SCUBA Dive Travel: Belize Liveaboard 2024
Schedule
Sat Oct 26 2024 at 12:00 am to Sat Nov 02 2024 at 12:00 am
UTC-04:00Location
Blue Crew Divers | West Chester, PA
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Sign Up: https://bluecrewdivers.com/trips/belize-liveaboardOverview
This adventure features diving on shallow walls, healthy reefs, and the chance to see abundant pelagic animals including large sharks and rays.
About Glover's Reef: This island jewel is an oval-shaped coral atoll (18 miles long x 6 miles wide) and located 27 miles (43 km) from in the mainland. The sparkling interior lagoon is dotted with over 800 thriving patch reefs and pinnacles that rise to the surface of its turquoise waters. The Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve is a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Site and one of the seven protected areas in Belize. The atoll forms part of the outermost boundary of the Belize Barrier Reef, along with Turneffe Atoll and Lighthouse Reef. Because the atoll is remote and protected, many of the islands have virtually uncharted, virgin habitats and spectacular diving.
Dive Sites
BAKING SWASH REEF - Sunday morning guests will start their trip with a check-out dive at Baking Swash, a narrow cut through the western edge of the atoll. Two weathered tree limbs frame the channel’s beauty on each side. The shallow coral reefs break the surface, thriving in the protected waters.
SPLIT REEFS - This 40-foot (12 m) deep reef reaches to the surface with a deeper reef dropping down along a 100-foot (30 m) wall. This dive site offers rare specimens of healthy corals such as endangered elkhorn coral, boulders of brain coral, large cactus corals, and delicate staghorn corals together form intricate thickets. An array of soft corals and gorgonians like colorful sea whips, sea rods, corky sea fingers, and Venus sea fans also sway across the reef. A kaleidoscope of shimmering, small fish school together – blue chromis, sergeant majors, and blue-headed wrasse glide over and through the corals.
SHARK POINT - Shark Point is one of the more remote dive sites around the atoll; visits are weather permitting, only. It is an exposed area with a rare spawning aggregation site for groupers. Several species of sharks are associated with this dive site including nurse, blacktip, hammerhead, and tiger sharks. Sharks can be seen cruising along the sloping white sand channels and over the coral colonies.
GROUPER FLATS - This dive site is located on the northeastern reef tract and is home to several species of grouper. Both the shallow and deeper reefs here are home to rare, mature elkhorn coral and huge colonies of lettuce coral. The gentle topography of this amazing reef is home to Nassau, tiger, black, spotted and marble grouper often seen resting amid the sea whips and gorgonians.
LONG CAYE WALL - Long Caye Wall is a beautiful dive site with dense coral growth including endangered elkhorn coral. Forty feet (12 m) down, divers see garden eels, rays, gleaming schools of fish in the water column and smaller fish hovering over on soft sandy bottom. The vertical drop here has many overhangs adorned with giant, colorful sponges, black coral, and wire corals. Sea turtles, eagle rays, manta rays, and curious barracudas are regular visitors all along the wall.
SOUTH WEST CAYE WALL - The Southwest Caye Wall is a dramatic drop-off from its crest at 50 feet (15 m) down to an underwater cliff at 130 feet (40 m) deep. This dive site is characterized by boulder coral, wire coral, and spectacular sponges.
EMERALD FOREST REEF - Emerald Forest Reef is named for the huge elkhorn coral colony that dominates the shallow reef crest creating a large canopy of golden coral. Nearby, divers often see snappers, groupers, trunkfish, angelfish, lobsters, traveling schools of wrasse and clouds of blue chromis amidst the large basket, tube, and rope sponges.
16th & 17th Century Shipwrecks Off Glover's Reef Atoll - Glover’s Reef Atoll is resplendent with shipwrecks from the 16th and 17th centuries. As noted by Sir Robert Marx, marine historian, in his book “Shipwrecks of the Western Hemisphere”, the following shipwrecks can be found at Glover’s Reef:
* In 1774 two ships wrecked on Glover’s Reef. The first was the English merchantman, Argyle; Captain Fisher lost the ship at about 3 nautical miles (5.5 km) from the southwestern end of the reef. The second was the American ship Polly; Captain Waid lost the ship on route to New York, on the northeastern end of the reef. Thankfully, the crew and part of cargo were saved but the wreck remains.
* In 1793, the English merchantman Chance, with Captain Reed at the helm was sailing from Jamaica when it wrecked on Glover’s Reef. Then in 1803, the English merchantman Fishburn, with Captain Leake at the helm, was lost on a reef near Belize while sailing to London.
* In 1807, the English ship General Don, with Captain Messeroy at the helm, was lost on Glover’s Reef during transit from France. Then in 1808, the English merchantmen Perseverance, with Captain M’Nutt at the helm, was lost near Belize in transit from Jamaica; the crew was saved but the wreck remains.
What's Included:
Double Occupancy: $2995
Airport Transfers
All Meals (except Friday night)
Beverages
Alcohol
What's Not Included:
Airfare
Gratuities
$130 port fee payable on site
Dive Gear
Required:
All divers must have current DAN diving insurance and some form of travel insurance. We recommend travel insurance through DAN (Divers Alert Network).
DAN Trip Insurance: https://dan.org/partner/2963667/trip
DAN Diver Insurance: https://dan.org/partner/296366
Sign Up: https://bluecrewdivers.com/trips/belize-liveaboard
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Where is it happening?
Blue Crew Divers, 16 W Chestnut St, West Chester, PA 19380-2649, United States,West Chester, PennsylvaniaEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
