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Explore the wonders and
beauty of the Turneffe Atoll at your own pace. Snorkel,
bird watch, or pursue a number of other fun and
informative activities. If you feel like it, stay at the
lodge and lounge on our beach. Every day offers a great
new adventure and a perfect opportunity to relax – that’s
what our Atoll Adventure is all about.
Choose
from a variety of daily guided activities led by one of
our Atoll Adventure guides, all of whom are informative
and fun. Our
twin-engine, canopied boat is at your guide's disposal for
exploring the reefs, mangroves, creeks and lagoons that
make Turneffe the largest and most biologically diverse
atoll in the Caribbean.
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Snorkeling is one activity that you will want to
experience during your stay. Turneffe’s world-class
snorkeling features warm Caribbean waters, a myriad of
tropical reef creatures and incredible coral
structures. Our guides are masters at helping
everyone feel comfortable in the water and beginners
can learn to snorkel on our sandy shore before
visiting the reef. |
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With at least 60 species of birds at Turneffe, birding
is another highlight. You may also want to tour the
atoll searching for manatees and dolphins or enjoy an
afternoon kayaking. Our Atoll Adventure Program is a
very flexible and is tailored to fit the particular
interests of each group.
Of
course, exploring the 300 square mile Turneffe Atoll
can, itself, be an adventure. Turneffe has a
fascinating history, including Mayan fishing and
trading settlements dating to 400 A.D. Turneffe was
also a favored hideout for Blackbeard, one of the
notorious pirates of the Caribbean. For most guests,
learning about the history of Turneffe as well as the
fascinating history of Belize is one of the more
enjoyable parts of their visit. |
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Our
Atoll Adventure guide is Abelino "Abel" Coe. Abel was
born and raised in a Maya community in Southern Belize
and his first language was Maya. Abel is an avid
student of Maya history as well as the rest of
Belize's history. Days with Abel are informative and
fun. He knows the flora and fauna of Turneffe
intimately and is very adept and finding all of the
interesting things. Abel is an excellent snorkeler
and makes all guests feel comfortable visiting the
underwater wonders at Turneffe. |
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Our Atoll
Adventure Tours are described below.
- Snorkeling Tours
- Manatee and
Dolphin Tour
- Flats Walking Tour
- Turneffe Atoll
Birding Tour
- Sea Shell &
Starfish Tour
- Crocodile Tour
- Belizean Cooking
Class
- The Maya and
Turneffe
- Lighthouse Atoll -
Snorkeling & Birding Tour
- Night Snorkel
- Mangrove Snorkel
- Turneffe Atoll Eco
Tour
- Mainland Tour
- Kayaking
- Discover SCUBA
Diving Course
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You can expect to see a wide variety of tropical reef fishes, rays, sea turtles, lobsters,
dolphins and possibly even a manatee. While snorkeling, you will always be accompanied
by our Atoll Adventure Guide who is a master at helping even novice snorkelers feel
comfortable in the water. He will make sure that your equipment fits and will teach you
the best snorkeling techniques. He knows where to find all of the interesting creatures
and will ensure that you make the most of your snorkeling adventures.
Take a boat ride around the Atoll in search of Bottlenose & possibly Spotted Dolphins.
Pods of dolphins cruise the shallow water using their sonar system to hunt for fish &
crustaceans buried in the sand. They are sometimes attracted by the sound of the engine
and will suddenly pop up alongside the boat to have a look at you.
Turneffe is an important location for West Indian Manatees which grow to 1,300 lbs
and trundle along the sea grass beds browsing on vegetation. Their only living relative
is the elephant and they still have toenails on their front flippers even though their
back-end has evolved into a powerful spatulate tail. These shy creatures, usually a
single male or a mother and her calf, can be seen in the creeks around the Atoll.
Just inside the fringe reef along the seaward side of the atoll are miles of shallow,
gin clear flats. This is the area where fly fishing anglers search for bonefish and permit,
and the “flats” are alive with sea creatures of all sorts. With a discerning eye
and the aid of your guide, you will likely see schools of bonefish, permit, trunk
(box) fish, barracudas, small rays, snappers and even small sharks. In the surf
you can sometimes see large Parrot Fish or Trigger Fish with their backs half
out of the water. The flats are covered with turtle grass, which is a key habitat
for many species of juvenile fish, and the flats are also vital in protecting the coral
reef by acting as a sediment filter.
