While the wider Caribbean region contains examples of all three major reef types first described by Charles Darwin, the overwhelming majority of Caribbean coral reefs are of the fringing type. In many cases these are quite extensive and well developed in places, such as along the coasts of Cuba, Jamaica, Hispaniola, and the east coast of Andros Island in The Bahamas.
Fringing reefs of varying width also encircle most of the smaller islands of the Caribbean region including those of The Bahamas, Aruba, Bonaire, Antigua, and the Cayman Islands. These shallow reefs provide some of the best Caribbean scuba diving and snorkeling opportunities to be had anywhere.
The Caribbean is also home to two “true” barrier reefs (in the sense that Darwin classified reefs). The largest (Belize or “Meso-American“, Barrier Reef) is about 220 km in length and runs in generally N-S along the coasts of Belize and Guatemala. A smaller barrier reef is located well to the east of Nicaragua, just north of the island of Providencia.