 look but don't touch |
 Get me outta here! |
For several years, local fishermen often cleaned their catch in this area, located just inside the reef, to the south of Ambergris Caye. When fishermen noticed that their activity had attracted Nurse Sharks and several Southern Sting Rays, they reported this information to the dive operations in San Pedro, who then dispatched some divers to investigate. What they found was a bonanza, and “Shark-Ray Alley” quickly became a very popular dive site.
This is a must stop for the first introductory dive or snorkel in Belizean waters. Zone D is only 20 minutes north of Caye Caulker by power boat. Shark Ray Alley has a maximum depth of 30 feet and excellent visibility. You can almost always see all species of fish including jacks, groupers, snappers, parrot fish, angel fish, barracuda, eels, spider crabs, lobster, and nurse sharks. Divers are occasionally cautioned regarding the currents.
As soon as your boat arrives in the area, you will notice a number of dark shadows in the shallow (eight foot deep) waters. These are the sharks and rays that hear the boat approach and come in search of a few scraps of fish.
These creatures have a great tolerance for divers and snorkelers and seem to enjoy the human interaction. The rays, which have a ‘wing-span’ of two to four feet, swim directly towards the snorkelers and divers, inviting them to reach out and stroke their wings (although it’s best not to touch them). The gentle Nurse Sharks average four to six feet in length. While the animals show no fear of humans and will often swim right up to snorkelers, it is best to keep a distance and not touch the animals.
At Tsunami Adventures, we are proud to offer a “no touch policy”. We respect the marine animals in their home. We do not grab them for you to pet nor do we chase after the nurse sharks and flip them over for you to caress. This action is actually equivalent to us humans gasping for air in water. Some will say they like this, however we beg to differ.
