"Snorkel and Swim With Sharks at Hol Chan Marine Reserve Hol Chan Marine Reserve, located just a few minutes' boat ride from San Pedro, is the place to go for snorkeling in Northern Belize . This small, protected area (Hol Chan means "little channel" in Mayan) is home to part of Belize's barrier reef, which is the second largest in the world (after Australia 's reef), and the largest healthiest. There are many tour operators out of San Pedro that can take you out for a half-day of snorkeling the reef, and you'll see colorful coral, rainbow fish, and manta rays, among other marine life. Make sure your guide brings you to Shark Alley, where nurse sharks come to feed on the fish scraps boats leave behind. There, you'll be able to swim mere feet—or even inches, if you dare—from the creatures."