Snorkeling at Mexico Rocks (And A New Site!) with Elite Adventures Belize

The TOP activity for visitors to Ambergris Caye is snorkeling. How can it not be? The largest and longest barrier reef in the hemisphere sits right offshore Belize – and especially close to the cayes. A good chunk of the water around Ambergris Caye is protected – the Hol Chan Marine Reserve and in the far north of the island, the UNESCO World Heritage site, Bacalar Chico National Park and Marine Reserve.

Here’s the map of Hol Chan reserves if you don’t believe me 😉

And just this week, I called my friends at Elite Adventures Belize to set-up a snorkeling trip because we had a guest in town. Jeff’s 18 year old nephew Tejas who is off to Harvard in a few weeks. And when guests are in town, you HAVE to bring them out in the water.

And while Hol Chan Marine Reserve (on the south side of the island) is the #1 snorkel trip on the island, I wanted to experience #2. The newer addition to the protected marine park system. The Mexico Rocks area was officially “reserved” in 2016 – and now the sea life there is 100% protected. No fishing, no collecting, no anchoring, no disturbing the area day or night. I’ve heard from many that it’s as good, if not better than the super popular Hol Chan snorkel site. PLUS, there are less people visiting.

Many of you will groan out loud right now but I haven’t been snorkeling there in…10 years? Maybe more!

We headed down to Elite Diving (located less than a mile north of the bridge) for a 9am tour.

We met our tour guide, Flash, and he found us fins and masks for the trip. And we headed out on THE most beautiful day. Low wind and sun shining. The perfect day. Flash gave us a full safety briefing.

The water at Mexico Rocks is like a giant, warm aquarium. Sandy bottom with massive coral heads, sea fans waving lazily in the light current, neon fish nibbling on it all. In our 50 minute snorkel, we say schools of large snappers, fat groupers, very big lobster (practically prancing because they know they are protected), lots of angel and butterfly fish and a 4-5 foot friendly barracuda who likes to get close and make an unnerving amount of eye contact. We spotted 3 turtles (one BIG) all heading into the blue…

Flash pointed out all the good fish, spotted all the turtles, knew all the sea life names and details…he led us all the way.

Mexico Rocks is soooo gorgeous. Plus, there were only a handful of boats there…so you feel like it’s just your group snorkeling the area.

Why don’t I snorkel more often?! It’s super fun.

Flash cut up a cold watermelon to snack on…THE PERFECT refreshment between snorkels. I ate about 8 slices. Maybe it was the sea salt? I don’t think watermelon has ever tasted better.

And we went to check out a barge on the reef. They had missed the proper channel by only about 20 feet and this is the result. A very bad day for those barge operators.

Next up…a relatively new snorkel site, just off-shore the gorgeous Matachica Resort, called Ray City. When we pulled up, the rays came swimming towards us…followed by a handful of nurse sharks. And though we didn’t see them, there are lemon sharks that have been known to hang out in the area…

When the rays here the boat motor, they come swimming. It’s like a dinner bell.

I took a few pictures and go right in the waist deep water.

Lots of them more common southern sting ray and one ray, new to me, that was a large as a queen sized blanket. The roughtail stingray. Lighter gray. Massive. So cool.

I still remember my first time…17 years ago, terrified-excited to jump in with the sharks and stingrays…it was SO cool, so much fun, that we booked a trip out to do it again, the very next day.

The sun, the salt, the sealife, a fantastic crew…what a perfect way to spend the morning.

I got home. I immediately got on-line to find some good snorkel gear…it’s great exercise (I was sore and tired about about 730pm later that night) and it’s gorgeous. I’m going to try to do it on my own – and, for all the good stuff, go out with a tour more often. Not just every few years when we have a visitor who wants to go out.

Please share with me your recent experiences, where you love to snorkel and your gear, if you have your own.

I’m looking at these…recommended by Wirecutter from the NY Times (Elite also had the stretchy, adjuster cord on the fins and it makes a HUGE difference) All opinions wanted – though I’m not sure I’m ready to go over $100. I like to ease into these things!