Approximately 60 species
have been identified on the Turneffe Atoll. The following
are fairly commonly seen are:
The Snowy Egret, Little Blue
Heron, Great Blue Heron, Tricolored Heron, Yellow-crowned
Night Heron, Clapper Rail, Mangrove Swallow, Brown
Pelican, Magnificent Frigatebird, Double-crested
Cormorant, Osprey, Mangrove Warbler, Great tailed Grackle,
Goldenfronted Woodpecker, Tropical Mockingbird, Cinnamon
Hummingbird, Great Breasted Mango, White Crowned Pigeon
and Royal Tern.
Seen on
occasion are: The Belted Kingfisher, White-eyed Vireo,
Northern Waterthrush, Barn Swallow, Perigrine Falcon,
Merlin, Common Yellowthroat, Bay Breasted Warbler,
Red-eyed Vireo, Palm Warbler, Cape May Warbler, Eastern
Wood Pewee, Summer Tanager, Brown Booby, Yucatan Vireo,
Hooded Oriole, American Redstart, Least Tern and the
Roseate Tern.
In several sandy areas around the atoll, you can snorkel above huge Cushion
Sea Stars, varying in color from pale yellow to burgundy red. If you wish to add
to your seashell collection, there are opportunities to walk the shores of the many
small cayes on the Atoll to search for a variety of shells that wash up with each
tide. Conch fishing is a vital part of the commercial fishing economy at Turneffe
and there are thousands of discarded Queen Conch shells to choose from. In
addition, you may find exokeletons of Long Spined Sea urchins and intact West
The Turneffe Atoll is one of
the largest remaining nesting areas in the Caribbean for
the docile and threatened American Crocodiles (Crocodylus
acutus). Join our Adventure Guide for a leisurely boat
ride around the mangrove islands for the opportunity to
see these crocodiles in their natural habitat. You are
likely to see crocs sunning themselves or swimming in
isolated lagoons. Additionally, you will see crocodile
nests and possibly baby crocodiles. Unlike the Australian
and African Crocodiles, the American Crocodile eats mostly
fish and is very timid. When approached while sunning on
the shore, they run for the safety of the water and
submerge. Your Adventure Leader also conducts a weekly
'Crocodile Hunt' where we slowly motor through the lagoons
by flashlight looking for the red glow of crocodile eyes.
Spend part of a day in the
kitchen with one of our cooks learning how to prepare
empanadas, tortillas or garnaches the Belizean way. This
is more than a cooking class; it is a culture class. You
will go home with recipes and fond memories.
The Maya and Turneffe
Your guide Abel, a Kek'chi
Maya, grew up in a Maya village in Southern Belize and
will explain the history of the Maya in Belize as well as
the traditions and beliefs of the Maya culture. His
knowledge and ability to share it is something special.
Several Maya fishing
villages have been identified on the Turneffe Atoll dating
to 400 A.D. Turneffe was clearly part of the intricate
trade routes of the Maya and artifacts from Turneffe
indicate that they traded goods with peoples as far away
as Guatemala.
Belize is thought to have
been at the center of the Maya civilization, which was at
its peak from 900 B.C. to 900 A.D. Today the Maya make up
approximately 11% of the population of Belize with several
villages still speaking one of the three Maya languages as
their first language. Learn about the three Maya groups
inhabiting Belize - the Yucatec, the Mopan & the Kek'chi
Maya. If you are lucky, you may run across a Maya
artifact or two.
Conditions allowing, you
will have an opportunity to spend the day at the southern
end of the Lighthouse Atoll. Your first stop will be The
Great Blue Hole. This amazing structure was formed
millions of years ago when the roof an underground cave
collapsed. Now, the cave is filled with seawater and forms
a circular hole 1000ft in diameter and 480 ft deep. This
is primarily a scuba diving attraction but the coral edges
provide a unique and wonderful snorkeling experience.
Next, you
will visit Half Moon Caye. This small caye was established
as a Crown Reserve in 1928 and became the first Marine
Reserve in Belize. Here a colony of Red-footed Booby
birds nest in the tops of the Zericote trees. Whereas the
Red-footed boobies in the Galapagos and other parts of the
world have brown plumage, almost all of these 4000 birds
display the rare white color phase.
The
Magnificent Frigatebird, with a 7ft wingspan also shares
this rookery. Since they cannot land on water, they mostly
feed by harassing the returning boobies until they drop
their catch. Some 98 other species of birds have been
documented on the caye including Ospreys, Great Tailed
Grackles, Cinnamon Hummingbirds and White-crowned pigeons.
If you
feel like some additional exercise, you can kayak the 1000
yards to the shipwreck of the Ermlund. The wreckage of
this vessel sits on the top of the reef where it was
deposited during a storm in 1971.
