Marine Life On The Belize Barrier Reef: What We Saw Diving And Snorkeling Ambergris Caye

During multiple days of diving near Ambergris Caye and a snorkeling trip to Hol Chan Marine Reserve, we saw a wide variety of marine life on the Belize Barrier Reef — from large bull sharks and stingrays to colorful reef fish and coral formations.

In this post I’ll share lots of photos of what we saw, and what you might expect to see underwater near Ambergris Caye.

Sharks and Rays

If there’s one thing I’ll remember about snorkeling and diving in Belize, it’s the sharks. While scuba diving along the Belize Barrier Reef, we saw at least one shark on every single dive—often more.

Nurse Sharks

We saw nurse sharks throughout the trip, both while diving and snorkeling—but their behavior varied depending on the setting.

While scuba diving, they were usually solitary and surprisingly curious. These were the sharks that got the closest—sometimes quietly appearing right beneath us like unexpected dive buddies.

nurse shark ambergris caye belize — Nurse shark crusing the reef at Tuffy Canyons

nurse shark following sea turtle — Nurse shark following a sea turtle near Esmerelda Canyons, Belize

nurse shark near ambergris caye belize — Nurse shark near Esmerelda Canyons, Ambergris Caye Belize

nurse shark, belize — Nurse sharks weren’t ever too shy, this one at Esmerelda Canyons seemed especially curious

nurse shark approaching, Belize — Curious nurse shark diving at Esmerelda Canyons, Belize

While snorkeling at Hol Chan, we spotted a few nurse sharks resting calmly near the coral.

nurse sharks resting in the sand at hol chan — Nurse sharks resting in the sand at Hol Chan, Ambergris Caye

Shark Ray Alley, unsurprisingly, had the highest concentration of nurse sharks. Here, the sharks were much more focused on the boats, circling below in search of food. It was a completely different experience from diving—instead of curious companions, they were more intent on feeding.

nurse sharks at shark ray alley, belize — A swarm of nurse sharks and horse-eye jacks at shark ray alley, Hol Chan

over-under shot of a nurse shark at hol chan, ambergris caye — Nurse shark swimming over seagrass at Shark Ray Alley, Hol Chan

Reef and Bull Sharks

We saw reef sharks at nearly every dive site along the Belize Barrier Reef, but none while snorkeling at Hol Chan.

Compared to nurse sharks, these sharks were much more shy and cautious. Most kept their distance, often gliding by and disappearing into the blue before we could get too close. I usually found myself trying (unsuccessfully) to follow them long enough to get a decent photo.

We also spotted a few bull sharks during our dives, which was especially exciting. Like the reef sharks, they kept their distance, but spotting them always added a bit of adrenaline to the experience.

shark from below, diving in belize — First dive, first shark spotted

reef shark diving in Belize — Our closest encounter with a reef shark, on a dive at Mayan Princess

shark near ambergris caye — Reef shark spotted while diving at Tackle Box Canyons, Ambergris Caye

sharks on a dive in belize — Sharks circling a boat when we ascended from dive #5

Eagle Rays

We only saw eagle rays while snorkeling at Hol Chan (in both Zone A and Shark Ray Alley).

A few were larger than any I had ever seen before. We were able to get fairly close as they passed by, which made for one of the more memorable wildlife encounters of the trip.

spotted eagle ray at hol chan — We saw several large spotted eagle rays at Hol Chan Channel, zone A

eagle ray gliding over seagrass at hol chan — This eagle ray dug around in the sand looking for a snack, before swimming away. Shark Ray Alley, Belize

Southern Stingrays

We saw southern stingrays in both zones at Hol Chan, either resting on the sandy bottom or gliding slowly through the water.

southern sting ray gliding over the seagrass — Southern Stingray at Shark Ray Alley in Belize

southern sting ray hiding in the sand at hol chan, belize — Southern stingray hiding in the sand at Hol Chan

Southern stingray swimming at shark ray alley, Ambergris Caye — Another southern stingray at shark ray alley, Ambergris Caye

Reef Fish

We saw a wide variety of reef fish throughout the trip, both while diving and snorkeling. Hol Chan stood out in particular, with a high concentration and diversity of fish that made the whole experience feel lively and full of activity.

bluestripped grunt and sailor's grunt at hol chan reef — Bluestripped grunt and sailor’s grunt at Hol Chan reef

hogfish and bluestriped grunt in belize — Hogfish and bluestriped grunt at Hol Chan snorkel area

horse-eye jack, belize — Horse-eye jack at shark ray alley, Belize

sailor's grunt in hol chan, belize — Sailor’s grunt at Hol Can Marine Reserve

large school of horse-eye jack and dog snapper — Large school of horse-eye jack and dog snapper at Hol Chan

barracuda at hol chan, ambergris caye belize — Barracuda cruising around Hol Chan

bermuda chub swimming at the reef in hol chan — Small school of Bermuda Chub at Hol Chan

schoolmaster snapper ambergris caye — Schoolmaster Snapper on the Belize Barrier Reef, Tuffy Canyons

blue chromis belize — School of blue chromis at Esmerelda Canyons

squirrelfish in belize — Squirrelfish spotted on a dive at Tuffy Canyons

Various reef fish near Esmerelda Canyons, Belize

yellow striped snapper belize — We saw lots of yellow striped snappers on our dives in Belize. Esmerelda Canyons, Ambergris Caye

hogfish belize — Hogfish, San Pedro Canyons Belize

angelfish belize — Angelfish at Esmerelda

porcupine fish belize — The one and only porcupine fish we saw this trip, hurrying to swim away from me while I desperately try to get a photo. Tuffy Canyons, Ambergris Caye

grey angelfish in belize — Grey angelfish near Tuffy Canyons, Belize

bluestriped grunt — Bluestriped grunt swimming near Tuffy Canyons

blue tang, Ambergris Caye — A blue tang swimming next to star coral

French angelfish Belize — French Angelfish in the reef at Mayan Princess

school of fish at tacklebox canyons — Various reef fish at Tackle Box Canyons

dog snapper in belize — Large dog snapper at Tackle Box in Belize

parrotfish belize — Parrotfish, Tackle Box Canyons Belize

squirrelfish on dive at ambergris caye — Squirrelfish in the reef at Mayan Princess, Belize

triggerfish at esmerelda canyons, belize — Triggerfish spotted on our dive near Esmerelda Canyons, Belize

porkfish belize — Porkfish swimming at Esmerelda Canyons

school of jacks in belize — School of jacks at San Pedro Canyons dive site, Belize

sergeant major belize — Sergeant major above the coral at Esmerelda Canyons

Sea Turtles and Dolphins

We were lucky to spot a few larger marine animals beyond sharks and rays. These were some of the most memorable and unexpected moments of the trip.

sea turtle resting in the sand at hol chan, belize — Sea turtle in the sand at Hol Chan

sea turtle and nurse shark approaching diver in Belize — A sea turtle approaches our dive guide, while a nurse shark follows behind. Tuffy Canyons, Ambergris Caye Belize

sea turtle swimming over seagrass at hol chan, belize — Green sea turtle swimming over seagrass at Hol Chan, Ambergris Caye

dolphin on a dive in belize — This Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphin was a lucky encounter during our safety stop on our very first dive at San Pedro Canyons

Coral and Sea Sponges

The coral and sponges added structure to the reef, but they weren’t the main highlight for me. Much of the coral was brown, so it didn’t have that super vibrant, colorful look you might expect.

Brown coral can actually still be healthy—many corals appear brown due to the algae they rely on—but, for the most part, it wasn’t the most visually striking coral I’ve seen.