Long Caye, Glover's Reef Atoll, Belize

Long Caye Wall

Long Caye Wall is a classic drop-off dive on the eastern edge of Glover's Reef Atoll, the southernmost of the three Belizean atolls and a UNESCO World Heritage Site within the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System. The reef top sits between 8 and 12 metres and the wall plunges vertically past 40 metres, with the abyssal seafloor more than 700 metres below. Massive barrel sponges, deep-water sea fans, black coral whips and a healthy mix of plate, brain and pillar coral cover the wall. The shallow plateau is alive with creole wrasses, blue chromis, yellowtail snappers, queen and French angelfish, midnight parrotfish and Nassau groupers. Caribbean reef sharks and blacktip sharks patrol the deeper sections, eagle rays glide along the rim, and hawksbill turtles are commonly seen in the shallows. Glover's relative isolation and protection by Wildlife Conservation Society researchers and the Belize Fisheries Department keep the reef remarkably healthy. Visibility ranges from 25 to 40 metres, currents are usually moderate. Suitable for intermediate divers; access is via long boat ride or liveaboard.