Mexico Rocks

Mexico Rocks sits in the Caribbean Sea as part of the Belize Barrier Reef system, just off the far northern tip of Ambergris Caye. This shallow complex is made up of about 100 Holocene patch reefs that cluster atop a Pleistocene limestone ridge, with boulder star corals (Montastraea annularis) dominating the composition.

The reef built up in water only 2.5 to 5 metres deep over the last 420 years, under stable sea levels. First recommended for marine preserve status in 1978, it was finally approved in 2015 as a section of the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Snorkelers and SCUBA divers frequent the site, which is considered a key addition to Ambergris Caye’s ecotourism offerings.

Patch reefs made mostly of Montastraea annularis are unusual in Belize—the only other similar formations are at Glover’s Reef. Staghorn coral (Acropora cervicornis) grows on both the windward and leeward sides of the ridge. In total, thirty species of hard coral have been recorded at Mexico Rocks. The reef teems with fish and invertebrates.

Common fish include Atlantic blue tang (Acanthurus coeruleus), yellowtail snapper (Ocyurus chrysurus), and southern stingray (Dasyatis americana). Nurse sharks (Ginglymostoma cirratum) and green moray eels (Gymnothorax funebris) also appear. Spiny lobster, conch, arrow crab, banded shrimp, and many sponge species live there as well.