Should you decide to go scuba diving in Belize, you’ll have access to the second largest barrier reef in the world! That alone makes Belize diving some of the best on the planet, and when you throw in the country’s collection of open-ocean atolls, it just keeps getting better. Diving in Belize has become so popular with tourists that you’ll find more Belize dive resorts than ever. From beginners to experts, the Belize diving offers an experience that is almost without compare. Even just treating yourself to a snorkeling outing here is exceptionally rewarding. Head to one of Belize’s cayes, and you can wade into the shallow, turquoise waters with your snorkel gear and enjoy the underwater beauty at your leisure. Coral gardens, scores of tropical fish, and plenty of larger marine life will make it into the picture of most Belize diving expeditions, and if you have an underwater camera, the excellent visibility here makes for excellent photos.
All along the Belize coast, you’ll find a myriad
of Belize dive resorts and dive shops. Since many of the
best Belize diving shops are found at the resorts, staying
at one will provide you with easy access to professional
guides and instructors. For those who are not certified
for open water dives, the bulk of the Belize dive shops
offer PADI courses that will have you in the water in
no time. After a few hours in the classroom, you’ll
be off to a swimming pool or shallow part of the Caribbean
Sea to get accustomed to actual diving. For those already
experienced, enjoying a list of two-tank dives can easily
by on the agenda. One of the featured dive sites in Belize
is the famed Blue Hole, which
is found in the Lighthouse Reef atoll. You can arrange
diving trips here from a number of the Belize cayes found
offshore, and from mainland coastal towns as well. Lighthouse
Reef atoll and the nearby Turneffe Island atoll are what
experts believe to be the two top spots for diving in
Belize. The Blue Hole limestone sinkhole is smack dab
in the middle of the Lighthouse Reef, and it’s rich
blue color is testament to its depth. At more than 400
hundred feet deep and 300 feet across, it’s quite
large to say the least. The deeper you dive here, the
limestone formations, which include stalactites, becoming
more and more bizarre, and the water actually becomes
clearer. Regardless of the time of year, the water temperature
in the Blue Hole stays at 76 degrees and above down to
130 feet.
Many of the top sites for diving in Belize are found
among the northern cayes and atolls, and a good amount
of visitors who have Belize diving on their itinerary
head to either Ambergris
Caye, or the smaller and even more-relaxed Caye
Caulker. The Belize Barrier Reef, which extends some
185 miles top to bottom, is a mile at most from Ambergris
Caye, and the healthy number of Ambergris
Caye resorts means that you’ll have plenty of
dive shops and tour operators to choose from. The waters
off of Ambergris Caye are exceptionally clear, and besides
diving at the nearby Belize Barrier Reef, you can easily
also include dives at the aforementioned Blue Hole and
the Turneffe Island atoll. While exploring the Belize
Barrier Reef, you’ll be treated to all kinds of
gorgonians, a variety of hard corals, and an array of
intriguing shellfish. Besides spotting a myriad of tropical
fish, divers may encounter a whale shark, a stingray,
or even the occassional hammerhead or white tip shark.
If you are headed for the coast in southern Belize, the
resort hotels in Placencia
can get you out diving at sites like Glover’s Reef
atoll and Gladden Spit. At Glover’s Reef atoll,
you’ll generally experience fewer fellow divers,
and though your choices for Belize dive resorts here are
far slimmer than on Ambergris Caye, you can find a good
one nonetheless. South Water Caye and Tobacco Caye are
popular spots to hook up with dive operators for those
vacationing in Dangriga and
Placencia. Also, since Placencia
boasts the best beaches in Belize,
it’s a top Belize destination for all around fun
in the sun.
There are a few different ways to go about arranging your Belize diving experience. You can show up to your hotel or resort along the coast or on one of the cayes and simply walk into the dive shop, or you can book ahead before you get there. The variety of Belize dive packages is impressive, so you’ll have seemingly no limit to choose from. For the most serious divers, staying on a live-aboard dive boat is the most efficient way to enjoy the most number of spots. Most of the top dive spots will take anywhere from 15 minutes to 3 hours to reach by boat from wherever you are based, and you can arrange a number of full or half-day trips. If you’re feeling brave, you might try a little night diving. The Hol Chan Marine Reserve in the northern cayes is an excellent spot for night diving. Many Belize dive packages not only offer a number of dives, but also the chance to add other fun things to do in Belize. Your package might see you heading inland after a few days of diving to explore Mayan ruins in the Cayo District, for example. Maybe canoeing through the Barton Creek Caves will suit your fancy. For those who might be a bit timid when it comes to scuba diving in Belize, there are also tons of snorkeling trips to choose from at all the coastal hot spots.
