Turneffe Islands, Turneffe Atoll, Belize

Front Porch

Front Porch is a shallow patch reef and coral garden on the southern edge of Turneffe Atoll, often used as a check-out dive at the start of liveaboard trips and as a relaxed third tank of the day. The dive is run on a coral plateau between 8 and 14 metres, with the deepest sand patches at about 25 metres. The plateau is covered in healthy mountainous star coral, brain coral, sheet coral, gorgonian fans and a wide variety of sponges. Reef life is dense: queen angelfish, French angelfish, midnight parrotfish, stoplight parrotfish, butterflyfishes, blue chromis, sergeant majors, schoolmasters and the resident schools of yellowtail snapper. Spotted moray eels, lobsters, banded coral shrimp, arrow crabs and Caribbean reef octopus on night dives are easy macro subjects. Hawksbill turtles and southern stingrays are common. Currents are very mild and visibility 18 to 25 metres. Suitable for new divers; an outstanding training and night dive site.