Jasmine's 2011 Trip: Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley

I wanted to take a trip out to Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Ally, two spots that are only minutes south of San Pedro. I booked a half day snorkel trip with Serious Adventures, the same company I'd used before.
Covering approximately 4,400 acres of coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mangrove forests, the Belize Barrier Reef is the second largest in the world, and largest living reef. "Hol Chan" is mayan for little channel. It was very beautiful, and I took plenty of pics (to be uploaded later). Our guide identified various fish as we weaved through the reef. We were in this particular zone of Ho Chan for about an hour and a half. The highlight was a massive turtle that came up from behind me on its way to the surface. I got great picture before I dodged out of his way!
Shark Ray Alley, which is actually a zone within the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, has an interesting history. For many years local fishermen used to clean their catch just inside the reef. Eventually, fishermen realized that the fish offal had begun to attract Nurse Sharks and Sting Rays. "Shark-Ray Alley" became a very popular site, attracting divers and snorkelers.
Today, sharks and rays hear the dive boats approaching and begin to school in anticipation of bait being thrown into the water. The surface of the water begins to churn with sharks and stingrays vying for scraps. They have a great tolerance for divers and snorkelers. The rays will even swim directly towards the divers, mouths often turned up hoping for food to be held near their mouths.
Afterwards, we went back to the aquarium that I had visited on the manatee watching trip. Because there were so many tour boats offering food this time, not as many swarmed to our boat as they had before. More nurse sharks and stingrays. I also saw a massive Gargantuan Grouper. I was able to grab a few shots from the boat, and the rest will be posted later!