Page 276 - Central America

Baking Swash Reef - Although this is a beautiful site, and it is popu-
lar with snorkelers, divers have to be careful here because of the boat
traffic. Baking Swash is a little cut through the reef that everybody
uses to enter and exit the lagoon, and boaters don’t always see di-
vers. Similar to Split Reefs, two coral reef zones are separated by a
sandy flat. The shallower one makes for great snorkeling.
Bev’s Garden - The top of the wall is at 10m (33’) and it is adorned
with a beautiful field of lettuce leaf and staghorn corals everywhere.
Beyond the drop-off there are canyons of coral making homes and
hideouts for all manner of fishes, as well as hawksbill turtles. White
spotted eagle rays often grace the blue above, and beyond the gar-
den.
Emerald Forest - Right in the middle of 40 km (25 mi) of untouched
reef, Emerald Forest is representative of what could be dozens of
dive sites. Northward there are spur-and-groove reefs for over 10
km (6 mi), and southward to Baking Swash Reef the terrain slopes
to a drop-off. Here at Emerald Forest you will see that it is named
for the prominent elkhorn coral along the reef crest. Dives go from
5m-21m (15’-70’) on the westward slope, but it drops off at 15m
(50’). On the reef the water is not even knee deep. The shallows are
wonderful for snorkeling between dives.
Grouper Flats - Diving from 3m (10’) to over 18m (60’) in good vis-
ibility, this eastern Glover’s Caye dive site is known for Nassau, tiger,
black, marble, and spotted groupers. It is also known for its lush
forest of soft corals and holes or crevices full of reef life.
Long Caye Wall - Near shore it is possible to snorkel from the beach,
and divers can swim to deeper dives from 9m (30’) to 27m (90’)
deep. The shallows are full of elkhorn coral and (caution) fire coral.