Hol Chan Marine Reserve

The Hol Chan Marine Reserve focuses on the Hol Chan (Mayan for "little channel") Cut which is in the barrier reef, some four miles southeast of San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye. Established in 1987, the reserve the first of its kind in Central America - includes a five square mile area of three distinctive zones.

Zone A includes the reef, both inside and outside, Zone B includes the seagrass beds inside the reef, and Zone C includes the mangroves of southern Ambergris Caye. All three zones are closely linked and are interdependent.

Buoys have been installed to mark the boundaries of the Reserve and to provide anchoring points for dive operators' boats. Since it is illegal to fish and/or collect coral within the reserve, the marine life is flourishing once again.