Middle Caye, Glover's Reef Atoll, Belize

Middle Caye

Middle Caye is the heart of Glover's Reef Atoll and home to the Wildlife Conservation Society research station that has monitored the reef since the 1990s. The dive sites in front of the caye combine reef shelves, coral pinnacles and a wall that drops past 30 metres into deeper blue water. The reef structure includes large brain corals, mountainous star coral, sheet corals, big barrel sponges and dense gorgonian fans. Marine life sightings include schoolmaster snappers, large dog snappers, black grouper, Nassau grouper, hawksbill turtles, southern stingrays and the occasional Caribbean reef shark. Macro photographers find banded coral shrimp, arrow crabs, secretary blennies, Pederson cleaning shrimp on anemones, and a wide variety of nudibranchs. The strict marine reserve protection keeps both fish biomass and coral cover well above regional averages, as documented in WCS surveys. Currents are mild and visibility usually 25 to 35 metres. Open water with several wall dives logged is appropriate.