Snorkeling the Hol Chan Reserve

I have very little experience snorkeling, but it seemed easy enough when we Snorkeled off of Catalina Island. I almost learned how to dive in anticipation of this trip. I was staring off at the incredible photographs of the Big Blue Hole and I wanted that to be the highlight of the trip. But I never learned how to dive, and it turns out that wasn’t as limiting as I had anticipated.

Travelling to the Blue Hole in Belize is not ideal from Caye Caulker. Maybe consider Ambergris Caye if that is on your list. But instead we have the Hol Chan Reserve, much closer and very beautiful and interesting.

Regamuffin Tour of the Hol Chan Reserve

There are multiple companies offering Snorkeling Tours as you walk down the streets of Caye Caulker. We went with Ragamuffin Tours to Snorkel to Hol Chan Reserve. Why? Because we just kept walking by and everyone was so friendly and happy to help us. No one was hurried or trying to close the sale. When we said we still wanted to consider some other trip they didn’t change their tune at all. “Go Slow!” as we departed.

They advertised it as a full day snorkeling trip, but with a 1030 start time, that seemed like a pretty sweet spot to have a leisurely morning having Coffee at Ice and Beans or Breakfast at Paridiso Cafe before going off into our adventures.

First stop: The Hol Chan Channel

It turns out that the ocean for miles and miles around the islands is about level, and only about 10 feet deep. The water is clear and you can always see underneath you to the bottom of the sea. Our first stop was the sketchiest of them all—and I haven’t even started talking about the sharks. The sky was gray, it was raining sharply, and the water was not still.

I’m glad I’d had a few runs of snorkling at Catalina, but everytime I initially put the mask over my face I do get mild anxiety. I swam quite a way away from the boat, I enjoyed the scenery, but I wasn’t wearing a wetsuit, which could have offered a little bouyancy. I only had a weird lifejacket, and I was doing my best to go limp and lay horizontal on the surface, trying not to resist the churning water so that I could just relax and be one with the water. Anyways…It was nice to get back on the boat!

Second Stop: Shark Alley

Next stop was Shark Alley. This was really cool. As soon as the boat stopped the sharks straight up started rushing the boat. I think they feed the sharks and this is like, a Pavlovian response. But there was something about the sharks that made them seem—cute. Like something Pixar would have drawn up.

The sharks had kinda squishy faces, they were kinda pink colored, and seemed like they were smiling. After the initial rush of the boat they quickly lost interest in us, and if you hadn’t jumped off the boat right away to get into the thick of it with them you might have missed it. The water was more calm at this point, and after we finished it was time for lunch.

We had to order lunch the day before, which was the reason for the deposit when we booked the trip.

Third Stop: The Coral Gardens

After lunch is when the rum started flowing. There was huge multigallon jug full of different alcohols and juices. It was sketchy and delicious as the same time. The third stop was the Coral Gardens. I don’t remember as much about this stop, maybe I felt I’d seen similarly beautiful corals before, and we did not see any manatee, I would have remembered that. I think the water was calmer at this stop, more relaxing, but after lunch, and such a long day, I was ready to be heading home.

When we approached Caye Caulker again it was from the West side of the island. The sun was setting, ceviche was being served, and it was truly breath taking. I think every evening in Caye Caulker I was delighted by the most incredible sunsets of my life, and then again the next evening would bring something new.