Turneffe Islands, Turneffe Atoll, Belize

Lefty's Ledge

Lefty's Ledge is a step-down wall on the eastern edge of Turneffe Atoll where the reef shoulder forms two distinct ledges before the main wall. The reef top sits at 12 metres and the first ledge runs at 20 metres, with a second drop to 30 metres before the wall continues into deeper water. Each ledge is a separate marine garden, with deep-water sea fans, large barrel sponges, plate corals and dense gorgonian fans. Caribbean reef sharks patrol the wall reliably and large schools of horse-eye jacks gather at the drop. Big mutton snappers, schoolmasters, midnight parrotfish, French and queen angelfish, large groupers and queen triggerfish are part of the resident fish community. Hawksbill turtles and southern stingrays appear regularly, and eagle rays cruise the wall in the morning. Currents are typically moderate, dives are run as drifts. Visibility 20 to 30 metres. Recommended for divers comfortable with multi-level wall dives.