The Placencia Peninsula, where the Inn at Robert's Grove is located, is the springboard to some of the most exciting dive sites in the world. The reason for this is that, as the edge of the Barrier Reef comes south along the coast of Belize, it separates itself further and further from the mainland. The result is a broad expanse of coral reef with channels that go down from 90 to 110 feet, but rising abruptly into shoals and cayes, providing many nearby SCUBA locations. At last official count there are a minimum of 20 named dive sites in the southern waters of Belize, off Placencia, bursting with untouched coral and abundant fish life. New sites are being discovered every day!
Dive Locations
The Dive Center makes trips to both the Inner and Outer Reef, each with its special features. Most of the dives are boat dives and divers are accompanied by a certified, insured Padi Dive Master or higher rating.
Diving the Outer Reef
The Outer Reef, or the Barrier Reef, is home to some of the most spectacular walls that start from around 40 feet and drop off to approximately 3,000 feet. Here the maximum depth for diving is 100 feet and is multi-level diving. Turtles, Manta Rays, Moray, Eels and Lobsters are just a few of the creatures divers will encounter in the outer reef. Outer reef visibility is around 80 to 120 feet. Diving depth is 80 feet to maximum 100 feet. Among the cayes visited in the outer reef are the Silk Cayes, Pompion and Ranguana.
Diving the Inner Reef
The Inner Reef, or the Lagoon as its called, acts as a home for juvenile aquatic animals. Here divers will find most of the Gorgonians, known in the Caribbean as sea fans, seawips, sea plumes and sea rods as well as the Pederson cleaner shrimp, yellowline Arrow Crab, Giant Hermit Crab and a wide variety of fish such as Spotted Drum (adults and juveniles), Spotted Eagle Ray and Southern Stingray.
The depth range on these inner reef dives is between 60 to 80 feet. Visibility is between 50 to 100 feet. Among the cayes visited in the Inner Reef are Laughingbird, Moho and Tarpon.
Whale Shark Season
During the months of April through June, southern Belize offers divers and snorkelers the unique opportunity for spotting the large pelagic feeder known as the Whale Shark. When in a playful mood, these gentle and curious creatures will hang around for long periods of time. If you are planning a dive trip with whale sharks in mind, the best time to do so during these months would be three days before the full moon to three days after the last quarter moon. It's during this period that Cubera Snappers spawn, attracting the Whale Sharks. April through June is also spawning season for many other species of fish and mating season for turtles.
Although it's possible to spot Whale Sharks anytime April through June, the optimum dates for Whale Shark sightings in 2005 are: March 23 to April 3; April 21 to May 1; May 20 to June 2; June 19 to July 1.
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