Saint George’s Caye - Turneffe Atoll
Tatawa Kecil, for us, is one of those sites where you jump in and immediately feel the energy of Komodo. It’s got that classic Komodo mix of current-swept corals and big fish action. We love dropping in on the north side, letting the water push us over the shallow reef, keeping an eye out for manta rays cruising in the blue. The hard corals here are fantastic, lots of robust staghorns and thick table corals, providing shelter for sweetlips and schooling fusiliers that can be so dense they almost block out the sun. Keep your eyes peeled for pygmy seahorses tucked into gorgonians if the current isn’t ripping too hard. It’s not an easy dive, that current can be a serious ride, but for experienced divers who enjoy a bit of drift, Tatawa Kecil delivers that quintessential Komodo rush. We usually find the best conditions, and fewest other boats, first thing in the morning.
- Location
- Turneffe Atoll, Belize, Central America
- Coordinates
- 17.553600, -88.072800
- Type
- reef
Marine Protected Area: St. George's Caye Cemetery
Best Time to Dive in Turneffe Atoll
The warmest water temperatures in Turneffe Atoll occur in January, averaging 27.4°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 27.4°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 27.4°C (air: 25.8°C)
- February: 27.4°C (air: 25.7°C)
- March: 27.4°C (air: 26.5°C)
- April: 27.4°C (air: 27.3°C)
- May: 27.4°C (air: 28.1°C)
- June: 27.4°C (air: 28.4°C)
- July: 27.4°C (air: 28.4°C)
- August: 27.4°C (air: 28.4°C)
- September: 27.4°C (air: 28.4°C)
- October: 27.4°C (air: 27.9°C)
- November: 27.4°C (air: 26.7°C)
- December: 27.4°C (air: 26.0°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Turneffe Atoll
- 126 - 2m (wreck)
- 65 - 1m (wreck)
- Belize Barrier Reef (reef)
- Black Beauty
- Caye Chapel Reef - 30-120 feet (reef)
- Crawl Cay - 5-18m (reef)
- Crickozeen Cut
- Elbow - 20-40m (wall)
- Gallows Point Reef (reef)
- Gallows Point Reef (reef)
- HMS TRIUMVIRATE - 1m (wreck)
- Lindsey's Back Porch - 45 feet
- MIRON L - 42m (wreck)
- Northern Bogue
- Pilican Cay
Nearest Dive Centres to Saint George’s Caye
Marine Life in Turneffe Atoll
Home to 383 recorded species including 318 reef fish, 27 hard corals, 14 sharks & rays, 6 whales & dolphins, 5 other, 2 jellyfish.
Notable Species
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Mustard hill coral (Porites astreoides) - Hard Corals
- Blue Doctor (Acanthurus coeruleus) - Reef Fish
- Massive Starlet Coral (Siderastrea siderea) - Hard Corals
- Dark Green Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) - Reef Fish
- Gutong (Scarus iseri) - Reef Fish
- Gutong (Sparisoma aurofrenatum) - Reef Fish
- French grunt (Haemulon flavolineatum) - Reef Fish
- Barber (Acanthurus bahianus) - Reef Fish
- Sheephead (Microspathodon chrysurus) - Reef Fish
- Thin leaf lettuce coral (Agaricia tenuifolia) - Hard Corals
- Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) - Hard Corals
- Great star coral (Montastraea cavernosa) - Hard Corals
- Butterfly (Chaetodon capistratus) - Reef Fish
- Cola (Ocyurus chrysurus) - Reef Fish
- Finger Coral (Porites porites) - Hard Corals
- Grunt (Haemulon plumierii) - Reef Fish
- Graysby (Cephalopholis cruentata) - Reef Fish
- Grooved brain coral (Diploria labyrinthiformis) - Hard Corals
- Schoolmaster (Lutjanus apodus) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Saint George’s Caye
Based on average water temperature of 27.4°C.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 27°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