The Atolls Of Belize: A Tropical Paradise Unveiled

Belize is home to three of the four atolls in the Western Hemisphere: Glover's Reef Atoll, Lighthouse Reef Atoll, and Turneffe Atoll. These coral islands are located near the Belize Barrier Reef and attract tourists from all over the world with their turquoise waters, beautiful reefs, and abundant marine life. An atoll is a ring-shaped coral island that forms around a lagoon, providing an ideal habitat for marine life to flourish. The atolls of Belize offer a unique experience for divers, sea kayakers, and snorkelers, making them a popular destination for those seeking to explore the natural beauty and wildlife that the country has to offer.

Glover's Reef Atoll, a marine reserve with over 700 coral patches

Belize is home to three distinct and beautiful atolls located just kilometres from the mainland. One of the most popular is Glover's Reef Atoll, a World Heritage Site and marine reserve located about 45 kilometres off the Belizean coast.

Glover's Reef is named after English pirate brothers John and Roger Glover from the 1750s. It was established in the 1970s by a team of renowned coral reef scientists and has since become a protected wildlife reserve, attracting thousands of explorers, divers and travellers each year.

The atoll is an oval ring of coral approximately 52 miles in circumference in the middle of the Caribbean Sea. It is one of only four atolls in the entire Western Hemisphere. Glover's Reef Atoll is thought to be the richest marine environment in the Caribbean Sea. Within the atoll is a shallow lagoon with over 700 coral patches. This lagoon is ideal for snorkelling, sea kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, scuba diving and fishing.

The atoll was formed by underwater volcanic eruptions that created a giant underwater mountain that eventually peaked above the surface to create a rocky island. As the eruptions ceased, the surrounding lava hardened around the island, becoming a thriving home for a variety of marine life, including coral. Over time, the weight of the rocks and the surrounding reef caused the island to sink, leaving behind a rim of vibrant coral reef with a calm lagoon at its centre.

Glover's Reef Atoll is a critical nursery and feeding ground for sea turtles, sharks, rays and numerous fish species. It is also a protected area for endangered species such as manatees, American crocodiles and sea turtles. The atoll is part of the Glover's Reef Marine Reserve, one of seven protected areas that together form the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Lighthouse Reef Atoll, home to the Great Blue Hole, a world-renowned diving site

Belize is home to three distinct and beautiful atolls located just kilometres from the mainland. One of the many reasons that so many tourists and travellers are drawn to Belize throughout the year is to experience the wonder and wildlife of its atolls.

The second of the three Belizean atolls is the Lighthouse Reef Atoll, located about 50 miles (80 km) off the coast of Belize City. This atoll is the most popular space for diving and snorkelling because it's home to the Great Blue Hole, a massive world-renowned diving site.

The Great Blue Hole is a large underwater sinkhole off the coast of Belize, lying near the centre of Lighthouse Reef. It is a vast expanse of interconnected underwater caverns adorned with stalactites, stalagmites, dripstone sheets, and columns. The hole is circular in shape, over 300 metres (984 ft) across and 125 metres (410 ft) deep.

The Blue Hole is a "bucket list" destination for any serious scuba diver. It was made famous by legendary oceanographer and diver Jacques Cousteau, who declared it one of the top 10 dive sites on earth. SCUBAdiving in the Great Blue Hole is for advanced divers. It typically involves descending to a depth of 135 feet, which is considered an advanced dive.

The Lighthouse Reef Atoll is also home to the Half-Moon Caye, which has been a government-protected bird sanctuary since 1928, protecting the rare and beautiful blue-footed boobie bird. The entire caye has since become a protected space, with visitors coming from all over the world to see the incredible wildlife and dive the Great Blue Hole.

Turneffe Atoll, the largest atoll in Belize, with rich marine life

Belize is home to three distinct and beautiful atolls: Glover's Reef, Lighthouse Reef, and Turneffe Atoll, which is the largest and most biologically diverse coral atoll in Belize and the Mesoamerican Reef ecoregion. Located 20 miles (32 kilometres) from Belize City and surrounded by deep oceanic waters, Turneffe Atoll is a chain of small Caribbean cayes (islands) southeast of Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye. It measures approximately 30 miles (48 kilometres) long and 10 miles wide.

Turneffe Atoll has been recognised for over 40 years as one of the Caribbean's top destinations for bonefish, tarpon and permit. It offers world-class saltwater fishing, diving and snorkelling opportunities. The atoll is also known for its rich biodiversity, consisting of a network of highly productive flats, creeks, and lagoons dotted by more than 150 mangrove islands and higher cayes with savanna and littoral forest.

