Hol Chan Marine Park and Shark Ray Alley: Snorkeling in Rich Marine Life and Coral Formations
3.9
81 Ratings
Belize City
Experience the vibrant marine life and stunning coral formations at Hol Chan Marine Park and Shark Ray Alley. Snorkel or dive with nurse sharks and stingrays in this popular dive site in Belize.
Duration: 5 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights
  • Hol Chan Marine Reserve - This will be our stop where you will be snorkeling at two stops which is the coral reef best snorkeling site here in Belize, and shark and ray alley.
  • Caye Caulker - We will be stopping at this island to have lunch and change of clothing before going out to snorkeling.
What's Included
  • Snacks
  • Professional guide
  • Bottled water
  • Rum punch
What's Not Included
  • Lunch
Additional Information

The Hol Chan Marine Reserve, situated at the southern end of Ambergris Caye, is arguably one of the most sought-after dive sites in both the Caribbean and Belize. It has developed into a distinct sanctuary with healthy coral structures and an abundance of underwater fauna. The whole reserve is centered around a narrow gap in the reef, referred to as a ‘quebrada’, that’s no more than 25 yards wide and 30 feet deep, located about 4 miles southeast of San Pedro. The expedition will then proceed to the nearby Shark Ray Alley. Here, you can either dive or snorkel to witness Nurse Sharks and Southern Sting Rays in their element. Upon reaching, you’ll likely see the water surface teeming with sharks and stingrays as they vie for leftovers. These marine animals are remarkably accommodating of observers.

  • Cruise ship passengers must provide the following information at time of booking: ship name, docking time, disembarkation time and re-boarding time
  • Dress code is casual
  • Anyone with Covid-19 symptoms will not be allow on tour
Location
FORT STREET TOURISM VILLAGE
It is very important that you are on one of the first tenders to shore if you want to make it to your tour before it departs. please look for the Diamonds International store at Terminal 2. Walk through the store to the you tour representative from "Splash Wave Tours" Sign.
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
3.9
(81 Ratings)
5 stars
4 stars
3 stars
2 stars
1 star
Callan_e
May 10, 2024
Fun to try a few different ocean activites - Being able to swim with sharks, rays, and barracudas, was really cool. We also saw an eel and more. My favorite part was feeding fish that would jump out of the water to snatch the food right out of your hand.
Review provided by Viator
John_j
Apr 7, 2024
Do It - Easy to find from cruise ship, friendly & helpful staff, great experience. Watched time and got us back prior to departure
Review provided by Viator
Dee_d
Mar 10, 2024
Way better than expected! - Our snorkeling guide Stacy was awesome! Very informative and friendly! One of the best guided snorkeling tours I've taken. We saw a moray eel, spotted eagle ray, lots of fish, beautiful coral, even a mantaee on the way back. We also fed the tarpon, which we were not expecting at all. Lots of stingrays and sharks. We saw more stingrays there than at Grand Cayman Stingray City.
