Indagare Tour: Fishing & Scuba Turneffe Atoll

About 30 miles (90 minutes by boat transfer from Belize City) in the open ocean east of the capital lies the 300 square mile Turneffe Atoll, the largest of only four coral atolls in the entire Western Hemisphere. The second-largest reef in the world passes right by, often within a stone’s throw of the shoreline. Sixty species of birds live or migrate through here. The water teems with dolphins and sharks and crocodiles. But it’s the fish that most people come for.

Fishermen flock to the eco-conscious Turneffe Flats Lodge on Turneffe Attol for week-long fishing vacations in search of the “grand slam” a trio of catches that includes bonefish, permit and tarpon all of which are available in the mangroves and shallows around the atoll. We can recommend lodges, which specialize in fresh-water and salt-water fishing as well as ones with scuba-diving programs. One has a polished program that includes a spacious, comfortable and easy-to-board 48′ dive boat and an excellent staff of dive masters and captains to help you make the most of more than 60 area dive sites including the iconic Great Blue Hole, part of the Belize Barrier Reef System which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As its name implies, this dive site is a big, blue hole (really a massive flooded sinkhole) that goes straight down nearly 500 feet. Indagare members can contact our bookings to team for suggestions on fishing and scuba programs.