Snorkeling Shark Ray Alley
Belize Snorkeling Guide
Snorkeling Shark Ray Alley was much better than we thought it was going to be, and it is a highlight of Belize snorkeling for sure.
Shark Ray Alley is an area where fishermen used to clean their catches and deposited the leftovers in the waters. All of this food started to attract Nurse Sharks and many Southern Sting Rays.
The area is very shallow, around nine feet deep. When your boat arrives it attracts the local Nurse Sharks and rays looking for a treat. The guides often feed the nurse sharks and they will swarm around anyone who is feeding them, allowing snorkelers and divers to touch them.
Shark Ray Alley is now part of the Hol Chan National Park system. It is located south of Ambergris Caye, close to Hol Chan.When we first heard about this we thought it would not be much fun. Frankly it sounded a little scary. But in truth the Nurse Sharks are very gentle and not very dangerous. The rays are surprisingly bold when being fed. And so long as you let your guides feed them, and just watch, it is all very interesting.
Check out the video below of our guide feeding an inquisitive ray.
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The feeding also attracts a lot of other fish, so you get the opportunity to take some nice close-up pictures.
But one of the best things about Shark Ray Alley that no one seems to mention, is that just south of where the feeding starts, you can swim around some fantastic coral beds.
Huge healthy Elkhorn Corals are easy to snorkel around, and you get to view some large schools of fish.Check out this video of the fantastic fish populations and a graceful nurse shark.
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So for those two things, the amazing shallow water experiences with the Nurse Sharks and rays, and then the coral surrounding the area, we highly recommend checking Shark Ray Alley out. We enjoyed it much more than Hol Chan by far.Here are a couple final pictures and one more video to get you excited about your trip snorkeling Shark Ray Alley.
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Here are some more pictures of folks snorkeling Shark Ray Alley.
Explore the next Ambergris Caye spot - Hol Chan
Return from snorkeling Shark Ray Alley to Ambergris Caye
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