The Chutes - Turneffe Atoll
The Chutes at Turneffe Atoll is a solid afternoon dive, particularly if you’re looking for a wider perspective. You drop onto a sand flat that stretches out before a sheer wall, which starts around 50 feet. It’s a great spot for spotting garden eels swaying in the current, and we’ve often found yellowhead jawfish peeking from their burrows here. The chutes themselves are wide, sandy gullies that funnel you towards the main wall, where you’ll see plenty of yellow tube sponges and purple sea whips. Keep an eye out for hawksbill turtles cruising by, and we regularly spot spotted drums and scrawled cowfish in the overhangs. This site is pretty relaxed, good for wide-angle photographers or anyone who appreciates a bit of space on the reef.
- Location
- Turneffe Atoll, Belize, Central America
- Coordinates
- 17.290000, -87.850000
- Maximum Depth
- 50 feet deep
Marine Protected Area: Caye Bokel, Turneffe Atolls
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 The Chutes
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 The Chutes
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