After a
picnic lunch under the shade of the palm trees we set off
for Long Caye, to snorkel ‘The Aquarium’. Here you watch
from above as divers feed thousands of Bermuda Chub,
Sergeant Majors and Yellowtail Snappers with leftover
bread.
If we are
lucky, a large pod of Common Dolphin or Spinner Dolphin
will escort us part of the way back to Turneffe Flats.
Mangroves are the backbone
of Turneffe, as well as all coastal marine habitats.
They provide essential nursery habitat for a diverse
community of fishes and are the nutritional backbone for
the entire ecosystem. In addition, they provide a
protective barrier for storms and help protect the coral
reef. The predominant mangroves at Turneffe are Red
Mangroves but stands of Black and White Mangroves are
present as well. Take a peek into this fascinating
world by snorkeling amongst the juvenile snappers,
grunts, lobsters and even nurse sharks & turtles. This
will make you understand the vital nature of these
plants to our coastal marine environment.
After dark the ocean comes
alive allowing snorkelers to see many things that can’t
be witnessed during the daylight. Snorkel with your
Adventure Guide from our dock and explore the coral reef
by flashlight! Your guide will point out the intriguing
creatures that prefer the night shift such as Octopus,
Caribbean Squid, Tiger Tail Sea Cucumbers, Squirrel Fish
and Slipper Lobsters. See the coral come alive with
their polyps wafting in the current, actively feeding on
the plankton which glows and sparkles with
bioluminescent light. This tour is great fun and allow
you to appreciate the most active period for many marine
creatures.
To some extent, this is the
culmination of several tours. Its combination of healthy
coral reef, back reef flats, extensive sea grass beds and
mangroves make Turneffe the largest and most biologically
diverse atoll in the Caribbean.
The
Turneffe Atoll is one of only three coral atolls in the
Caribbean – two others (Lighthouse Atoll and Glover’s
Atoll) are located in Belize and the fourth is in Southern
Mexico. Formation of these coral atolls was accomplished
through years of coral buildup rather than by volcanic
activity – the more common mechanism of atoll formation.
The entire Atoll is surrounded by a fringe coral reef with
waters inside the reef varying from less than a foot deep
to 30 feet in depth. Ocean depths around the atoll are
thought to reach 9000 feet.
Approximately 30 miles long and 10 miles across, Turneffe
has evolved as a model coastal marine ecosystem. This
involves the following intimately interrelated habitats;
the coral reef, the back reef flats, the sea grass beds,
the mangroves and the littoral forest. During you visit
you will learn how all of these varied habitats are
interrelated and interdependent. You will learn what is
required to sustain healthy coral reefs, the functions of
the back reef flats, the importance of healthy sea grass
beds and the reasons that mangroves are vital to the
entire ecosystem.
In the
end, we hope that you will agree that the unique and
special environment of the Turneffe Atoll warrants
protection from treats such as over-fishing,
over-development and improper development that have
decimated much of the coastal ecology in other parts of
the world.
A mainland tour is optional.
If you wish to do a mainland tour you will go to Belize
City on our supply day (Tuesday or Wednesday), meet with
one of the best tour guides in Belize and visit a Mayan
Ruin, the Belize Zoo, or the rain forest. The mainland
tour is an additional expense, which is paid directly to
the tour operator. Costs depend upon the tour chosen, but
usually range from $50-$75/person.
Before or after your guided
activities, take one of our sea kayaks out for a better
look at the surroundings and enjoy the marine life close
at hand. While getting some exercise, you can explore the
creeks that wind amongst the mangrove islands, and the
myriad of marine life inhabiting the “flats” including
boxfish, stingrays and bonefish. Take your snorkeling
gear with you and take a dip when you need to cool off or
take a closer look at the marine life.
Have you ever wondered about
SCUBA Diving? During your stay, you may want to spend half
a day learning about and experiencing the excitement of
SCUBA Diving. Our Dive Instructors offer this
introductory course which consists of basic SCUBA
instruction followed by two shallow dives. There is an
additional charge of $100 plus 8% Sales Tax for this
course.
Don't Forget to Bring
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Mask,
fins, snorkel*
Dive skin or wet suit if desired*
Sunscreen
Polarized sunglasses
Hat for sun protection on the boat
Insect repellent
Raincoat
Camera and plenty of film
Binoculars
First-aid medications
Prescription medications
Wading Shoes
(These need to be firm soled shoes designed for flats
wading and impermeable to small, sharp indent pieces
of coral. Light tennis shoes will not work and can be
dangerous.)
*These are not available for rent
at the lodge. |
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