OCEANFRONT PROPERTY

TURNEFFE ATOLL

The islands of the Turneffe Atoll have a fascinating history, from the Maya who fished and traded on the Turneffe Atoll as far back as 400 A.D. to the Pirates of the Caribbean who used Turneffe as a favored hideout. Turneffe Islands Atoll is located 22 miles off the coast of Belize City. The chain of islands forming the atoll partially encloses two lagoons, the North Lagoon and the South Lagoon, which are dominated by sea grass beds. The Turneffe Islands Atoll is roughly lens-shaped, with a maximum length of 36 miles and a width of 10 miles at its widest point. The atoll’s more than 200 mangrove islands stretching over three hundred square miles, pristine fringing reef, complex channels, spits and lagoons serve as a productive nursery for marine life and the diving snorkeling and fishing here are world-class.

WILDLIFE

The atoll is a unique and pristine environment with the chance to see a host of rare and endangered species. It is biologically the most diverse and largest atoll in the Western Hemisphere, supporting a significant number of endangered and endemic species. Endangered and threatened species utilizing the atoll include the endangered Antillean Manatee, Hawksbill Sea Turtle, Nassau Grouper, Roseate Tern, Crowned Pigeon, American Crocodile, the white-spotted Toadfish, which is endemic to Belize. Other types of tropical marine life inhabit Turneffe including bottlenose dolphin, manta rays, sea turtles, and a wide variety of reef fish. Birdlife is profuse including ospreys, frigate birds, and numerous species of terrestrial and shore birds.

FISHING

Belize's secluded Turneffe Atoll has long been recognized as one of the Caribbean's premier flats fishing destinations. The availability and close proximity of bonefish, permit, and tarpon make this fishery one of the rare spots in the world that offers a legitimate shot at a grand slam any day of the year. Turneffe Atoll is surrounded by an extraordinary eco-system that is home to millions of baitfish, crabs, shrimp and other small aquatics that serve as the first link in the undersea food chain. The Atoll stretches 30 miles to the north and 10 miles wide. It encompasses over 200 mangrove islands and countless creeks and streams that provide shelter and food for a wide variety of game fish.

Bonefish

Bonefishing at Turneffe Atoll offers something for anglers of all levels of experience. Novice saltwater anglers can expect to see hundreds of bonefish providing a great opportunity to learn the basics of flats fishing. Experienced
saltwater anglers find plenty of challenging fishing, particularly fishing to smaller schools and larger singles. Bonefish are present in equal numbers throughout the year and they are on the flats most of the time. This differentiates Turneffe's bonefish from those in other areas, such as the Florida Keys, where bonefish only enter the flats in search of a meal.

Permit

In recent years, increasing numbers of saltwater anglers have developed a serious interest in the elusive permit. One of the greatest challenges of the flats fishing world is the permit. Huge schools of 200 or more fish resides in the water just offshore. Permits invade the flats as the tide rises and the schools spreads out to comb the grass flats and shoals to look for crabs, shrimp and small baitfish. Fly fishing is the preferred method for permits. The permits range
in size from 8 to 12 pounds up to bruisers over 30 pounds. Permit fishing is good all year.

Tarpon

The silver king provides an exciting early morning challenge for fly and spin anglers. Tarpon season begins in March and last well into October with the summer months being the peak season. Most tarpon jumped are 60-90 pounds, with some fish in the 100-150 pound range and occasional monsters approaching 200 pounds. Tarpon holes are abundant due to the large numbers of creeks and lagoons that are present on the Atoll. Most casting is to the sound of rolling Tarpon as they come up in early morning to feed. There are also resident Tarpon in the creeks all year long. Tarpon fishing is quite seasonal as tarpon are migratory. Tarpon numbers begin to increase in April or May and
drop off in September or October with peak tarpon months being June, July, and August. There are a few 'resident' tarpon around Turneffe throughout the year.
 

DIVING

Turneffe Atoll is renowned as one of the best dive areas in Belize with more than 70 named sites. It is located amidst the largest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere. Unlike the outer atolls, Turneffe is unique, it is not a ringlet of sandy islets like Lighthouse and Glover's Reef but is, instead nearly covered with thick green mangrove and a shallow lagoon. The huge juvenile nursery in the lagoon mangroves, shallows and mangrove lined coastal mainland provides a continuous flow of marine species in sizable numbers. Turneffe is also conveniently located to Lighthouse Reef Atoll, making it easy to access the world famous "Blue Hole".

Turneffe features world class dives such as the Elbow, off the extreme southern tip of the atoll. The Elbow is a series of deep pinnacles adjacent to the drop-off, a drift dive beginning at 90 feet, and ending at 130 feet. Usually bathed in current, the area is a mixing bowl of mature marine life, including many large groupers and schools of jacks, snappers and Spadefish. The area is considered an advanced dive. Some of the largest gorgonians will be found swaying gently with the current creating a marvelous backdrop to the fish life living there. Strong currents here bring in a parade of spectacular schooling fish and large pelagics. Expect big gatherings of horse-eye jack, yellowtail snapper and Atlantic spadefish, and if conditions are right, divers will encounter spotted eagle rays and sharks. Pods of dolphins live nearby and often play around divers on their safety stop.

China Wall is a wall dive that begins at a depth of 40 feet and quickly drops off to 1,000 feet. The area is considered to be one of the top three dives in Turneffe. There's a great chance that you will encounter large grouper, trigger fish, turtles, rays, snapper and spadefish.

Rendezvous Wall is a wall dive that begins at a depth of 60 feet. What appears to be a well formed over-hang is actually a narrow tunnel (too small for a diver to enter) was formed by rainfall cutting through the limestone substrata when sea levels were lower than today. A great chance of seeing large marine life such as Black Tip Reef Sharks, Dolphins, Eagle Rays and turtles.

Majestic Point will offer tunnels and exciting swim-throughs. As the canyon narrows, the corals combine to create a sheer cliff between depths of 70 and 150 feet.

The Sayonara is the wreck of a transport boat was used by the Turneffe Island Lodge until 1985 when it was sunk to create a dive site.

Click for more marine pictures, here, here, here, and here.

WEATHER

Air temperatures throughout the year range from 70 - 90 degrees with an average of 84. Water temperature averages 82 degrees in the winter and 86 degrees in the summer. A comfortable south-easterly trade wind puffs throughout much of the year, but tends to pick up a bit in March and April. June thru November is the rainy season in Belize, but this relates primarily to the mainland rainforest and means little to the offshore islands.