Guide names Sunbliss Tours). Ramsar and protected-area rules apply: no taking of marine life and no anchoring on coral. The north side faces the trades and open sea, so visit in calm or southerly weather.
Best for
Wild north-shore mangroves and reef
Season
Calm or southerly days; untenable in northers
Nearby
- Duppy Waters (Utila)0.4 NM away
- North Side Reef Snorkel (Blackish Point, Utila)1.1 NM away
- Neptune's Dock Snorkel (Coral Beach Village, Utila)2.1 NM away
- Utila Lagoon & Mangrove Canal2.1 NM away
- Blue Bayou Snorkel (Utila south shore)2.4 NM away
- CJ's Drop-off (Utila)2.4 NM away
- Utila Cays Anchorage (Pigeon/Suc-Suc Cay, west Utila)2.6 NM away
- Chepes Beach (Utila)2.7 NM away