Explore Lighthouse Reef

Lighthouse Reef in Belize offers an unparalleled diving experience, renowned for its remarkable biodiversity and stunning underwater landscapes. This 35-kilometer-long reef is part of the Belize Great Barrier Reef and presents divers with an array of vivid hard and soft corals. The vibrant marine life includes various fish species, sea turtles, and even the occasional encounter with sharks. The Great Blue Hole, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a must-visit, featuring mesmerizing stalactites and a variety of marine creatures that make every dive here unforgettable.

Diving in Lighthouse Reef caters to all preferences, with options ranging from exhilarating wall dives to intriguing wreck explorations. The atoll is best accessed by liveaboard, allowing divers to explore its remote beauty and myriad dive sites comfortably. Notably, Half Moon Caye offers crystal-clear waters and is a haven for the red-footed booby bird, adding a unique terrestrial dimension to the diving adventure. Whether you're exploring coral gardens or descending into the depths of the Great Blue Hole, Lighthouse Reef promises a dive experience that is both thrilling and awe-inspiring.

Top Regions to Explore

Dive Activity

Top Wildlife Sightings in Lighthouse Reef

The variety in topography at the Lighthouse Reef means many different types of dives. There are shallow reef dives, impressive wall dives with thrilling drop offs, caves, and coral ridges. The Great Blue Hole provides the unique experience of floating in the blue abyss. All the dive sites are accessed either by liveaboards or by day trip boats from dive centres and dive resorts from San Pedro.

Top Wildlife Sightings in Lighthouse Reef

The main spectacle of the marine life is the flourishing coral reef made up of a multitude of soft corals, hard coral boulders, Sea Sponges, Anemones and Sea Fans. There is an abundance of reef fish species which create clouds of colour including Angelfish, Butterflyfish, Parrotfish and Fairy Basslets. One of the main spectacles here are the inquisitive Nurse Sharks. Other larger species include Eagle Rays, Manta Rays, reef sharks and on the luckiest days Hammerhead Sharks.

Wildlife Sightings are Based on User Generated Content

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 25

Eagle Ray

Eagle Ray

502 Sightings
J
33
F
41
M
45
A
55
M
56
J
33
J
54
A
51
S
29
O
13
N
31
D
61

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 27

Barracuda

Barracuda

357 Sightings
J
29
F
26
M
39
A
27
M
30
J
31
J
37
A
35
S
32
O
30
N
17
D
24
Green Turtle

Green Turtle

294 Sightings
J
31
F
22
M
33
A
33
M
32
J
22
J
34
A
24
S
5
O
11
N
18
D
29

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 200

Moray Eel

Moray Eel

260 Sightings
J
18
F
20
M
21
A
21
M
25
J
8
J
26
A
23
S
28
O
20
N
14
D
36
Hawksbill Turtle

Hawksbill Turtle

62 Sightings
J
0
F
16
M
10
A
25
M
8
J
0
J
0
A
0
S
0
O
0
N
0
D
3
Loggerhead Turtle

Loggerhead Turtle

42 Sightings
J
0
F
8
M
3
A
13
M
14
J
0
J
0
A
0
S
4
O
0
N
0
D
0
Grey Reef Shark

Grey Reef Shark

825 Sightings
J
57
F
54
M
68
A
88
M
99
J
73
J
78
A
85
S
31
O
40
N
64
D
88
Blacktip Reef Shark

Blacktip Reef Shark

599 Sightings
J
33
F
63
M
50
A
49
M
55
J
38
J
81
A
57
S
48
O
30
N
29
D
66

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 80

Stingrays

Stingrays

476 Sightings
J
35
F
31
M
45
A
30
M
48
J
40
J
52
A
46
S
39
O
27
N
38
D
45

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 250

Grouper/Basslets

Grouper/Basslets

459 Sightings
J
34
F
43
M
31
A
41
M
36
J
36
J
42
A
28
S
35
O
36
N
38
D
59

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 90

Angelfish

Angelfish

425 Sightings
J
34
F
32
M
38
A
34
M
43
J
35
J
25
A
45
S
38
O
32
N
28
D
41

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 100

Parrotfish

Parrotfish

383 Sightings
J
22
F
43
M
33
A
29
M
35
J
28
J
39
A
31
S
18
O
32
N
27
D
46

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 2

Nurse Shark

Nurse Shark

367 Sightings
J
24
F
35
M
25
A
9
M
38
J
44
J
37
A
35
S
30
O
11
N
32
D
47

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 12

Lionfish

Lionfish

320 Sightings
J
26
F
34
M
24
A
3
M
16
J
23
J
23
A
32
S
32
O
28
N
36
D
43

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 130

Butterfly Fish

Butterfly Fish

191 Sightings
J
15
F
16
M
9
A
15
M
17
J
28
J
18
A
9
S
27
O
6
N
17
D
14

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 40

Triggerfish

Triggerfish

150 Sightings
J
8
F
19
M
15
A
2
M
17
J
19
J
16
A
5
S
23
O
4
N
12
D
10
Caribbean Reef Shark

Caribbean Reef Shark

148 Sightings
J
18
F
6
M
10
A
10
M
12
J
11
J
0
A
21
S
13
O
24
N
23
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 110

Snapper

Snapper

116 Sightings
J
19
F
18
M
9
A
2
M
5
J
18
J
20
A
9
S
1
O
0
N
5
D
10

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 3

Trumpetfish

Trumpetfish

107 Sightings
J
0
F
15
M
17
A
0
M
17
J
7
J
0
A
9
S
23
O
8
N
6
D
5

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 7000

Crab

Crab

102 Sightings
J
2
F
0
M
12
A
7
M
16
J
0
J
7
A
6
S
2
O
10
N
9
D
31

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 350

Damselfish

Damselfish

92 Sightings
J
0
F
18
M
5
A
0
M
8
J
24
J
0
A
0
S
26
O
0
N
0
D
11

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 2

Tarpon

Tarpon

83 Sightings
J
0
F
0
M
0
A
6
M
2
J
11
J
6
A
15
S
19
O
14
N
6
D
4

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 60

Squirrelfish

Squirrelfish

63 Sightings
J
0
F
6
M
6
A
0
M
0
J
14
J
0
A
0
S
27
O
0
N
0
D
10

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 85

Surgeonfish

Surgeonfish

62 Sightings
J
0
F
21
M
6
A
0
M
5
J
19
J
0
A
6
S
0
O
1
N
0
D
4

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 130

Pufferfish

Pufferfish

54 Sightings
J
0
F
12
M
16
A
7
M
5
J
1
J
0
A
5
S
0
O
0
N
8
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species approx.: 40

Jackfish

Jackfish

43 Sightings
J
13
F
10
M
0
A
0
M
0
J
13
J
0
A
0
S
4
O
3
N
0
D
0

The best Months to Dive in Lighthouse Reef

The Caribbean has year-round pleasant diving conditions with water temperatures ranging between 24°C–29°C/75°F–84°F with similar outside temperatures, and visibility ranges between 15 meters/49 feet and 30 meters/98 feet. There may be windy days between November to January which may make some sites inaccessible, but there is always opportunity for diving. April to June is the best time to spot larger species.

Dive Centers

Dive Sites