Best Diving in Belize: Blue Hole and other World Class Dives

Best Dive Sites in Belize

Belize's most famous dive site is the Blue Hole, currently ranked one of the world's best dives. However, some people think that Belize has other even better dives.

Belize Liveaboards - Find Offers.

Belize boasts the largest barrier reef in the Northern hemisphere, and the second largest reef system in the world¹. It was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1996 and comprises seven protected areas including Blue Hole, Half Moon Caye and Glover's Reef Marine Reserve, Laughing Bird Caye National Park and Sapodilla Cayes Marine Reserve. Outside of the reef complex the heritage site contains atolls like Turneffe Island and Lighthouse Reef (home of the Blue Hole). Over 1400 species of marine life live here, including endangered hawksbill turtles, manatees and six threatened species of shark.

When to Dive Belize?

In 2018 the Belize government announced that it would ban oil activity to protect its barrier reef and marine species. This is the first time a developing country has taken such a step to ban offshore oil drilling.

What you need to know before you go

Although the local currency is Belize dollars, make sure you have 35 US dollars for the departure tax. One Belize dollar is pegged to 50 US cents, so 2 BZ$ = 1US$. Most places in Belize accept both Belize and US dollars. You can get Belize dollars before you go or via ATMs in Belize.

Belize has a recompression chamber at the airport in San Pedro. It is on Radio Frequency 14.4600.

The Diving

The Blue Hole

Belize's Blue Hole is currently ranked the sixth best dive in all the world!. It is around 300 meters (1,000 feet) across and 125 meters (400 feet) deep. This vertical cave contains remnants from its days above water - stalactites are preserved underwater. It is believed to be the world's largest feature of its kind.²

The Blue Hole, Belize

How to dive the Blue Hole in Belize? One of the best ways to experience the dives around Belize, including the Blue Hole, is by liveaboard. Many shore-based dive operators also visit it though. The Blue Hole is a sinkhole in Lighthouse Reef Atoll. There is one dive operator on Lighthouse Reef itself, which is reached by private boat leaving from Belize City. You can also reach it from, for example, Turneffe Island and Ambergris Cay.

What diving qualifications do I need to dive the Blue Hole? Some dive operators will take you with just a PADI Open Water certificate or equivalent. We'd recommend getting at least PADI Advanced Open Water, and possibly, if you are in the PADI system, Deep Diver. Make sure you have adequate travel insurance which includes diving to 40 m.

Reviews: (11)

" I have been to many of the dives on the top ten list but the feeling of dropping into the Blue Hole is one of pure adrenaline yet complete serenity. Disclaimer: ours was the only boat in the hole that day so the isolation and serenity obviously helped the experience. And due to the lack of divers the hole was filled with curious fish and sharks down to 160'"
Jeffrey, 22 February 2020

" Beautiful"
Celia, 26 March 2018

" A great week aboard of the Belize Aggressor this last week. 5,5 days of diving, great food and great photos. For the price and proximity to the USA the price is really good and affordable. You can squeeze 26 dives on board, no time wasted on going around and great food. The blue hole was less than what I expected but people told me that but you have to go anyway."
Arthur Borges, 8 June 2015

" A fantastic bucket list item, this dive was really interesting but not, in my opinion, the best dive in Belize by any means. There isn't much wildlife in the blue hole, which is made up for by the incredible underwater formations; even still, though, it's strange to dive without the fish around. You'll likely see some sharks, and the beauty of the rock formations itself is enough to make this worthwhile. Just make sure you do some other diving in Lighthouse Reef Atoll - that's the real magic!"
Wes, USA, 2014

"Ring coral reef surrounding a large hole. Dive 14 m to the edge of the hole and then drop straight down into the hole. Hole reaches 148 m but there is on overhead ledge at 25 m. Habitated by mako sharks and assorted large tropical fish. 75 ^oF at surface, 68 ^oF at 33 m."
Bob Hall

"The Blue Hole is an amazing hole in the reef approx 2 hours away from Caye Caulker in Belize. It's 90 m in diameter and extremely deep. Once you have dived down approx 25 m, the hole opens up inside and there are amazing stalactites. The main life forms inside the hole are bull and lemon sharks."
Vincent

"Amazing dive...dropping down to 40 metres and swimming under the ridge between the rock formations while seeing sharks. Great dive! "
Sharon West

"Incredible caverns with stalactites and stalagmites at 130 feet. Black tip reef sharks and hammerheads, plus many large groupers. "
Allison Stettler

"Quick descent to 40 m then swim through staligmites. Look for schools of carribean reef sharks between 80-20ft on the ascent. "
Frank

"Is there another sight like it? 100 ft visibility coming over the bathwater warm reef of vibrant colors, descending into a cool, deep blue hole where the water begins to waver and shimmer as you enter the transition from salt to fresh water at about 50 ft. Watching the enormous tuna and other pelagics dive into the hole to clean themselves as you briefly remove your octopus to taste the fresh water. Then descending another 70 feet to explore the stalagtites and stalagmites of ancient caverns and you come across a man sitting there drawing on a canvas. "
Rebecca Ramaley

"It's a 130 ft dive has stalagmites 12 ft. Sharks reef around with turtles. "
Carlos Cordovaordova, 14 April 2011

"No [not the best dive in Belize]. The best dives are right on the same atoll - Lighthouse Reef. Other equally amazing dives are at southern end of the Turneffe Islands atoll at dive sites like the Elbow. Glovers Reef atoll has terrific diving too. For the barrier reef itself, the southern area is best especially at the largest marine reserve in Belize, South Water Caye Marine Reserve. Whale shark diving is available at Gladden Spit in the south during Springtime full moons. Now that is a truly amazing dive. Best diving in Belize? You'd have to put at least 5 locations on that list! "
Anne-Marie McNeil, Avadon Divers Belize, 16 October 2012

"Is it the best dive in Belize? It depends on what you think is a good dive. The Blue Hole is more a geological type dive. Stalactites and stalagmites. Kind of beginning cave diving. Not much life to see. And short bottom time because the caverns are deep. Not a beginner's dive at all. "
Hank Bauman, Belize, 16 October 2012

Brain coral in Belize's Blue Hole
Brain coral in the Blue Hole, by Jayhem (Ocean Brain) (CC BY-SA 2.0)

Full of life, Half Moon Wall is punctuated by tunnels between the gorgeous colourful sponges and sea fans. Unbelievable visibility and you might see eagle rays, reef sharks and turtles.

References

Belize Dive Shops and Liveaboards

Belize liveaboards visit the Blue Hole and other dives on the Belize Barrier Reef. At 300 km this is second in length only to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia. Taking a liveaboard means that you can visit more remote areas of the reef. Most liveaboard trips last 8 days. The liveaboards depart from Belize City, 12 miles to the south of the international airport. In addition to the cost of a liveaboard you will need to pay park and port fees of 95 USD.

Accommodation in Belize

Itza Lodge

Long Caye
Lighthouse Reef Atoll
Belize
info@itzalodge.com
US Phone: 305-600-2585

"We stayed on Itza Lodge, the only resort on Belize's outermost atoll (Lighthouse Reef). It was a beautiful and comfortable resort on a small, totally isolated island - what more could you want? It's run by a great group of guys and great staff. We loved our Belize diving trip! Itza was the best bang for your buck we could find in Belize (and you get access to the BEST diving!) "
Wes, USA, 2014

Diving in Belize