Lighthouse Reef Atoll is Belize’s dive paradise. Of the three atoll reefs off the coast of Belize, Lighthouse Reef is the farthest offshore. It is a large lagoon and the entire circumference comprises of coral formations. It is situated 45 miles east of Belize City, spanning 27 miles in length and 8 miles wide. Inside the atoll is full of coral patches.
Even though it is the atoll furthest offshore it keeps busy and the Belize Audubon Society, managers/care takers keeps a fixed base on Half Moon Caye. Dive boats from Turneffe Flats and Turneffe Island Lodge visit on a weekly basis, various dive boats from San Pedro visiting the atoll regularly for day trips, and both the larger live-aboard vessels can always found in the vicinity Monday through Friday.
There are also six cayes within Lighthouse Reef Atoll. In the north, Sandbore Caye, 10.2 acres in size is one of the two cayes equipped with a lighthouse and that is occupied by a lighthouse keeper and his family. A pretty beach for swimming is on the west side. Sanbore has a sheltered lagoon with 8 feet of water, however there is a tricky shoal to cross.
Just outside the reef of Sanbore caye is one of the major the spawning area for the groupers. Spawning starts in December through February. It is a site to see the milky white seas when they spawn, however no whale sharks are around.
Nearby, or more precisely 2/3 of a mile away is Northern Caye and these two cayes, Sandbore and Northern Caye are known locally as Northern Two Caye. Total acreage here is 1,020 acres including the area of the two lagoons and land. The resort and airstrip itself sits on 16 acres. On the north eastern end of Northern Caye is what remains of Lighthouse Reef Resort and a 1900 foot private airstrip (running east to west) which was built by Lighthouse Reef Resort. The resort has been closed since July, 2005 and has fallen into disrepair. Lighthouse Reef Resort has two docks. What is referred to as the staff dock is located on the north west side and has 7 feet of water and on the eastern side is another dock previously used for the guests which has 5 feet of water. — {mprestriction ids=”1″}
The owners of Lighthouse Reef Resort keeps a full time staff of 2 persons there and the airstrip is still in use, though drums are normally kept on the airstrip to prevent illegal activities. Much of the caye is presently abandoned. It has well-matured mangroves and there are two internal lagoons. The caye is noted for its saltwater crocodiles that normally come out in the evenings to feed at night and snowy egrets which visit whilst migrating.
Halfway down the west coast, there is a small caye called White Pelican Caye. The white pelican is not regarded as a species indigenous to Belize, so their being here is unusual. This caye is almost awash.
Further south, there is Long Caye, which is a veritable jungle and home for far too many mosquitoes for reasonable comfort, however some of the best diving is found to the west of Long Caye.
Long Caye is a lonely 650 acre outpost with a small dock, large palms and glassy water bordering the southwestern side of Lighthouse Reef Atoll. It is 2-¼ miles in length, ¾ miles at its widest point.
High and low red, black and white mangrove plant communities can be seen throughout the island, with nurseries for marine life as well as serving as a stopover and nesting area for a variety of birds including the Mangrove cuckoo, Green heron, Osprey, Mangrove warbler, Great-tailed grackle and White-crowned pigeon. As the dominant landmass within Lighthouse Reef Atoll, Long Caye’s protected lagoons and mangroves provide habitat for an abundance of tropical wildlife, such as breeding fish, rare birds, sea turtles and iguanas, to name a few.
Some developers have been working on the island and selling parcels of land. Also there is the Calypso Beach Retreat which were operational but have recently closed down.
Just below Long Caye is Hat Caye which is very small and is accessible only to crafts with a maximum of 4 feet. Lots of coral can be found all around and approach with caution is recommended. There is nothing on Hat Caye except maybe fishermen who use it as a base.
The Blue Hole is one of two protective areas on Lighthouse Reef Atoll. 
A warden based on Half Moon Caye collects an entrance fee on behalf of the Belize Audubon Society. Blue Hole, a formation best appreciated from the air, but also impressive from the bridge of a boat. The Blue Hole is a circular hole in the middle of Lighthouse Reef Atoll. It is about 1000 feet across and just a little over 400 feet deep. In it, the diver will find coral only at the very top, on the rim of the hole. The lack of sunlight prevents coral growth on the inclining walls of the hole. Lack of coral leads to few fish as well. At about 130 feet of depth, one can see huge stalactites hanging off the overhang, some of them more then 20 feet in length. Also at this depth several reef sharks and an occasional bull shark greet the divers. At certain days more than 20 of them chill out in the cool depth of the Blue Hole. The
se sharks have just recently named the hole their home and make for a very exciting dive.
Admiralty Chart 959 also shows a Saddle Caye just to the north of Half Moon Caye, but this does not appear to exist anymore. It was reportedly pretty much washed with the passage of hurricane Hattie in 1961.
The one remaining, Half Moon Caye, is another protective area and again an entrance fee is levied by the warden on behalf of the Belize Audubon Society. This is also where the second lighthouse on the atoll can be found. Half Moon Caye sits at the lower southeast corner of the reef and is nothing short of paradise. This small, idyllic tropical island and the immediate surrounding waters are a National Park and home to a protected bird sanctuary. The caye is divided into two distinct halves: the western half is the bird sanctuary and is densely overgrown. The remainder of the island is made up of coconut palms and sparse vegetation, with a few small buildings and a solar-powered lighthouse.
Within the confines of the reef, the depth ranges from 15 to 18 feet, averaging generally around 10 feet with sufficient room between the numerous patch reefs to maneuver any craft with shallow enough draft. The seabed is sandy and this, at least, allows you to see the darker-colored patches of coral. As long as the sun is over the shoulder, the patch reefs are clearly seen. However, as soon as you turn and face the sun, the glare from the surface obscures the coral and extreme caution is advised. Up the northern and north western end of Lighthouse is rich with permit and other fish. Excellent location for fishing.
The prevailing winds and waves are from the east to southeast and, therefore the calmer water is found along the western coast. Very few people dive the eastern coast of Lighthouse Reef, yet it is quite splendid and often spectacular. Should you be in this area whilst a norther is passing through we highly recommended taking advantage and diving the less visited, more pristine eastern side of the atoll.
{/mprestriction}