Page 235 - Central America

although fish populations are not as large. You can expect mangrove
cayes, coral reefs, seagrass beds and lagoons, all offering something
different. Sponges and fans dominate the underwater landscape at
many of the dive sites, swaying in the gentle surge. The reef itself is
in good health, but there are few hard coral species since their deli-
cate structure is unable to withstand the occassional hurricane that
blows through here. The diving at Ambergris Caye is simple and has
enough interesting sites and marine life encounters to keep beginners
enthralled. It will appeal to casual divers that want to make just a few
dives while on holiday, enjoying the sights, sounds and tourist attrac-
tions of Belize and the fun of San Pedro. More experienced divers
who want to sample the best diving that Belize has to offer should
rather consider visiting Lighthouse Reef or Turneffe Atoll.
Liveaboards do not visit this area and dive resorts on the atolls do not
tend to travel inland to visit Ambergris Caye so the best way of div-
ing here is by staying in a nearby resort on Ambergris itself. This will
mean diving both on the barrier reef and on other local sites around
the island. It is also possible to dive further out to sea at the atolls
when staying on Ambergris Caye but it is a long day trip. Most who
stay here tend to limit themselves to diving locally.