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Southwest Caye Wall is one of the most southern dive sites on Glover Reef offering dramatic drop-offs and loads of marine life.
| Name Dive Site: | Southwest Caye Wall |
| Depth: | 49-147ft (15-45m) |
| Inserted/Added by: | lighthouse_reef |
| Rated: | Rated not yet |
| Specifications: |   |
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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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Diveshop
- Robert's Grove Beach Resort, Placencia, Placencia
Robert's Grove Beach Resort
| Robert's Grove Dive Centre www.robertsgrove.com 501-523-3565 501-523-3567 | Placencia Placencia |
Robert's Grove Beach Resort is the only 5 star beach resort in Placencia, in existence since 1990. Were the only Dive Center in Placencia that use both Air and Nitrox with certified and licensed PADI Dive Crew. We have three dive boats for the convenience of guest DORADO a PRO 48 ft dive boat, LA RISA 38 ft and Dive Boat 1 a 30ft Dive boat. All our dive sight are within 30 to 45 min away from shore with Laughing Bird Caye being the nearest and Silk, Pompion and Ranguana right on the pristine barrier reef of Belize.
Hotel Rooms, Condominum, Lobby, PADI Dive Center, 2-Restaurant, Gym, Tennis Cout, Conference Room, Gas Station.
Other
- Green Parrot Beach Houses and Resort, No. 1 Maya Beach, Placencia
Green Parrot Beach Houses and Resort
| Green Parrot Beach Houses and ... www.greenparrot-belize.com 001-734-667-2537 001-206-888-2209 | No. 1 Maya Beach None Placencia |
Green Parrot Resort is a small resort located in southern Belize. We have 8 cabanas, restaurant, and bar. We provide a great location for diving the worlds second longest barrier reef. The area is also popular for whale shark dives.
We have been in Belize for 15 years. We have worked with most of the dive companies in the Placencia area and we will make sure that you get connected with the type of company that will best suit your diving needs. We also arrange fishing tours. We have our own bar and restaurant to serve you after dive needs.
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