Dangriga, South Water Caye Marine Reserve, Belize

Tobacco Range

Tobacco Range is a sheltered patch reef and lagoon area south of Tobacco Caye on the inside of the barrier reef, within South Water Caye Marine Reserve. The dive consists of small coral pinnacles and patch reefs scattered across a sandy and seagrass bottom in 6 to 25 metres of water. Each pinnacle is a coral oasis hosting French and queen angelfish, stoplight parrotfish, midnight parrotfish, foureye butterflyfish, blue chromis, schoolmasters and a wide variety of wrasses. Spotted moray eels, banded coral shrimp, arrow crabs, secretary blennies and Caribbean reef octopus are easy macro subjects in the cracks. The seagrass beds host green turtles and southern stingrays. Manatees occasionally pass through, drawn by the sheltered seagrass habitat that connects to nearby South Water Caye. Currents are very mild, visibility 12 to 20 metres. Excellent for new divers, training and night dives. Operators based on Tobacco Caye and South Water Caye run the site as a house reef.