Turneffe Atoll is one of Belize’s premier diving destinations, known for its incredible biodiversity and vibrant coral reefs. Located about 19 miles (30 km) east of Belize City, this vast atoll stretches 31 miles (50 km) long and 9 miles (15 km) wide, making it the largest in Belize. With more than 70 dive sites, Turneffe Atoll offers a mix of mangrove islands, shallow lagoons, and deep drop-offs, providing a haven for reef fish, groupers, rays, manatees, and even the occasional dolphin.
Managed by the Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association, the Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve protects this unique ecosystem, ensuring sustainable use of its coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass beds. With visibility ranging from 50 to 130 feet (15 to 40m) and water temperatures between 79 and 84°F, Dive The World guests can enjoy year-round diving. The reserve’s zoning ensures a balance between conservation and traditional fisheries, while Dive The World provides expertly guided trips and resort-based diving experiences directly from Turneffe, giving scuba divers unparalleled access to these pristine sites.
The Elbow, at the southern tip of Turneffe Atoll, is a must-visit for divers seeking big fish action. This elbow-shaped reef outcrop is famous for massive mid-water congregations of snappers, jacks, and groupers. As a designated spawning aggregation site, divers often witness hundreds of fish forming a moving wall above the reef, creating a truly awe-inspiring spectacle. The site features several V-shaped deep cuts, offering vertical channels for exploration. Currents can be moderate, so dive guides will always brief guest divers on navigation and air management.
Dive The World guests usually access The Elbow via resort-based diving trips or liveaboard cruises. Our boats make early departures to ensure calm conditions and optimal visibility. Divers can spend extended time hovering above the reef, observing both the shoals and the predatory fish that patrol the deeper sections.
At The Elbow, cubera and dog snapper occupy the deepest sections, while horse-eye and yellow jacks swim slightly higher. Gray and mahogany snappers dominate mid-water, with permits, bar jacks, and rainbow runners nearer the surface. Hawksbill turtles often graze on sponges, and Atlantic goliath groupers lurk in reef crevices. Spotted eagle rays and occasional reef sharks patrol above the reef, adding to the excitement. Dive guides will provide insight into the fish species’ behaviors, helping guests identify them and maximize their experience.
Blackbird Caye, on Turneffe Atoll’s mid-east coast, is renowned for its dramatic wall dives. Sites such as Chinaman’s Wall feature coral-covered slopes that drop from 15 m (45 ft) into the deep blue, with crevices full of lobsters, arrow crabs, and morays. The reef flats offer sand chutes and coral gardens, providing a varied dive environment suitable for both macro photography and pelagic sightings.
Dive The World includes dives at Blackbird Caye in its resort-based trips. Guests are guided across the reef flats and walls, ensuring safe entry and exit while spotting endemic species. This site is perfect for divers looking to experience both the grand scale of Turneffe’s walls and the intricate life within coral gardens.
Blackbird Caye hosts whitespotted toadfish, juvenile trunkfish, French and gray angelfish, queen triggerfish, and filefish. Hawksbill turtles graze on barrel sponges, and great barracuda patrol mid-water. Southern stingrays and garden eels are commonly seen in sandy areas. The guides will point out microhabitats, ensuring that guests don’t miss cryptic species like basket stars, coral shrimps, and squat lobster. The combination of walls, flats, and occasional wrecks makes this a diverse and exciting dive.
The Sayonara Wreck, a former passenger and cargo boat sunk to create an artificial reef, rests at 15 m (50 ft) in the southern atoll. While the wooden hull has mostly disappeared due to hurricanes, the remaining metal framework now supports a thriving reef environment. Divers can explore the skeletal remains while observing surrounding coral bommies and barrel sponges.
Dive The World’s resorts run guided dives to the Sayonara, ensuring that guests navigate safely and spot the best marine life. The wreck provides excellent opportunities for photography, with vibrant reef fish and sponges creating a colorful backdrop. Intermediate and advanced divers enjoy exploring its nooks while still enjoying the natural reef that has grown around it.
The reef around the Sayonara Wreck is teeming with spotlight parrotfish, parrotfish, queen angelfish, French grunts, and juvenile fish hiding among coral bommies. Macro enthusiasts can spot basket starfish, coral shrimps, and file clams. Hawksbill turtles and occasional reef sharks patrol nearby, while schools of barracuda add excitement. The wreck and surrounding reef make this dive both visually stunning and ecologically rich.
Lindsey’s Back Porch, in the northeast of Turneffe Atoll, is known for steep walls and spectacular parrotfish populations. The reef descends from 18 to 25m (60 to 80 ft), with gorgonian fans and coral gardens decorating the wall. Alfredo’s, a nearby spur and groove reef, features gullies perfect for exploration. Dive The World guests can dive this area on resort-based itineraries, taking advantage of excellent visibility and calm conditions.
The site is suitable for confident divers, though gentle currents and clear water make it accessible for many skill levels. Guests are guided to the best vantage points for observing pelagic species and the parrotfish aggregations. Lindsey’s Back Porch offers a combination of dramatic topography and diverse habitats, ensuring a memorable dive.
This site is home to 3 large parrotfish species. Rainbow parrotfish display yellow, green, bronze, and purple shades; blue parrotfish have a humphead and fang-shaped tails; midnight parrotfish are dark navy with beige markings. Loggerhead turtles graze on the reef, black groupers patrol the walls, and reef sharks occasionally pass by. Nudibranchs, Caribbean reef squid, and the yellowlined sea goddess nudi inhabit the reef, providing plenty of interest for macro photographers and marine enthusiasts alike.
Northern Bogue, on the east coast, offers a quieter diving experience. Sites like Pelican Caye feature sandy flats interspersed with coral outcrops, ideal for spotting juvenile fish and small reef species. The Flats’ Front Porch features a broad coral plain that ends in a deep terrace, dropping beyond 40m (130 ft). Our resorts arrange these dives during calm conditions, as the area can be exposed to trade winds.
Divers can explore the shallow flats and deep terraces in a single dive, observing both microhabitats and pelagic species. This site is ideal for those seeking a blend of tranquility and biodiversity, with fewer divers visiting compared to the southern atoll sites.
Northern Bogue supports nurse sharks, green turtles, spotted toadfish, surgeonfish, porkfish, and grunts. Lionfish are occasionally seen on ledges. Blacktip reef sharks patrol the deeper terraces, while the sandy flats and coral outcrops shelter juvenile fish and macro species. The guides ensure divers see the highlights while maintaining safe navigation in this quieter but ecologically rich area.
Turneffe Atoll offers a remarkable range of diving experiences, from the huge shoals of The Elbow to the endemic species at Blackbird Caye, the wreck of the Sayonara, parrotfish spectacles at Lindsey’s Back Porch, and the quiet reefs of Northern Bogue. With over 70 dive sites, visibility from 50 to 130 feet (15 to 40m), and water temperatures of 26 to 29°C (79 to 84°F), a week on Turneffe Atoll allows divers to explore the full diversity of this extraordinary marine environment.
If you are ready to plan your next dive adventure, get in touch with us at Dive The World. We can help you access the best sites, organize your itinerary, and make sure your time on Turneffe Atoll is safe, enjoyable, and unforgettable. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced diver, we have everything you need for an amazing Caribbean diving holiday.
