Rays and schooling jacks are frequently seen, and the most common reef tropicals such as groupers, coneys, angelfish and barracuda are almost sure to be seen. For a more interesting and convoluted bottom featuring caves full of copper sweepers and a resident school of horse-eyed jacks, the dive site Caverns, just outside the Mata Cut, is another local favorite. Several professionally run dive shops serve the divers with clean air and well kept diving and snorkeling equipment. To enjoy it best you'll need to take a short boat trip out from shore. You can snorkel off the beach at your hotel or anywhere on the island, but you don't usually see as much.
Some hotels work hard to keep their piers as appetizing to the fish as possible.
It can be quite pleasant to float around and see what you can see off shore. Two very popular areas for snorkeling from boats near Caye Caulker are Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Shark-Sting Ray Alley. A visit to Hol Chan and Shark-Ray Alley are usually combined into one trip. Kids under about age 12 go for half price. The fee, which goes toward preservation of the Belize's parks, is collected at the reserve by rangers in power boats, so be sure to bring your money.