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Dive Review of Turneffe Island Resort in
Belize/Offshore reef island

Turneffe Island Resort: "Caribbean diving at its best", May, 2019,

by Jeffrey D Hubbard MD, NY, US (Top Contributor Top Contributor 32 reports with 17 Helpful votes). Report 10976 has 4 Helpful votes.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 5 stars Food 3 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity 5 stars
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 5 stars
Beginners 3 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments Many luxury resorts offer scuba diving through an outside operator, along with tennis, shopping & c. Not Turneffe Island Resort. Diving is a major part of the operation, run by full-time employees on a real schedule – none of the, “Well, we’ll see about tomorrow sometime...” One of the general managers comes diving...when did you last see that? (The other major activity is fishing, and the fisherfolk, international in origins like the divers, say that operation is equal in quality to the diving.) There are snorkel trips, but we didn't.
Diving is from small boats with big motors and midline racks for 10 or 12 tanks. Could handle 10 divers, we never saw more than 8 or 9, usually 4 - 6. Back-roll entry, good ladder over the stern for recovery. No cover, no shower, no head, but plenty of dry towels and fresh fruit, and the boat goes back to island after every dive. You could bring a water bottle (supplied) and there is a fridge in every room. Shower, gear storage & head at the dock. The run from the dock to dive site rarely exceeds 15 minutes, among the picturesque islands. About 15 dives a week offered; we did 29 in 2 weeks. The crew handles all the gear between your set-up on day 1 and when they break it down and thoroughly wash it after the last dive.
The diving is excellent, all the Caribbean usual suspects. We were blessed with being on the boat with the incomparable Brad: careful diver and guide, all-knowing reef biology expert. “We will see what Mother Nature has in store for us today...and whatever it is, we will thank her.” His joy at seeing a marlin (with dorsal fin up) at the site The Elbow was as great as my own. Most dives are drift, safety stops are usually on the reef, and the boat picks up the divers where they surface. Dives are guided, not herded, with no arbitrary limits or nagging.
Nitrox is available, but not necessary for 2-3 dives/day. We exceeded 80 ft depth only 3 times, 2 of them in the Blue Hole (133 ft.) We like the Hole (probably our 7th & 8th dives in it) but the real attraction is that the all-day Blue Hole trip includes dives on Long Cay Wall and Halfmoon Wall, the best dives of the week, and a picnic (served by resort staff who traveled with.) That trip is on one of the larger boats, with cover, head and comfortable seats.
The service is excellent all round. The food is good, and the formerly overabundant peppers are decreasing over the years.
Excellent connections through Atlanta & Houston. Island will arrange transfers from/to airport. The Island transport boat docks @ Ft. George Radisson Hotel (Saturday & Wednesday), which is a nice place to spend a night or two (we always fly in a day early, just in case.)

Our favorite dive resort, after over 2000 (each of us) dives in 15 countries. Maybe it will be yours.
Websites Turneffe Island Resort   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience Over 1000 dives
Where else diving Caribbean, Bahamas, Fernando de Noronha, Australia, Fiji, PNG, Micronesia, Hawai'i
Closest Airport BZE Getting There Good connections through ATL, IAH . . .
Our on-time experience with Delta has been excellent.

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, dry Seas calm, choppy, no currents
Water Temp 82-87°F / 28-31°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 50- Ft/ 15- M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions Back under boat w 500 psi but nobody bird-dogs you. No decompression diving.
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw

Sharks 1 or 2 Mantas None
Dolphins None Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales None
Corals 4 stars Tropical Fish 4 stars
Small Critters 5 stars Large Fish 4 stars
Large Pelagics 3 stars

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter N/A Boat Facilities N/A
Overall rating for UWP's N/A Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments [None]
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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