Long Caye Aquarium - Lighthouse Reef
Long Caye Aquarium is a site we keep coming back to in Lighthouse Reef. It's not a deep dive, typically hovering around 10-15 meters, making it perfect for longer bottom times and really soaking in the details. We love it because it feels like a living diorama, an open-air classroom for observing some of the reef’s smaller, more elusive characters. Look closely and you'll spot Roughhead Triplefins and Rosy Blennies peeking from crevices, or a Saddle Stargazer buried in the sand, just its eyes showing. We often see Caribbean Chestnut Morays snaking through the Finger Coral, and the Mustard Hill Coral formations are particularly healthy here. The site excels in macro life, though the occasional Sheephead or Grunt school will cruise by. Our favourite time to dive it is late morning, when the light really makes the colours pop, especially on the Flamefish. It's a gentle dive, suited for anyone who appreciates slowing down and truly observing the intricate life of the reef rather than just chasing big pelagics.
- Location
- Lighthouse Reef, Belize, Central America
- Coordinates
- 17.213005, -87.607600
- Type
- reef
Marine Protected Area: Zone 2
Best Time to Dive in Lighthouse Reef
The warmest water temperatures in Lighthouse Reef occur in September, averaging 30.0°C. The coolest conditions are in February at 27.1°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 27.2°C
- February: 27.1°C
- March: 27.2°C
- April: 27.8°C
- May: 28.6°C
- June: 29.2°C
- July: 29.3°C
- August: 29.7°C
- September: 30.0°C
- October: 29.9°C
- November: 28.9°C
- December: 28.0°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Lighthouse Reef
- 3 Amigos
- Baker's Drop - 50 feet
- Calabush Cut - 5-20m (channel)
- Chain Wall - 15-40m (wall)
- Chris s Chimney - 15-35m (pinnacle)
- Coco Point
- Colusium
- Cut Throat - 5-20m (channel)
- Eagle Ray Wall - 15-145 feet (wall)
- Fabian s Roost
- Grand Bogue
- Great Blue Hole (cave)
- Great Blue Hole (reef)
- Half Moon Caye
- Half Moon Caye Wall - 21m (wall)
Nearest Dive Centres to Long Caye Aquarium
- Itza Resort - PADI
Marine Life in Lighthouse Reef
Home to 216 recorded species including 175 reef fish, 20 hard corals, 9 other, 6 sharks & rays, 2 jellyfish, 2 sea urchins.
Notable Species
- Redear Herring (Harengula humeralis) - Reef Fish
- Mustard hill coral (Porites astreoides) - Hard Corals
- Blue Doctor (Acanthurus coeruleus) - Reef Fish
- Thin leaf lettuce coral (Agaricia tenuifolia) - Hard Corals
- Gutong (Sparisoma aurofrenatum) - Reef Fish
- Massive Starlet Coral (Siderastrea siderea) - Hard Corals
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- French grunt (Haemulon flavolineatum) - Reef Fish
- Dark Green Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) - Reef Fish
- Grunt (Haemulon plumierii) - Reef Fish
- Gutong (Scarus iseri) - Reef Fish
- Yellowtail Parrotfish (Sparisoma rubripinne) - Reef Fish
- Fray (Jenkinsia lamprotaenia) - Reef Fish
- Parrotfish (Thalassoma bifasciatum) - Reef Fish
- Kwab (Sparisoma radians) - Reef Fish
- Barber (Acanthurus bahianus) - Reef Fish
- Sheephead (Microspathodon chrysurus) - Reef Fish
- Schoolmaster (Lutjanus apodus) - Reef Fish
- Cola (Ocyurus chrysurus) - Reef Fish
- Butterfly (Chaetodon capistratus) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Long Caye Aquarium
Based on average water temperature of 28.6°C, currents 22 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