Dive Sites
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Belize
offers some of the best and most varied
diving-sites in
the
world and has the added benefits of excellent weather conditions
and clear, warm water.
Inside the 185 miles (300km) long barrier
reef, witch the second longest in the world and the largest in the
western hemisphere you can see hundreds of brightly colored fish and
coral species. We guide you to the dive spots in Belize
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always
click to enlarge
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Glover's Reef
Atoll
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Glover's
Reef, which is most south of the three atolls,
is often
overlooked. It has a diameter of some 40 miles with over 700 shallow
patch reefs in its interior. Diving sites include Octopus Alley, Manta
Reef,
Hole in the Wall,
Parrotfish Falls, Shark Point, Gorgonia Gallery, Long Caye Cut, Turtle
Tavern and Dolphin Dance. With the numerous patch reefs this is a great
place for snorkeling as well
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| Half Moon
Caye National Monument |
Half
Moon Caye, located at the southeast corner of
Lighthouse Reef Atoll, was the first reserve to be established by the
Natural Parks System Act
of 1981.
One of the main reasons that the natural monument was created was
to
protect the Red-footed Booby bird and its rookery.
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The Magnificent
Frigate bird shares the rookery with the Red-footed Booby, and both
species
coexist in apparent harmony. Some 98 species of birds have
been
recorded on the Caye, of which some seventy-seven are migrants. Regular
winter migrants include Ospreys, Mangrove Warblers, and White-crowned
Pigeons. The Iguana, the Wish Willy, and the Lizard are
permanent residents on
the
island, while the Loggerhead Turtle and the Hawksbill Turtle come
ashore
annually to lay their eggs.
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| Hole Chan Marine
Reserve |
The Hol Chan Marine
Reserve highlights and
protects the Hol Chan (Mayan Name
for "little channel") Cut, which is in the barrier reef some four miles
southeast of San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye.
Hole Chan was established in 1987, as the first of its kind in Central
America, includes a five
square mile area of three distinctive zones.
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Zone A
includes the reef (both inside and
outside),
Zone B
includes the
seagrass beds inside the reef,
Zone C includes
the mangroves of
southern Ambergris Caye.
All three zones are closely linked and are
interdependent.
Buoys have been installed to mark the boundaries
of the Reserve and to
provide anchoring points for dive operators' boats. Since it is illegal
to fish and/or collect coral within the reserve, marine life is present
in healthy populations.
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Shark Ray
Alley (part of the larger Hol Chan Marine Reserve),
offers visitors the chance to witness and swim alongside Nurse Sharks
and Southern Sting Rays. Waters of about eight feet in depth allow for
clear visibility as visitors observe and interact with these friendly
sea creatures that were originally drawn to the area over time as it
served as a common location for fisherman to clean out their catch for
the day.
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Laughing Bird
Caye National Park
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One
of the newest
National Parks in Belize, Laughing Bird Caye is located thirteen miles
southeast of Placencia Village in the Stann Creek
District.
Although the Caye was
named for the large number of laughing
gulls that once inhabited it, the birds have virtually abandoned their
rookery due to excessive human en- croachment. |
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In an effort to assist the
birds in
reestablishing their presence, the government is taking steps to
minimize
the disruption of the Caye.
Since, Laughing Bird
Caye is a shelf atoll with deep channels, the
scuba
diving and snorkeling
opportunities are outstanding. Fortunately, these
activities can be enjoyed without bothering the birdlife on the Caye.
From their boats, visitors are able to observe the birdlife from a safe
and unobtrusive distance offshore.
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| Lighthouse Reef |
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The Lighthouse Reef
is
the farthest from the mainland and gets plenty of visitors. Depth near
the reef is around 9 feet.
The great Blue Hole
at the center of Lighthouse Reef is described as
one of the best dive sites on Earth and a must for all advanced divers.
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Other diving
sites are Manta Wall, the Zoo, Cathedral and Half Moon Wall. The
Lighthouse Reef teems with birds, including a nesting
colony of rare red-footed boobies. Under water life is also rich here,
with
dolphins and other creatures.
The waters off Hat
Caye are great for snorkeling.
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| Silk Caye |
The
Silk Cayes is
the home to the world's largest population of whale sharks during the
months of February to May.
The whale shark is the largest fish in
the world, and one of the largest creature of any kind alive
today.
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The whale shark's gentle natures makes
swimming with them a special
treat for divers and snorkelers and the whale shark's curiosity even
pulls fishing parties into its thrall when the huge sharks pull up
alongside fishing boats as they sometimes do in the summer and fall
months in the Silk Caye area.
Although 3 or 4 days before and after the full and new moons in April
and May are the best times to interact with the sharks, they are often
sighted through the summer months as well.
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| The Blue Hole
National Park |
The
"Blue Hole" is
located in the center of Lighthouse Reef Atoll,
which is about 60 miles due east of Belize City. The hole
circular in shape, over 300 meter (1,000 ft) across and 125 meter (400
ft) deep. The Great Blue Hole is
a large underwater sinkhole off of
the coast of Belize.
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It was
formed as a limestone cave in the ice age when sea levels were much lower. As
the ocean began to rise again the caves flooded, and the roof
collapsed. Popularized by the French
Jacques Cousteau television special, this has become the
most famous dive site in all of Belize. If you are interested in diving
this
site, numerous dive operators can provide day and/or overnight dive
trips
from Ambergris Caye, Belize City, or from various other offshore Cayes
and Atolls.
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| Turneffe Atoll |
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The Turneffe Atoll,
the
largest of the 3 atolls found in Belize, is 30 miles long and about 20
miles from Belize City. The water
dept measures between 55 and 65 feet. The Turneff Atoll
differs somewhat from
the other two atolls in that most of the islands here are densely
covered
in mangroves, especially on the west side.
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The best known dive
sites in
this atoll are: Black Beauty, Hollywood, Jill's Thrill, Cabbage
Patch, the Elbow, The Coral, Gorgonian Bluff, the Secret Spot, Birthday
Reef, Myrtle's Turtl and Rendezvous Wall. The Mauger Caye (north of the
atoll, with a lighthouse) is known for its sharks.
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| Wreck Diving |
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Belize provides few
wreck dive opportunities
because many wrecked
ships actually lodged atop the reef system above water. There is also
little chance of finding valuables.
Anything you find
of
value belongs to the state
and cannot be kept. A couple underwater wrecks are:
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- Amigo's Wreck - Ambergris Caye, the wreck was
purposely sunk in this spot to attract bigger marine life.
- HMS Advice - Turneffe Atoll - This is the wreck
of a British naval cutter which sunk to 16 feet on June 1, 1793
- Sayonara in Turneffe Atoll - This was a
transport boat sitting at 45 feet below the surface.
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| Guide to Belize, April 2024
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©
2002-2022 GTB Belize-UK-USA-Canada