Review provided by Viator
Rdrambuie
Feb 10, 2024
Suya Rocks - Well it has been a while since I have been to Belize and I have fallen in love again. What great people and what a lovely country. We were the only two people on the tour today because it was so windy. I have done a fair number of excursions in my life and hands down this was one of the best if not "the best". Gabby our guide was all about safety even though my partner and myself were experienced divers and snorkelers. His respect and love for the reef was deep and sincere. We were so impressed. We watched several of the other tour companies and it was a "gong show"...definitely a "must do when in Belize"!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Nancy
Jan 14, 2024
Wonderful...this barrier reef is excellent - We chose the full day tour which was jam packed with 4 snorkeling stops which is wonderful because this barrier reef alongside Belize is a treat. We really enjoyed our time in the water and the tour was well run. Of course, there are quite a few boats out there when you go, but you have space. They chum for the sharks, but it's amazing to see them...get in the water right away for the best view.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
X9786rgbarbaral
May 6, 2024
Overcrowded and Dangerous – not enough life jackets for 36 passengers on their small boat! - Overcrowded and Dangerous – not enough life jackets for 36 passengers on their small boat! Hol Chan Marine Park and Shark Ray Alley Snorkeling by Splash Wave Tours via Viator. We typically book independent excursions to avoid large cruise ship crowds. In this case, it backfired. When the group started boarding just two boats, we could see that there were too many people for everyone to find a seat without sitting on top of one another. I asked our guide why there wasn’t a third boat, and she said gas was too expensive. When I asked how many passengers they normally book per boat, she said 25 people. We had 36 passengers plus 4 crew. We were packed so tight that the crew had to step on top of us to complete their tasks and stood in front of us during the boat ride since there was nowhere to sit. Several people got seasick from the hot, cramped seats in the front-covered section of the boat. It was a 40-minute boat ride in rough seas (without life jackets) to get to and from the snorkeling site. After we reached the snorkeling site, passengers were offered the option of life vests to help them float since the current was quite strong, and many requested them. We then realized there was a shortage of life jackets on the boat because they could not accommodate everyone who wanted one. The guide asked if anyone who had received a life jacket would be willing to give up theirs to an older woman who felt she needed one. Fortunately, someone did. To add to the danger of the life jacket shortage, the captain stopped the boat on the way back to the pier because of a problem with one of the engines. When I asked why they stopped, the crew member said the captain needed to check the fuel level. The concern about the fuel may have been a result of the power outage in the city that morning and the inability to pump gas. I’m not sure if it was engine failure or a lack of gas, but we entered the pier slip rather fast the captain lost control of the boat. He shouted that he couldn’t put the boat in reverse to avoid hitting the concrete dock, which he did hit quite hard. Then, the back of the boat swung to the side of the slip and the crew and passengers had to reach out and push the boat from hitting or going under the side of the pier. Splash Wave Tours and Viator need to put passenger and crew safety over profit!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Marcella_m
Apr 20, 2024
Awful experience. - This was one of two trips we booked with Viator that was cancelled last minute. Terrible customer service experience. Would never recommend your service to anyone, instead I will be telling them not to use you.
Review provided by Viator
Kimberly_k
Apr 4, 2024
Don’t book if you’re not on a cruise - When we booked a trip, I made sure to send a message that we are already staying on Caye Caulker. They told us to be at the fantasy dining area at 9:30 to meet with the group. When the group came, they told us oh you have to wait for the next Tour. The next tour had no idea we were waiting for them and almost left again, but it was so jampacked already we didn’t fit. We didn’t realize they were geared more towards cruise ship travelers had they said oh we primarily service the ships we could’ve booked with a different tour. So it affected our schedule because we had to wait till the next day to go snorkeling, which was an amazing experience with the other company
Review provided by Viator
Janetts946
Feb 27, 2024
Disappointed - DO NOT BOOK THIS TOUR. If the booking doesn’t not have enough people it will get cancelled. Unfortunately they don’t offer an alternative if you’ve been waiting for 2 hours and then you’re out of luck because you missed any other opportunity to go snorkeling. Saddest day ever !! This was our last full day in Belize and wanted to see the reef and snorkel. Unfortunately they had us sit at the peer for 2 hours before they cancelled. I know they won’t know until the time of the excursion but they should be prepared for that and should have offered an alternative to make sure we get to snorkel.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rebeccav553
Feb 18, 2024
Didn't show up - We had booked a trip with Splash through the concierge at Fort George. We were told to meet at the pier at 09. After 45 minutes there was still no boat or crew to pick us up. We contacted the reception at the hotel, who could not get hold of the company as it was a Sunday. I wonder if we will ever get our money back...
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Select Date and Tickets
up to 10 guests
1 Adult
June 2024
Sun
Mon
Tue
Wed
Thu
Fri
Sat
Today