Caye Caulker Marine Reserve - Ambergris Caye
Gamat Bay is one of those spots we always try to squeeze in, especially if we’re over on Nusa Penida for a few days. It's a small, protected bay, which often means an easier start before you drift out onto the slope. The real draw here is the sheer density of coral, particularly those sprawling staghorn formations in the shallows. You could spend half your dive just poking around the nooks and crannies there. As you head deeper, the slope drops away pretty dramatically to around 23m before disappearing into the blue. We've often seen whitetip reef sharks cruising the edge where the light starts to fade, and if you’re lucky, a marble ray might glide by. Keep an eye out for the smaller stuff too, like the freckled anglerfish we spotted once, perfectly camouflaged on a sponge, or the electric flash of a blue ribbon eel. For sunfish seekers, July to October is your window. The currents can pick up here, pulling you around the corner towards Toyapakeh, so it’s best for divers comfortable with a drift.
- Location
- Ambergris Caye, Belize, Central America
- Coordinates
- 17.739400, -88.025500
- Type
- reef
Marine Protected Area: Caye Caulker
Best Time to Dive in Ambergris Caye
The warmest water temperatures in Ambergris Caye occur in September, averaging 30.3°C. The coolest conditions are in February at 26.8°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 26.9°C
- February: 26.8°C
- March: 27.2°C
- April: 28.0°C
- May: 29.1°C
- June: 29.5°C
- July: 29.7°C
- August: 30.1°C
- September: 30.3°C
- October: 29.9°C
- November: 28.8°C
- December: 27.9°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Ambergris Caye
- Amigo s Wreck - 15-30m (wreck)
- Basil Jones Canyons - shallow
- Belize Diving: The Highlight of the Caribbean
- Boca Chica Canyons
- Boca Ciega - 45-100+ feet
- Buena Vista Canyons
- Caroba canyons
- Catalan Rocks
- Christ of the abyss - 10-20m (reef)
- Coral Garden (reef)
- Cypress Canyon (wreck)
- Cypress Canyons (reef)
- Cypress Garden - shallow to 100+ feet (reef)
- Daradanellos Cut
- Eagle Ray Canyon - 60-80 feet
Nearest Dive Centres to Caye Caulker Marine Reserve
Marine Life in Ambergris Caye
Home to 193 recorded species including 156 reef fish, 19 hard corals, 7 other, 3 sharks & rays, 2 whales & dolphins, 2 jellyfish.
Notable Species
- Blue Doctor (Acanthurus coeruleus) - Reef Fish
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Mustard hill coral (Porites astreoides) - Hard Corals
- Massive Starlet Coral (Siderastrea siderea) - Hard Corals
- Dark Green Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) - Reef Fish
- French grunt (Haemulon flavolineatum) - Reef Fish
- Gutong (Sparisoma aurofrenatum) - Reef Fish
- Redear Herring (Harengula humeralis) - Reef Fish
- Sheephead (Microspathodon chrysurus) - Reef Fish
- Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) - Hard Corals
- Great star coral (Montastraea cavernosa) - Hard Corals
- Barber (Acanthurus bahianus) - Reef Fish
- Yellowtail Parrotfish (Sparisoma rubripinne) - Reef Fish
- Grunt (Haemulon plumierii) - Reef Fish
- Gutong (Scarus iseri) - Reef Fish
- Thin leaf lettuce coral (Agaricia tenuifolia) - Hard Corals
- Butterfly (Chaetodon capistratus) - Reef Fish
- Parrotfish (Thalassoma bifasciatum) - Reef Fish
- Cola (Ocyurus chrysurus) - Reef Fish
- Schoolmaster (Lutjanus apodus) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Caye Caulker Marine Reserve
Based on average water temperature of 28.7°C, currents 5 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 29°C water needs minimal exposure protection
- Mask - essential for every dive
- Fins
- BCD - buoyancy compensator
- Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
- Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
- Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
- Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
- Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories