Hol Chan Marine Reserve

Hol Chan means little channel in Maya, and the reserve is built around a natural cut through the barrier reef where fish concentrate in the current. Declared in 1987, it was the first marine reserve in Belize and it is now the most visited, with snorkel and dive boats running from San Pedro and Caye Caulker all day. Shark Ray Alley, a shallow sand flat within the reserve, holds nurse sharks and southern stingrays that gather where fishermen once cleaned their catch.

History

In the early 1980s fish stocks around Hol Chan fell just as tourism to the cayes grew, and disputes arose over the cut through the reef, rich for fishing and popular with divers; proposed fishing bans were rejected, and in the mid-1980s public talks on a marine protected area began, backed by the New York Zoological Society and the Peace Corps. Between 1985 and 1987 Janet Gibson campaigned with citizens, businesses and fishermen and wrote the draft management plan in 1986, and the reserve was established in July 1987 with funds from WWF and USAID (Wikipedia, Hol Chan Marine Reserve).

The landscape

• The channel - the reef cut the reserve is named for, with fish shoaling in the current.
• Shark Ray Alley - nurse sharks and stingrays in shallow water on a sand flat.
• The seagrass and mangrove zones - the reserve's other habitats, part of the same system.
• The turtles and rays - green turtles and eagle rays regularly seen in the channel.

When to go

December to April is the dry season with the clearest water. Boats run all day but morning trips are calmer and less crowded. Rough weather cancels trips.

Before you go

It is the busiest site in Belize and dozens of boats can be there at once; the fish are habituated and this is not a wilderness experience. Feeding at Shark Ray Alley created the aggregation and remains contentious. Sunburn and reef damage from crowds are real problems.

Nearby

San Pedro is north, and Caye Caulker is southwest.

Key facts