This post continues the amazing diving found at Turneffe atoll. For more information on diving the atoll see the previous post.
Day 4 – Black Pearl, Elgin’s Inn and Anchor (west side)
The wind picked up this morning and we went back to the west side of the atoll. The first two dives followed a reef along a sloping wall. Both sites were murky with yellow water. On the second, Elgin’s Inn, there was a pretty strong current heading down the wall. Ruben had us go up 10 feet where there was less current.
The last dive, Anchor, named for the anchor that is sunk there, was the clearest and prettiest of the three. Lots of colorful fish and coral looking much like an aquarium.
Sights of the day included an electric golden sting ray, a southern ray, a sea turtle, a spotted moray eel hidden in the coral with only his tail and nose showing, lots of angel fish and of course the anchor.
My camera battery died half way through the last dive.
Day 5 – Terrace, Chasbo Corner, Elkin’s Bay (northwest)
The Terrace has a coral wall that starts at 50ft and goes down to 100ft where there is a sort of terrace or sandy slope to a second wall. We stayed along the first wall descending to about 80 feet. Not much was happening on the wall so we went up a bit near the top of the wall at 50 to 60 ft. Ruben spots a large eagle ray coming up behind us but it veers off before getting too close. Looked like some kind of giant alien moth. At the end of the dive a sea turtle paddles along in front of us, slow enough that I catch up to him. More life at the top of the wall than lower down.
Chasbo Corner was another sloping wall dive but with more fish. On this dive we stayed shallower. A green moray eel headed straight for me, glided past then turned around back towards us and disappeared further up the reef. A green ribbon gliding through the marine-scape.
Elkin’s bay is known for two friendly nurse sharks that hang out there during the day. We weren’t down 5 minutes when I spotted one of them lying on the sandy bottom of a channel in the reef. My first experience with nurse sharks I wasn’t sure how close I could get, but after the first sighting he approached me at least a half a dozen times, just begging me to take his picture. Both exciting and nerve wracking at the same time. Other highlights included – large eagle rays at a distance and an angel fish that wanted to play with Ruben when we first descended.
At the end of the dive a school of blue tang descend on green algae.
All the dives had plenty of tiger grouper and schools of creole wrasse that swarm up, down and around.
Day 6 – Pine Ridge, Midpoint, Lobster Bay (northwest, not as far north as day 5)
With windy conditions all three sites were along a sloping reef with OK to good visibility. Highlights of the day were a green moray eel and a small spotted moray eel on the first dive and a great sighting of an eagle ray on the second dive. Otherwise lots of colorful fish, all the usual suspects.
First week of April, 2019
For links to all the posts on diving destinations see the Diving page.