The large expanses of intact mangrove and seagrass habitats provide important nursery functions for a wide array of marine species, including fish, crocodiles, lobster, conch and other invertebrates. Turneffe is also home to more than 500 species of fish, 65 species of stony corals, sea turtles, manatees, dolphins, seabirds, and other wildlife. In addition, at least three important fish spawning aggregation sites have been identified.

Declared a national marine reserve by the Belizean government in 2012, Turneffe Atoll is now managed by the Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association (TASA), which was appointed by the Ministry and the Belize Fisheries Department to oversee the day-to-day operations of the reserve. The creation of the reserve was supported by several NGOs and foundations, including the Blue Marine Foundation and the Oak Foundation.

Atolls are ring-shaped coral reefs encircling a lagoon

Belize is home to three atolls: Glover's Reef, Lighthouse Reef, and Turneffe. These atolls are a huge draw for tourists and travellers, who visit throughout the year to experience their wonder and wildlife.

An atoll is a ring-shaped coral reef, island, or series of islets that encircles a body of water called a lagoon. Atolls are only found in warm tropical or subtropical waters, as this is where coral can develop. They are formed when tiny sea animals called corals build a reef around an oceanic island. The type of corals that build reefs are called hermatypic corals, or hard corals. These corals create a hard exoskeleton of limestone (calcium carbonate). Billions of these limestone exoskeletons form the reef. This coral reef, called a fringing reef, surrounds the island just below the ocean surface. The thin, shallow strip of water between the fringing reef and the island is the lagoon. Over time, the volcanic island becomes extinct and eroded as it subsides completely beneath the surface of the ocean. As the volcanic island subsides, the coral fringing reef becomes a barrier reef that is detached from the island. Eventually, the reef and the small coral islets on top of it are all that is left of the original island, and a lagoon has taken the place of the former volcano. The formation of an atoll is a slow process that can take millions of years.

Atolls are fantastic places for marine life to flourish. Their remote locations offer fantastic conditions for coral growth, and plenty of coral provides refuge to smaller reef life and juvenile species, allowing fish populations to thrive. In addition, regular upwellings of nutrient-rich waters from the surrounding depths bring plenty of food, feeding corals, reef life, and large, plankton-eating sea animals.

The three atolls of Belize are popular with divers, snorkelers, and fishers. Turneffe Atoll is the largest and most northerly of the three. It is also the most developed, home to luxury dive resorts and fishing lodges. Glover's Reef Atoll is the southernmost atoll in Belize and a prime destination for off-the-beaten-path explorers. Lighthouse Reef Atoll is the most distant of the three, located about 50 miles (80km) off the coast of Belize City. It is home to three of the country's top dive sites: the Great Blue Hole, the Half Moon Caye Wall, and the Long Caye Aquarium.

Belize has three of the four atolls in the Western Hemisphere

Belize is an unusual country in that it has three of the four atolls found in the Western Hemisphere. These are Glover's Reef Atoll, Lighthouse Reef Atoll, and Turneffe Atoll. These atolls are tiny spits of land that are part of the Belize Barrier Reef. An atoll is a ring-shaped coral reef that encircles a lagoon partially or completely. They are formed when corals build fringe reefs around a volcanic island, and as the island subsides, the reef remains with an open lagoon in the centre. This process can take millions of years.

Belize's atolls are home to a diverse range of marine life, including endangered species such as manatees, American crocodiles, and sea turtles. They are also popular destinations for travellers seeking to explore their turquoise waters, reefs, and abundant marine life. Each atoll has its own unique characteristics and attractions.

Glover's Reef Atoll is a protected marine reserve located in the outermost area of the reef. It is named after the infamous English pirate John Glover, who used it as a base to raid Spanish ships in the 1750s. Today, the lagoon inside Glover's Reef Atoll has over 700 patch reefs, sheltering a wide variety of marine animals and plants. The gentle waters make it an ideal place for activities such as snorkelling, stand-up paddling, and sea kayaking.

Lighthouse Reef Atoll is one of the most famous landmarks in Belize and is easily identifiable from outer space. At its centre is the Belize Blue Hole or Great Blue Hole, a nearly perfectly circular expanse of deep blue water. It is considered one of the best diving destinations in the world, with Jacques Cousteau declaring it as such in the 1970s. The atoll also features mangroves and a lagoon inhabited by crocodiles and egrets, and it serves as a nesting site for sea turtles.

Turneffe Atoll is the largest atoll in Belize and has been a protected marine reserve since 2012. The combination of currents makes the waters of the Turneffe Atoll incredibly nutrient-rich, supporting a diverse range of marine life, including over 500 species of fish, manatees, seabirds, and dolphins. The atoll offers world-class snorkelling, scuba diving, and fishing opportunities, with its famous "wall diving" spots and shallow water sea gardens.

Frequently asked questions