Scuba Diving Belize

Belize has the longest barrier reef in the Northern Hemisphere and offers a combination of gentle inshore scuba diving and some more adventurous oceanic dive sites for experienced divers. Belize offers scuba divers a heady concoction of reef, wall, cavern and cay diving experiences.

Belize had a history of swashbuckling buccaneering in days gone by. Back then, there were regular pirate attacks on Spanish treasure ships. Now, it is a peaceful little city on the Caribbean coast of Central America.

Belize is a popular diving destination because of its long barrier reef which offers an array of diving experiences for all levels of scuba diving proficiency, from the novice beginners to the experienced veteran divers.

The barrier reef is about 174 miles or 280 km long extending all the way along the coast of the Yucatan Peninsula in the north to Honduras in the south. In this way, the reef actually creates a true barrier between the ocean and the coast thus providing calm waters to scuba dive in.

There are also numerous islands dotting the reef which are called cays or cayes in this part of the world. In the south eastern part of the reef, there is a large depression in the ocean floor of the Caribbean Sea and this created 3 atolls called Glovers, Turneffe and Lighthouse. The atolls sit on two parallel ridges unlike the atolls of the Pacific, which grew out of volcanoes.

These atolls rise close enough to the surface to allow sunlight penetration causing massive coral and sponge growths. It is therefore not surprising the Belize barrier reef is declared as a world heritage and is the subject of intense conservation and protection.

Coral reefs in the Caribbean sea have a character of their own in that they do not have the very diverse system of the Indo Pacific reefs. However, they lay claim to beautiful individual corals and sponges. The sponges are some of the most colorful to be found anywhere in the world. Some of the sponges are more than a century old and can measure up to an awesome 6 ft or 2 m across.

Perhaps, the main attraction for scuba diving in Belize is the contrast of its marine habitats ranging from bustling coral communities on gentle sandy slopes to steep drop offs with huge pelagic fish and sharks.

Scuba divers will find smaller coral communities in inshore reefs. These inshore reefs are home to about 500 species of fish including the 5 separate species of butterfly fish. It is here that encounters with larger marine animals such as the manatees, whale shark, jewfish, manta rays are common occurrences.

Do include Belize in your scuba diving itinerary.

Chris Chew has been scuba diving for decades. More articles at Australia Scuba diving and Hawaii Scuba Diving

Dive Packages to Belize

Ever wonder what it’s like to swim among one of the world’s largest creatures? Each Spring, in the Central American country of Belize, whale sharks – weighing in as much as 20 tons and measuring up to 65 feet in length – emerge from the depths of the Caribbean Sea off the southern coast of Belize where Scuba divers and snorkelers relish in the rare opportunity to swim alongside these gentle giants.

"We are fortunate that these magnificent creatures seasonally return to Belize’s warm waters," said Director of Tourism Tracy Panton. "Visitors to the beautiful country of Belize have the unique opportunity to get up close to the curious whale sharks and experience this incredible natural phenomenon."

Whale sharks are characterized by their white, spotted back, two dorsal fins and of course, gigantic size. Although their enormity may be daunting, these docile fish are docile and feed on plankton. In fact, it is the annual spawning of the cubera snapper during the months of March, April, May and June that brings the whale sharks to the Gladden Spit Marine Reserve just beyond Belize’s barrier reef.

Numerous resorts and dive operators in the Stann Creek District of Belize offer special packages and excursions for guests looking to dive or snorkel with whale sharks in their natural environment. Whale shark encounters must be timed accordingly with the full moon phases to coincidence with the aggregating snapper.

Hamanasi Dive & Adventure Resort’s PADI operated dive shop located in Hopkins, Belize offers a two-tank whale shark dive for $190 per person. In Placencia, the PADI operated Seahorse Dive Shop’s Brian Young is the founder of the Whale Shark Expeditions and boasts over 24 years of diving experience for optimal sightings. A two-tank dive with Young and his dive masters costs $150 per person. For more information visit www.hamanasi.com or www.belizescuba.com

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