Southwest Caye Wall is one of the most southern dive sites on Glover Reef offering dramatic drop-offs and loads of marine life.

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Name divesite:	Southwest Caye Wall
Depth:	50-150ft (15-45m) and deeper
Visibility:	70-170ft (21-51m) and more
Accessibility:	Shore, Boat, Live-aboard
Time to visit:	All year around
Inserted/Added by:	Lighthouse Reef Scuba Dive Cabins
Specifications:

Squarely off Southwest Caye's east side and only a short distance from the Manta Resort Pier, you'll find a sloping reef and wall that offer consistently good diving. Both are part of a narrow reef line that forms the southeastern limb of Glover's Reef. Depth increases rapidly away from the reef crest before deepening more gradually a short distance from the wall. Overall the reef has little topography, uneven only near the wall. Here, wedge-shaped coral ridges are separated by wide, shallow sand channels. While doing a safety stop at 10 ft, divers will see all coral wedges border and point away from the wall.

Like many walls on the windward limbs of the atolls, the Southwest Caye Wall is a dramatic drop-off. From its crest at 50 ft, this underwater cliff plunges to 130 ft. A narrow shelf floored by platy boulder coral, a tangle of wire coral and an abundance of sand occur at this depth. From there, the wall resumes its vertical descent to more than 350 ft before changing to a steep slope. Submarine dives made here show invertebrate growth is sparse at these depths.

Shallow parts of the wall have either giant overhangs or are deeply furrowed. Graceful gorgonians, wire coral and some very attractive and photogenic sponges adorn the overhangs, which are ideally suited for pictures with dramatic and colorful compositions. Divers taking pictures beneath an overhang need to remember to plan their pictures in advance so they can avoid lots of breathing while under the overhangs. Otherwise, exhaled bubbles will dislodge enough sediment to make good photography impossible.

Wall diving is an exhilarating experience, but it also means deep diving at Southwest Caye Wall. Unlike some drop-offs elsewhere on these atolls, this one begins at a modest depth and does not allow divers to work their way up to a shallow reef. Check your time and depth frequently and allow plenty of time for your ascent. This way you should have plenty of air left for a slow ascent and a three-minute safety stop at 10 ft.

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