Travel. Belize. Wildlife.

The Best Place to Swim with Sharks in Belize!

Shark Ray Alley in the Hol Chan Marine Reserve was the perfect place to make our dream of swimming with sharks come true!

Intro

Now this was the snorkel tour to end all snorkel tours. This was one of the top highlights of my entire trip. It was truly incredible and I can’t sing its praise enough.

This was the day we swam with sharks in Belize.

First snorkel spot — The Hol Chan Cut

First, we headed to Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Hol Chan is Mayan for “little channel” and we visited a part of it known as the Hol Chan Cut, a natural break in the reef, around break the water is shallow and teeming with marine life. It couldn’t be more perfect for snorkelling.

However, if you swim too far off-piste from the cut, you might end up in the dangerous current of the channel. Therefore, having a guide is incredibly important.

A guide who steered us away from dangerous currents and towards wonderful creatures. I loved our guide. Not only did he keep us safe, he was passionate about showing us the wildlife he scoured for and shared all his knowledge about them with us. He encouraged us to keep from other swimmers and from crowding the animals.

It was a breath of fresh air after some of the abysmal “guides” and snorkel tours we had taken in Mexico, in the weeks before. You can read about those disasters here.

I adored snorkelling through the coral gardens, I particularly loved the lilac, lace-like leaves and the bulbous burnt yellow busts, where we were lucky enough to see a puffer fish. They have such sweet, derpy little faces but are covered in spines that make you keep your distance despite their ridiculous cuteness.

Not long after plunging in we were lucky enough to see a gentle sea turtle taking a slow breath at the surface. We saw more turtles, each just as magical as the last. They were lovely to watch, and I felt so calm and at home with them.

On we swam to spot a nurse shark napping in the seagrass, even sharks need to catch some zzzs.

The grand finale of the Hol Chan Cut was an eagle ray. It was stunning with a pointed beak-like head and unbelievably lengthy tail, gliding by us in slow motion. I’d never seen one before and I felt incredibly privileged to be in the presence of this graceful, regal animal.

Second snorkel spot — The Conch Graveyard

Our second spot was the “Conch Graveyard” a spot where fishermen have discarded their conch shells which have now become part of the coral and the sea plants, creating a unique underwater landscape.

I’ve seen conch shells before, their beautiful pink swirls adorning bathrooms all over the world, but I had never given much thought to the creature that inhabits the shell. It’s commonly eaten in Belize, hence the empty shells. We typed it in on google images later and couldn’t stop laughing at this bizarre, comical creature that looked both cute and disgusting. Its eyes looked like those stick on googly eyes. We had to show every other traveler we met from then on for a laugh.

Despite being an adventurous eater, I couldn’t quite bring myself to try conch. People I spoke to who had tried didn’t exactly describe it kindly, with “rubbery” being the most used adjective.

Final snorkel spot — Shark Ray Alley

The third and final place was truly unforgettable. Known as Shark Ray Alley for its abundance of nurse sharks and stingrays. And when I say an abundance, oh boy, do I mean an abundance!

Our guide threw some fish overboard for them and the sheer number that swarmed the boat was insane, a swirling mass of sharks.

It was alarming. Even more alarming was the announcement that now was the time to jump in. I put it off, taking a few pictures and deep breaths before attempting to lower myself in and put my head under the water.

Now, I know these aren’t exactly great whites but there is something viscerally thrilling about swimming with sharks! They weren’t dangerous although we were told to keep our hands to ourselves lest we lose a finger, mistaken for a lovely, thin, wriggly fish.

I accidentally floated a little too close to the throng and frightened myself when I was face to face with whiskers and icy blue, cold, dead eyes.

As if this experience wasn’t enough, we look down below only to see dusky, grey ripples of the wings of sting rays. One of Joe’s videos perfectly sums up the frenzied excitement of not quite knowing where to look. The camera darts from shark to ray and back again.

It was one of the coolest experiences of my life, and it devastated me to be called back to the boat to leave. I truly had to drag myself away from the wildlife.

Final thoughts

But even the boat trip back was wonderful, eating pineapple slices and speeding through the waves, watching the Island of San Pedro looming back into sight. I smiled at its wooden jetties surrounded by boats, palm trees, and pastel-coloured one-story buildings.

Every inch the Caribbean. Every moment one to cherish.

If you ever get the chance to swim with sharks, don’t be scared, just say yes!

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