Located just off the coast of Belize City is Turneffe Atoll, one of three atolls that form the Belize Barrier Reef. It is home to the vaunted Turneffe Atoll Marine Reserve, Belize's largest and most significant marine reserve which bears the impressive distinction as the most biologically diverse coral atoll in the Western Hemisphere. The atoll is cloaked in a thick blanket of mangroves, savanna, littoral forest, wetlands, lagoons, and pristine beaches. Life underwater is a rich profusion of corals, seagrass beds, over 500 fish species, crocodiles, lobster, conch, sea turtles, manatees, dolphins, seabirds, and other wildlife, making it the perfect destination for diving, sport fishing or snorkelling. Birders can spy an astonishing array of bird species that include the snowy egret, little blue heron, great blue heron, tricoloured heron, yellow-crowned night heron, and clapper rail.
