Caribbean in 2010s: Lionfish and bleaching · 401

A sea of walls, wrecks and marine parks: Hol Chan, Palancar, Bloody Bay Wall, Bonaire shore tags, and a Kittiwake that was sunk on purpose. The Caribbean is a sea of islands and reefs whose recreational map is not one country: Belize's Hol Chan, Cozumel's Palancar, Little Cayman's Bloody Bay Wall, Bonaire's shore-tag park, and purpose-sunk wrecks such as USS Kittiwake (2011). Bonaire National Marine Park dates to 1979; Hol Chan Marine Reserve to 1987.

Wow factor is high among places, a step below Raja Ampat and Palau in this atlas. Accessibility is the highest of the destination set: short flights from North America and many shore entries. Seasonality is moderate (hurricane window, not a monsoon close-out). Risk is moderate: boats, current on walls, and the usual reef manners.

This chapter is a place atlas, not a cruise itinerary, not a certifying agency, and not a live briefing. Park tags, hurricane centres and the day's wind override any sentence here. Destination pages are season and access notes — not a booking engine. Visa, park fees and live weather beat brochure months.