Belize Barrier Reef, the area around Chinaman's Wall

Belize Barrier Reef · Belize · Wall

Chinaman's Wall

Eagle rays off a sponge-hung wall on Turneffe's east coast

Area photo: Axelspace Corporation · CC BY-SA 4.0

Chinaman's Wall runs along the mid-east coast of Turneffe Atoll, off Blackbird Caye, where the reef edge drops away from around 15 metres. The usual profile takes divers down the face to 20 to 25 metres, past vase and yellow tube sponges and sea fans, with eagle rays and blacktip sharks working the water off the wall.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Chinaman's Wall: typical dive 20–25 m (66–82 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit20 m25 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

17.3655° N, 87.7950° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

The wall on this stretch of Turneffe's east coast begins at around 15 metres, and the standard plan is to drop onto the top of it and then run the face down to 70 or 80 feet, 20 to 25 metres, before working back along it. The wall itself is the scenery: vase sponges and yellow tube sponges stand off the rock, sea fans catch whatever water is moving, and the crevices between them hold lobsters, arrow crabs and goldentail morays.

Keep one eye off the wall as you go. Eagle rays glide past in the blue and blacktip sharks roam deeper down the face, while dog and red snapper, Nassau grouper and black grouper congregate in the recesses and under the ledges cut into the wall. The shallower top of the reef makes an easy place to finish, spending the last of the dive in the sponge and fan cover before the ascent.

Marine life and season

  • Eagle rays
  • Reef sharks
  • Groupers
  • Macro critters
Month-by-month season rating for Chinaman's Wall
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
GoodGoodPrimePrimePrimePrimeGoodFairOff-seasonOff-seasonFairGood

Season follows Belize Barrier Reef: Whale sharks aggregate at Gladden Spit around the March–June full moons; September–October bring the highest hurricane risk.

Know before you go

  • The face falls away below the 20 to 25 metre working depth with no bottom in sight to judge against, so set a maximum before you drop and watch your gauge along the wall.

Sources

  1. Turneffe Atoll dive sites — Dive The World

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