San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, Belize

Boca Bacalar

Boca Bacalar is a barrier-reef cut and adjacent reef dive at the northern end of Ambergris Caye inside Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reserve. The site sits on the seaward side of the cut, with the reef top at 10 metres and a slope through coral garden to the wall edge at 25 metres. The structure is built on healthy coral cover with mountainous star coral, brain coral, sheet coral, pillar coral and gorgonian fans. The wall edge is decorated with large barrel sponges, deep-water sea fans, vase sponges and rope sponges. Reef life includes schools of yellowtail snapper, horse-eye jacks, schoolmasters, French and queen angelfish, midnight parrotfish, large groupers and queen triggerfish. Caribbean reef sharks pass along the deeper wall, eagle rays cruise the rim and hawksbill turtles graze sponges. American crocodiles inhabit the mangrove fringes topside but are not encountered on the dives. Currents are moderate, visibility 18 to 28 metres.