Belize offers some of the finest scuba diving in the world, much of it unexplored and easily accessible by boat.
Only four true atolls exist in the western hemisphere; three of them are off Belize.
The marine reserve of Ambergris Caye is the largest and most popular of the offshore cayes, with 40km (24mi) of spectacular barrier reef – the longest in the western hemisphere and the second largest in the world – sitting less than 2km (1.2mi) offshore.
The barrier reef meanders for almost 300km (186mi) parallel to the coast and offers crystal clear waters full of dense coral and lush reef growth with visibility of up to 45m.
The reef is comprised of spectacular three-dimensional coral formations, which include deep canyons, grottos, swim-throughs and tunnels teeming with 5000 species of colourful marine life.
Coral type – Soft and hard corals.
Vase and tube sponges, stands of staghorn and elkhorn, brain, lettuce and sheet coral, club finger and shallow-water starlet corals, giant green anemones, arious urchins with gorgonian sea fans of pale green, deep purple and red.
Brittle stars, nudlibranchs, tube worms and tunicates.
Marine life – Nurse, whale, bull, tiger, black-tipped reef and hammerhead sharks.
Tuna, Nassau grouper, barracuda, tarpon, spotted eagle rays, schools of jacks and grunts, dolphin, angelfish, parrotfish, butterflyfish, jewfish, flamingo tongue cowries, lobster, stone crab, moray eels, cobia, bonefish, rainbow runners, porpoise and loggerhead turtles.
Reef type – Caves, cliffs, caverns, tunnels, stalactites and stalagmites (common along the entire Belize shelf) and wrecks.
Type of dives – Reef dives, drift dives, caves, coral gardens, wrecks, drop-offs and night dives.
Visibility – 45m; offshore up to 50m.
Suit – Skin, shortie for shallow day dives; 1.6mm or 3mm three quarter for deeper and night dives.
Water entry – From shore, boat and live-aboard. Mooring buoys installed to prevent coral damage.
Dive centres – Several dive centres offer complete facilities for scuba divers.
Dives are always in-water supervised by qualified divemasters. San Pedro has the country’s only hyperbaric chamber; it’s located near the airstrip. Most dive shops ask for a small donation with each tank fill, which goes toward funding the chamber.
Dive courses – A full range of diving courses is available, from beginner to advance level and including PADI’s popular Open Water Diver course.
Equipment – Quality dive equipment available.
Caution – Be careful of the surge when close to the reef and near the surface. The Blue Hole is for advanced divers only.
Blue Hole – Don’t miss exploring the Blue Hole, the largest underwater sinkhole in the world, on nearby Lighthouse Reef.
The Blue Hole is an almost perfectly shaped circle, 400m wide and plunging 145m straight down.
At 38m, the wall slopes back to form overhangs from which hang huge 15m stalactites – useful to hide behind as you watch groups of bull, tiger, black-tipped reef and hammerhead sharks lurk in the cool shadows.
Red-banded coral shrimp – Present on almost every dive and found along ledges and gullies, or on the ceilings of swim-throughs and overhangs in the shallower stretches of coral.
Other activities – Belize offers an adventure for everyone hike through the jungle to discover waterfalls, virgin rainforest and hundreds of limestone caves; explore ancient Maya ruins and go cave tubing through Maya caves; or sail, canoe or kayak the cayes.
San Pedro has a lively nightlife scene with life music and dancing at several bars, while many restaurants provide live entertainment including the local ‘punta’ music to get your feet tapping!
Or if you feel like a flutter on the Blackjack tables, visit the Palace Casino.
Best time to dive Ambergris Caye, Belize
Year-round, but best during the dry season between November and May.
The weather is sunny year-round, and average temperatures are 26°C (78°F).
You can expect early morning showers in the wet season, but this varies year to year.
Water temperature averages 24°C (75°F), rising to 28°C (82°F) in summer.
Latest update: Diving Ambergris Caye, Belize: 6 May, 2025
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