Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve – Belize is the perfect beach getaway for those looking to enjoy a quiet beach holiday with friends and family. Being one of the more isolated atolls in the Belize Barrier Reef System, it provides for a peaceful and relaxing exploration of the waters.
Location
Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve – Belize is located in Middle Caye, Glover’s Reef Atoll; approximately seventy miles off the southeastern section of Belize City.
Getting There
The best way to reach Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve – Belize is through Dangriga. Arriving through air is via the airport in Belize City from which you can get airport transfers to Dangriga.
You can also reach Dangriga via bus services from Belize City which will take approximately three hours or via a private taxi also from Belize City which will take approximately two and one-half hours to reach Dangriga.
From Dangriga, you can arrange for boat transfers which will take you directly to Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve.
What to See and Do
Within Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve – Belize you can see beautiful patches of corals numbering to about eight hundred in all. The marine reserve is home to sharks, various types of rays, sea turtles and a wide variety of fish species including the endangered Nassau Grouper.
Diving and snorkeling are among the top activities that tourists love to do here and there are several dive operators that can take you down the waters of the marine reserves.
Sport fishing is also provided here but is only on a catch-and-release basis. Visitors are not allowed to use fish hooks with barbs and anchoring is also prohibited.
Brief History
Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve – Belize was declared as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996 together with the other marine reserves, atoll and cays included in the Belize Barrier Reef System.
The Northeast Point within the marine reserve is a spawning site for the endangered Nassau Grouper, being only one of two remaining spawning sites for this fish species out of the original nine spawning sites worldwide.
With this important role it plays in ensuring that the endangered Nassau Grouper will not go into extinction, the Northeast Point was declared as a marine reserve in the year 2002.
Cost
Entry fee to the Glover’s Reef Marine Reserve – Belize is BZ$10 for foreign guests; per person, per day and BZ$30 also for foreign guests; per person, per week.
For sport fishing, there is also a required fee of BZ$25 per person, per week.
There are resorts surrounding the area and accommodations here start at USD 99 per person, per week for camp sites; USD 149 for dormitory rooms per person, per week; USD 249 for cabins on the beach per person, per week; and USD 299 per person, per week for cabins sitting on the waters.
Accommodation rates given above are exclusive of 9% tax.
Other Information
Before you start on your sport fishing adventure, it is important that you check with the management of the marine reserve if this is viable for the day.
Before diving, there should be a “divers down” flag displayed to allow the authorities and other divers to know that there are divers currently underwater.
