The Elbow
Conditions & tides
Scored by DiveConnect's site-physics model
Marine forecast via Copernicus Marine. Score is a rule-based guide from swell/wind vs. the site's exposure — always dive your own assessment.
Dived here today? How were conditions vs. what we showed?
About this site
The Elbow is a popular advanced drift dive at the southern tip of Turneffe Atoll in Belize. The reef crests at 80 feet (24 metres) and is very wide and exposed, with a current that generally flows from the north at about 2 knots. Because of the current and the depth, most of the dive is spent in mid-water. The wall falls from 60 to 120 feet (18 to 36 metres) and the site is best on calm days.
Visibility is typically 100 feet (30 metres). Large schools of dog snappers, horse-eye jacks, permit and Atlantic spadefish gather here. In the canyons below, large groupers, turtles and balloon fish live among enormous gorgonians, and out in the blue there are occasional sharks and spotted eagle rays. A pod of dolphins lives close by and often plays with divers on their safety stop.
Marine life here
Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.
SnapperSnapperConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
DolphinDolphinConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
Sea turtleSea turtleConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
Reef sharkReef sharkReported here · unconfirmed
Jack / amberjackJack / amberjackReported here · unconfirmed
Yellowtail SnapperOcyurus chrysurusReported here · unconfirmed
Atlantic Long-spined Sea UrchinDiadema antillarumReported here · unconfirmed
Elkhorn CoralAcropora palmataReported here · unconfirmed
Thin Leaf Lettuce CoralAgaricia tenuifoliaReported here · unconfirmed
Atlantic Blue TangAcanthurus coeruleusReported here · unconfirmed
French GruntHaemulon flavolineatumReported here · unconfirmed
Common Bottlenose DolphinTursiops truncatusReported here · unconfirmed
Stoplight ParrotfishSparisoma virideReported here · unconfirmed
Yellowtail DamselfishMicrospathodon chrysurusReported here · unconfirmed
Four-eyed ButterflyfishChaetodon capistratusReported here · unconfirmed
Brazilian Ocean SurgeonfishAcanthurus bahianusReported here · unconfirmed
GrouperGrouperConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
Eagle rayEagle rayConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
BarracudaBarracudaReported here · unconfirmed
Durable tips from divers — access, hazards, marine life, facilities. For day-of conditions, use the report tool in the conditions card above.
No notes yet. Dived here? Be the first to leave a tip.
Share a write-up or a photo. Submissions are reviewed before they appear on the page.
Nearby dive sites
Shops that dive here
No shops have listed this site yet.