Uses: Extractive and non-extractive – commercial, non industrial fishing (lobster, conch and finfish), tourism (including sport fishing, diving, snorkeling and ecotours), education and research.īiodiversity information: The land and seascape consists of a network of highly productive flats, creeks, and lagoons dotted by more than 150 mangrove islands and higher cayes with savanna and littoral forest. Turneffe is considered the largest and most biologically diverse coral atoll in Belize, and in the Mesoamerican Reef ecoregion. Location: Turneffe Atoll is located 32km (20 miles) east of Belize City and is surrounded by deep oceanic waters. Size: The Atoll itself is approximately 48.3 km long and 16.1 km wide (30 miles long and 10 miles wide), within a marine management area encompassing approximately 131,690 ha / 1,317 km2 (325,412 acres). The Turneffe Atoll was declared a national marine reserve by the government of Belize on 22 November 2012.
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At 30 miles (48 km) long and 10 miles (16 km) wide, this is the largest true atoll in Belize and the Mesoamerican Reef System.
![turneffe atoll turneffe atoll](https://flyandsea.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/turneffe-island-resort2113123.jpg)
Turneffe Atoll is a chain of small Caribbean cayes (islands) due southeast of Caye Caulker and Ambergris Caye, 20 miles (32 km) off the coast of Belize City, Central America. World-class saltwater anglers extol the adventure of stalking the difficult-to-achieve, prestigious, “Grand Slam” that is, catching a bone-fish, permit and tarpon all in one day.
![turneffe atoll turneffe atoll](https://i.pinimg.com/originals/f1/f4/9e/f1f49e18ada600ab461bb321752fcedd.jpg)
The Turneffe Atoll in Belize has been recognized for more than forty years (1970s) as one of the Caribbean’s top destinations for bonefish, tarpon and permit.