Chuck & Robbies Dive Shop  - Beachfront, San Pedro, Ambergris Caye Belize

Our first excursion took us to the Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark Ray Alley, where the marine life is thriving, but the snorkeling skills? Questionable. We joined a family whose idea of snorkeling was clinging to an inner tube while our guide Brandon dragged them like human cargo.

At Hol Chan (Mayan for "little channel"), we floated through a vibrant underwater world of fish and coral in a reef cut just 85 feet wide and 29 feet deep. Then, we headed to Shark Ray Alley for a “heart-pounding” swim with nurse sharks and stingrays. Rob jumped in, despite Brandon chumming the water near him to attract sharks. Kim wisely stayed on the boat, proving once again that she's the brains of this operation.

Not content to end the adventure, we found a quieter dock near Ramon’s. Here, Rob spotted an array of marine life: tarpon, eagle rays, stingrays, and even a starfish. The vibe? Relaxing. The water? Stunning. The downside? Glass bottles littering the seabed.

SCUBA: Mermaid’s Lair & Esmeralda Canyons

Rob dove deep—literally—with Chuck & Robbie’s. At Mermaid’s Lair, he descended 91 feet to explore coral reefs, swim with reef sharks, and feel like a marine librarian navigating coral "bookshelves" at Esmeralda Canyons.

The next night, Rob tackled his first night dive at Hol Chan. Armed with flashlights, the group swam through an underwater light show, feeding coral by attracting zooplankton with their beams. The highlight? Sleeping stingrays everywhere. The lowlight? Realizing even stingrays can become mundane after the 20th sighting.

Belize's underwater world is spectacular, but snorkeling with unenthusiastic floaters and battling discarded glass bottles? Less so. Rob’s advice: Stick to SCUBA for the full experience—just beware of overenthusiastic chum tossers.

Underwater in Belize