Dive Review of
Second Nature/Jaguar Reef in
Belize/Southern (Stann Creek)

 Kauai, HI
Florida Keys 

Dive Conditions

[Unspecified]  

[None]  

Overall Rating

Jaguar Reef Lodge, Southern Belize, November 2004
This well-groomed oceanfront mini lodge, located near Hopkins Village,
south of Dangriga, had pleasant accommodations for our nine day stay and
first experience in Central America.  Despite seasonal rains, we dove six
of eight days, using a down day to tour the jungle.  (Malaria preventative
recommended.)
Jaguar Reef shuttles divers a short distance on unpaved roads to docks
located slightly inland. Their dive operators are “Second Nature”, a
husband and wife team, helpful and knowledgeable PADI divers originally
from England.  The lodge boat is adequate for the max of eight divers, and
dive staff. They kept our gear overnight and changed out our tanks each
dive.  Additional dive staff trainees attended to the needs of recreational
divers of varying abilities. One issue for us was the forced use of a small
personal boat when the diver count wasn’t profitable.  NITROX remains
unavailable with this outfit. A competing lodge a short walk north on the
beach, Hamanasi, has Nitrox, and a larger boat on property.  A new lodge
dive shop is in the plans for Jaguar Reef.  
Two tank morning dives on reefs about 15 miles off the mainland were the
norm, diving walls and reef cuts with no current. The boat followed on the
surface. In the 86 degree Fahrenheit waters, skins provided protection from
the sun and abundant corals. No afternoon or night dives were offered.  Be
sure to request the three tank dive to Glover Reef when eight or more
divers are staying at the lodge.
Underwater sightings were nurse and bull sharks, large hawksbill turtles,
lobsters, flounder, balloon and puffer fish, butterflys, angels, trunk
fish, grouper, hog fish, goat fish, barracuda, and tarpon. Highlights
included a flock of eight spotted eagle and a barrel sponge measuring at
least 12 feet tall and 6 feet wide.  We enjoyed searching out little
creatures like cleaner shrimp, watching jaw fish do their thing, and trying
to photograph sea horses we found near piers while snorkeling between
dives.  Above the water, we observed frigates, pelicans, boobies, osprey,
and hummingbirds on the cays when traveling and in between to dive sights. 
 Belize is on the migratory path of many birds, and we met several
ornithologists taking advantage of this.
Although we had hoped for a lodge with more divers around, this was a very
pleasant and relaxing experience. Be careful when reading the
advertisements in dive magazines about lodges on the cays, many of which
are extremely remote and some are run down.  Bring your deet or natural
alternatives for the sand fleas and mosquitoes.
 

Questions?
Send an email to the author of this report

What others have to say about Undercurrent
And get immediate access to ALL 211 dive reviews of Belize
and all other dive destinations immediately!

Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. It is presented here to provide Undercurrent readers with timely information on dive operations worldwide. The material may contain errors, typos, ... Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above. An edited version of this report will likely appear in the next Travelin' Divers' Chapbook, which will be sent to newsletter subscribers and published online for Online Members.