Turneffe Atoll
Thirty miles off the coast of Belize, Turneffe Flats is located on the picturesque Turneffe Atoll, the largest and most biologically diverse coral atoll in the Western Hemisphere. Turneffe is remote and beautiful with crystal clear waters noted for a parade of marine life. Approximately 30 miles in length and 10 miles wide, the Turneffe Atoll, by itself, offers as much diving area as Grand Cayman, Cozumel, or Bonaire. Most notable is the world class saltwater fishing available everywhere inside on the flats and outside the reef of the atoll.
For years Turneffe Flats has been known as one of the Caribbean's premier saltwater fly fishing destinations. The diversity of the saltwater fishing sets this area apart from other destinations and the opportunity to catch bonefish, permit and tarpon on a given day makes Turneffe Flats one of the rare spots to pursue a "Flats Grand Slam," the landing all three species in a single day.
Bonefish are plentiful, both on the ocean side flats and in the mangrove-lined lagoons all months of the year. On an average day on the reef flats, any time of year, you will see and fish to hundreds of bonefish in the 3-5 pound range with shots at bigger fish, some over 10 pounds. Permits are plentiful and are found on the bars and flats throughout Turneffe. You can expect plenty of shots at 10-20 pound permit with some fish in the 30-40 pound class.
The tarpon migration is generally from late April through September although there are some resident tarpon around throughout the year. Most tarpon jumped are 60-90 pounds with some huge fish of 150 pounds or more. Most of the tarpon fishing is to trolling fish from the bow of a skiffs.
Although the spin fishing at Turneffe is exceptional, Turneffe Flats is primarily a fly fishing destination that has a large repeat customer base with anglers from the finest fly shops and outfitters around the world. In addition, there are a number of other game fish resident to the area creating a unique diversity of saltwater fly fishing options.
Diving: There is such a diversity of diving available on the Turneffe Atoll that it is difficult to do justice to all the options. Most of your dives will be from 40-80 feet with the majority being drift dives. On the west side of the atoll, popular dives include The Terrace, which begins in 35-40 feet of water and has a sheer drop-off decorated with Elephant Ear Sponges and bushes of Black Coral. Rendezvous Cut features huge deep-water gorgonians that mark the entrance to a wide sandy chute and a sloping wall decorated with enormous barrel sponges.
Eel Gardens is named for the thousands of garden eels that inhabit the area along with razor fish, moray eels and stingrays. A sample of popular dives on the eastern side of the Atoll include Jo Jo's Splits with huge coral formations, lots of reef fish and palagics in the deeper water, and The Chutes featuring a spur and groove system alive with marine life, yellow tube sponges and huge barrel sponges. These are just a few of the many spectacular dive sites available at Turneffe.
Dive Boats: Most diving is done from the Pro 48 offering comfortable access to the entire Turneffe Atoll as well as Lighthouse Reef. With five or fewer divers, a 29-foot dive boat, Ms K, which is a custom designed for your diving needs is used.
With approximately 60 logged dive sites on the Turneffe Atoll alone, diversity and flexibility describe Turneffe Flats diving. A typical day includes two dives in the morning and a third in the afternoon. Uncrowded is another good description of Turneffe Flats diving as we limit divers to 12 per week. Weather permitting, your week at Turneffe Flats will include a trip to Lighthouse Reef where you will dive the famous Blue Hole and Half Moon Caye Wall ($40 per person entrance fee not included). A night dive is also included.
Other Activities: Besides great diving, snorkeling and fishing numerous other exciting activities are available at Turneffe Flats including kayaking, sightseeing, shelling, dolphin and manatee searches, or bird watching.
The Resort: Turneffe Flats Resort is a charming all inclusive resort located on one of the private island at Turneffe Atoll. The accommodations include eight large seaside cabanas plus two large three-bedroom villas. The seaside rooms have a panoramic view of the Caribbean and Turneffe Atoll reef. The Reef Villa is located on the beach and has a wonderful view of the reef in both directions. The Garden Villa is set back from the beach and has a panoramic view of our grounds and the Caribbean Sea. All rooms are air-conditioned and most are furnished with one queen size bed and one single bed. All rooms have private bathrooms. Guest can choose from three different room options: Beach Cabanas, the Reef Villa or the Garden Villa.
Diving - 2 Divers for the price of one or $1,162.50 plus taxes per Diver. Available now through October.
Atoll Adventure - 2 Atoll Adventurers for $937.50 plus taxes per Adventurer. Available now through October.
