Diving in Belize
With more than 180 miles of barrier reef, hundreds of square miles of shallow reefs and three offshore atolls, Belize has ample diving variety. To the north, the shores of Ambergris Caye are home to a number of first-class resorts that offer easy two-tank excursions to nearby sites on the reef line. Options include large spur-and-groove formations that resemble underwater canyons, deeper drops, stand-along coral heads and one wreck. Currents are generally mild to non-existent on these sites, and variable depths accommodate both novices and divers versed in multi-level computer profiles. Nearby is the Hol Chan Marine Reserve, where the steep-sided walls of a cut in the reef attract large schools of fish and support lush coral growth. This is one of the few sites where currents can be strong. Also in the reserve is Shark Ray Alley. Here, stingrays and nurse sharks accustomed to receiving bait scraps from fishermen will gather when boats arrive, and divers can immerse in the swirling mass with no fears for their safety.
The offshore atolls of Turneffe Island, Lighthouse Reef and Glover's Reef offer the most dramatic underwater topographies and consistently clearest waters. Steep outer walls feature tunnels, swim throughs and large projecting coral buttresses, and hold schools of jacks, permits and spadefish. Without a doubt, the best-known dive site in all of Belize is the Blue Hole at Lighthouse Reef. This symmetrical, 412-foot deep hole was made famous by scuba pioneer Jacques Cousteau, who moored his Calypso in the hole's center. As divers drop deeper, the vertical walls of the hole receed, revealing huge stalactites. Recently, sharks have become more numerous at the site, adding an extra degree of adventure. Turneffe Island is the largest of the atolls, with interior shallows that shelter hundreds of small mangrove islands. These islands serve as fish nurseries and increase the area’s biodiversity. Equally diverse as the fish life is the range of dive sites, which include wrecks, novice-friendly shallow reefs and deep walls. Glover's Reef is too far from Ambergris Caye for day trips and therefore sees fewer visitors. Trips are best arranged from operations located on the cayes. Near the full moons of April to June, the spawning activities of cubera snapper and other fish attract whale sharks to Glovers Reef and to the section of the southern barrier reef known as Gladden Spit. Whale sharks are plankton eaters, and eggs released during spawning are an easy and abundant food source. The southern section of Belize's barrier reef sits farther from shore. This results in clearer waters, but also longer boat rides from shore-based resorts in areas such as Placencia. The reef becomes a more continuous ridge from Southwater Caye Marine Reserve south, and cuts in the reef become focal points for fish life. A favorite destination is Laughing Bird Caye National Park, which supports large stands of staghorn and elkhorn corals, along with thick growths of tunicates and anemones. On the sheltered inside of the reef, coral islands provide relaxing second dives.