The stressed reefs in Florida and across the Caribbean have been prone to waves of terrifying coral diseases over the past 30 years, which sweep through once healthy marine systems, leaving trails of devastation. The spread of marine diseases is an example of an existential threat to Belize’s reefs that, while exacerbated by local problems, is a regional, if not a global, problem. The government subsequently imposed a moratorium on oil drilling and brought in far stricter controls over coastal development to protect the mangroves, and in 2018 UNESCO removed it from the danger list. ![]() In 2009 UNESCO went as far as putting the reef on its List of World Heritage in Danger, primarily over the rampant destruction of coastal mangrove forests and looming fears over oil exploration in its waters. However, it has often been a struggle to keep the reef ‘remarkable’, not only against internal conflicts but with global forces beyond Belize’s control. Today Belize offers some of the best diving in the Caribbean and it is often praised for its conservations efforts. This is perfect liveaboard territory as there is so much to explore, and no dive is the same as the last. Less than 10 per cent of the reef has been thoroughly researched, and there is much more out there to be discovered.Īn invasive lionfish (Photo: Tom St George) It is home to more than 65 types of hard coral, at least 36 species of soft corals and is populated with over 500 species of fish and hundreds of invertebrates. It is not surprising that this is probably the most biodiverse area in the Caribbean Sea. This amazing tapestry of reef life includes dramatic walls patrolled by sharks, higgledy-piggledy warrens of tumbling hard corals being tended by turtles, jagged limestone canyons hiding dozing nurse sharks, coral outcrops buzzing with schools of jacks and isolated pinnacles where the occasional oceanic whitetip shark can be spotted. It creates a rich mix of habitats, from seagrass meadows for manatees to graze and eagle rays to swoop across, to shallow reefs dotted with vast gorgonian fans and dancing with reef fish. It is unique to have such a wide array of reef types in such a relatively small area. In all, Belize’s reef system is made up of 450 different cayes (pronounced keys), three imposing atolls – Turneffe Island, Lighthouse Reef and Glover’s Reef – and is covered by seven marine reserves, which were made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996. There is the world-famous Blue Hole – a vast sinkhole. Far out to sea, there are rare deep water coral reefs. The barrier reef touches the shore in the north, and it reaches 40km offshore in the south. The rise and fall of sea level over the millennia, coupled with its karst topography and clear waters, has resulted in one of the most diverse marine seascapes with a jumble of patch reefs, fringing reefs, offshore atolls and pinnacles. The reef runs along the length of Belize’s 320km-coastline (200 miles). The richest, most varied, most glorious stretch of this natural wonder sits off Belize – a small, rectangular-shaped nation in Central America, tucked under Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula and surrounded by Guatemala.Ĭaribbean reef shark hunts on Lighthouse Reef (Photo: Tom St George) The Mesoamerican Reef runs along for nearly 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) along the coasts of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras. They are part of the largest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere, which is the second-largest reef system on the planet. ![]() His verdict on Belize’s barrier reef and connected atolls was that they are ‘the most remarkable in the West Indies’. ![]() He came up with one of the first theories about their formation and studied them extensively during his travels on HMS Beagle. Graeme Gourlayreports on the struggle to keep this natural wonder flourishingĬharles Darwin was fascinated by coral reefs. ![]() The 1,126km-long Mesoamerican Reef runs along the full length of Belize Belize’s barrier reef is the key part of the second-largest coral structure on the planet.
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