Shark Ray Alley

[angel_grll]

Can anyone who has snorkeled in Shark Ray Alley answer a few things for me? First, my husband is absolutely terrified that he's going to get hurt by a shark or a sting ray. So can anyone who's done it please tell me about your experiences? Is it safe? I mean, obviously it is since people are still going there. But I'm asking it for my husband's sanity. He's too paranoid! :D And also, if you booked with someone outside of the cruise line, did you have time to shop after the excursion? We were wanting to pick up some Marie Sharp's hot sauce and were just wondering if we'd have time to make it there before we have to be back to our boat. We'll be in Belize on the Carnival Glory from 8-5 and were planning on booking the earliest excursion possible. Thanks for your help!

[CastawayCruiser]

We did an independent Reef and Shark/Ray Alley snorkel tour the last time we were in Belize. The sharks are only Nurse Sharks with are harmless and quite shy. You need to get in the water fast if you want to see the sharks because they don't usually stay around the boat and the people. The sting rays will hand around looking for food but are very gently and just glide past you. The reef snorkel was the really great part of the tour for us. We got back to the tourist village early enough to do some shopping but if you do a ship tour and leave directly from the boat I am not sure if you would have enough time to get a tender into town after the excursion. Enjoy your cruise!

[thatlauragirl]

We did SharkRay Alley in April and had a wonderful time! We booked independently and met our guide at a bar right outside of the port. They loaded us up on their boat right there at the pier and we headed out. The boat trip was fun, about 25-30 minutes, and it was beautiful scenery.

 

I think we stopped at the coral reef area first. It was pretty, although not spectacular, and we spent about 30 minutes in the water. We headed over to Shark Ray Alley next and spent another 30 minutes there. What surprised me was that about 1/2 of the passengers did not want to get in the water at this stop. I would say there were only about 10 of us in the water, which was actually nice since it wasn't crowded. The guides had thrown over a little bit of bait and the sting rays came in immediately. There were a good number of them there and they were very gentle. There were no sharks at all, which was really disappointing to us. Our guide told us that they haven't been around much since the last hurricane. We did, however, see several large barracudas. They swam right up to the boat and were very inquisitive. Definitely wished I wasn't wearing my watch at the time because the reflection kept getting their attention! The area where we dived with them was only about 5-6' deep. There was a decent current but several people were able to stand and didn't even wear flippers. After that they took us to Caye Caulker, which is a very cool little island. We had lunch at a local restaurant, browsed a few shops, then headed back to the mainland.

 

I would definitely recommend this excursion! It's funny because my boyfriend and I had a wonderful time and couldn't say enough good things about Belize. However, our tablemates spent time in the city and they really didn't enjoy it at all. They were nervous about crime, said the city was very run-down, and they felt hassled by a lot of the locals. Not sure if they were right since we weren't there. However, our guides and the people on Caye Caulker were lovely. We were very glad we opted for this instead of doing things in Belize City.

 

Let me know if you have any specific questions!

[angel_grll]

We did SharkRay Alley in April and had a wonderful time! We booked independently and met our guide at a bar right outside of the port. They loaded us up on their boat right there at the pier and we headed out. The boat trip was fun, about 25-30 minutes, and it was beautiful scenery.

 

I think we stopped at the coral reef area first. It was pretty, although not spectacular, and we spent about 30 minutes in the water. We headed over to Shark Ray Alley next and spent another 30 minutes there. What surprised me was that about 1/2 of the passengers did not want to get in the water at this stop. I would say there were only about 10 of us in the water, which was actually nice since it wasn't crowded. The guides had thrown over a little bit of bait and the sting rays came in immediately. There were a good number of them there and they were very gentle. There were no sharks at all, which was really disappointing to us. Our guide told us that they haven't been around much since the last hurricane. We did, however, see several large barracudas. They swam right up to the boat and were very inquisitive. Definitely wished I wasn't wearing my watch at the time because the reflection kept getting their attention! The area where we dived with them was only about 5-6' deep. There was a decent current but several people were able to stand and didn't even wear flippers. After that they took us to Caye Caulker, which is a very cool little island. We had lunch at a local restaurant, browsed a few shops, then headed back to the mainland.

 

I would definitely recommend this excursion! It's funny because my boyfriend and I had a wonderful time and couldn't say enough good things about Belize. However, our tablemates spent time in the city and they really didn't enjoy it at all. They were nervous about crime, said the city was very run-down, and they felt hassled by a lot of the locals. Not sure if they were right since we weren't there. However, our guides and the people on Caye Caulker were lovely. We were very glad we opted for this instead of doing things in Belize City.

 

Let me know if you have any specific questions!

 

Who did you book through? We were looking into booking through Coral Breeze. I think that's who it was anyway. We also had looked at Eco Tours, but weren't sure which one would be the best.

[angel_grll]

Oh..and oddly enough, I'm more concerned with the barracudas than I am with the sharks and the rays. DH doesn't know about the barracudas and I don't think I'll tell him. I don't think I'd ever get him in the water if he knew about those. :D

[thatlauragirl]

Who did you book through? We were looking into booking through Coral Breeze. I think that's who it was anyway. We also had looked at Eco Tours, but weren't sure which one would be the best.

 

We booked through Coral Breezes and I absolutely loved them. The guides were just really friendly and efficient. In my opinion, you can't go wrong with them! I also liked that it was a small group - it made the whole thing a lot more personable. They had 4 guides on the boat and 3 were in the water with us at all times. They definitely were making sure everyone was safe and comfortable.

 

I totally agree about the barracudas. :) My boyfriend and I are Floridians and we spend a lot of time in the water. Something about those barracudas always make me nervous. For what it's worth, though, you're just as likely to see them anywhere else out in the water as you will on this excursion. I agree the best course of action is to not mention them to your hubby! :D

[TeeBuccs]

DH and I thoroughly enjoyed our excursion with Coral Breezes and visiting Caye Caulker. The snorkling was the best I've ever done at the reef, the stingrays are very gentle and fun to touch- I've actually interacted with sting rays here and also in the Caymans and they are quite friendly and accustomed to people. We were fortunate to interact with a few nurse sharks, but they are very nervous of people and dont' tend to stick around long - so there is nothing to fear. This was the highlight of our cruise and we were glad we got out of the port area for several hours, but still had time upon return to hit a few of the shops including an American run pharmacy.

 

Enjoy!!