Belize Barrier Reef · Belize · Reef · Wall · Drift
The Aquarium
A shallow reef-top drift where dolphins and turtles turn up
Area photo: Axelspace Corporation · CC BY-SA 4.0
The Aquarium, also known as Long Caye Aquarium, is a shallow reef and wall site off Long Caye on Lighthouse Reef. The dive stays within 12 m (39 ft) along the reef and the top of the wall, and it can be dived as a drift. Divers come for an easy reef dive with a chance of turtles, dolphins and even whales passing.
Also known as Long Caye Aquarium.
Where it is and how deep
17.2254° N, 87.5945° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
Divers enter from the boat over the reef and work along the reef and the edge of the wall, letting any drift carry them. The deepest point of the dive sits at about 12 m (39 ft), so most of the time is spent in bright, shallow water. Turtles are common sightings on the reef, and dolphins and whales are seen here too.
Marine life and season
- Sea turtles
- Dolphins
- Whales
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Belize Barrier Reef: March to May is the dry season, when visibility at Turneffe can pass 30 m (100 ft); rain and northerly winds take the shine off the other months.
Questions divers ask
Is The Aquarium at Long Caye a shore or boat dive?+
It is a boat dive. The reef and wall are reached from a dive boat, and the dive stays within 12 m (39 ft), which suits Open Water divers.
Sources
More dive sites in Belize Barrier Reef
Reef
Gullies cut across a submerged spur-and-groove reef
Reef
One big coral bommie ringed by schooling bar jacks
Caribbean reef sharks and bull sharks patrolling a vertical wall
Wall
Eagle rays off a sponge-hung wall on Turneffe's east coast
Pelagic & blue water
Whale sharks feeding on snapper spawn between March and June
Ice-age stalactites hanging from 30 m inside a 124-metre shaft
Garden eels on the sand, then a wall that falls past 914 m (3,000 ft)
A 9-metre reef cut, with nurse sharks and stingrays next door
Similar dives elsewhere
Christ Under the Waters, a damaged statue standing at 24 m
Caribbean reef sharks along a steep west-facing cliff
Giant manta rays over an offshore bank, 16 m at its deepest
A light drift over a reef shaped like a figure eight