BELIZE: DIVING

Belize possesses the longest unbroken living coral reef in the world, second in length only to the Great Barrier Reef in Australia.  Diving and snorkeling are second to none in Belize!  Brain coral, elkhorn coral, star coral, sponges, seafans, parrotfish, snappers, angelfish, moray eels and sting rays are just a sampling of the underwater wonders just waiting to be seen.

AMBERGRIS CAYE - Ambergris Caye is the largest of the 200-plus cayes (islands) located off the Belizean coast. Only half a mile from the barrier reef, Ambergris Caye is a premier destination for scuba divers and snorkelers. Ambergris Caye receives cooling tradewinds most of the year, which keeps the temperature down and the mosquitoes away. San Pedro Town, located in the south of Ambergris Caye, is about a mile long and only a few blocks wide. The streets are sand, great for walking around barefoot and the vehicles of choice are electric golf carts, which are available for rent. San Pedro is laid-back, most of the activity happens near the waterfront - it has many restaurants specializing in fresh seafood (lobster and conch are plentiful and inexpensive when in season) and the Belizean national dish (spicy stewed chicken, served with a delicious rice and bean combination cooked with coconut juice)

Scuba Diving and Snorkeling - The clear turquoise waters (which average 79-84 degrees) and the proximity of the barrier reef make Ambergris Caye a favorite destination for divers and snorkelers. The most popular destination is Hol Chan Marine Reserve, located 4 miles southeast of San Pedro. The ocean floor ranges from 5 to 35 feet, so both divers and snorkelers have the opportunity to swim in what seems like an underwater aquarium, teeming with colorful tropical fish of all sizes and types and beautiful coral formations. The "cut" (channel) leading out to sea functions as a sort of "fish freeway" for many large fish, including giant groupers, barracuda and nurse sharks. The rocks are home to many moray eels, who sometimes venture out in search of a meal. A special favorite of both scuba divers and snorkelers is the Sand Bar (only 8 feet depth), sometimes referred to as Sting Ray City. Hundreds of sting rays of all sizes congregate here, often accompanied by families of nurse sharks. The Sand Bar is not far from Hol Chan, and only a few minutes by boat from San Pedro.

THE OUTER ATOLLS AND THE BLUE HOLE - Southeast of Ambergris Caye are several groups of cayes that are popular dive (and fishing) destinations. The Turneffe chain of small islands offer diverse scuba environments, including shallow coral head diving, wall diving and wrecks. Blackbird Caye Resort, an ecotourism resort that doubles as a research station for the Oceanic Society is located here and is attractive to snorkelers because of its proximity to the reef. Lighthouse Reef is best known for its famous Blue Hole--a circular limestone sinkhole 300 by 400 feet that was the subject of a documentary by underwater explorer Jacques Cousteau. The Blue Hole is probably Belize's best known scuba diving attraction, but Lighthouse Reef is also the site of Half Moon Caye National Monument, established as Belize's first nature reserve in 1982.

THE BLUE HOLE - 'One of the most astounding dive sites to be found anywhere on earth' is how British writer and scuba diver Ned Middleton has described the Blue Hole. Located at the center of Lighthouse Reef, the Blue Hole is an almost perfect circular hole, measuring 1000 feet in diameter and 80 feet deep. The Blue Hole is believed to have been a land cave approximately 10,000 years ago, and one of the most remarkable features of diving the cave is to discover the numerous stalactites and stalagmites which still exist. 

HALF MOON CAYE NATURAL MONUMENT - LIGHTHOUSE REEF - The Half Moon Caye Natural Monument Is located at the southeast corner of Lighthouse Reef, the most eastern of the three atolls in Belizean waters. This 45 acre area, Belize's first National Park, established in 1982, is dedicated to the preservation of the rare Red-footed white phase Booby bird. The adult booby population of this Caye is unusual in having a pre-dominance (98%) of the white color phase. Other bird species which make their home on Lighthouse Reef include magnificent frigate birds, ospreys, mangrove warblers and white-crowned pigeons. Half Moon Caye is also home to prominent members of the lizard family: iguanas and Wish-Willies. Loggerhead turtles and hawksbill turtles, both fisted as internationally endangered species, come ashore to lay their eggs on the sandy eastern beaches. Surrounding Half Moon Caye are waters abundant with life. From the shallow lagoon area to the southeast buttress formations, many marine species can be observed. 

HOL CHAN MARINE PRESERVE - This five-square-mile area on the southern end of Ambergris Caye was established as a national marine preserve in 1987 - the first of its kind in Central America. Buoys mark the area and permanent moorings have been installed to protect the fragile coral from anchors. No fishing or coral collection is allowed in this area in an effort to preserve the area and its inhabitants for future generations. Marine fife flourishes in this part of the reef 

LAUGHING BIRD CAYE - Laughing Bird Caye is located 23 kilometers off the coast of Placencia, in the Stann Creek District of Belize. The Caye is a Faro, an angular atoll on a continental shelf, also known as a shelf atoll. Like atolls, faroes are steep sided and enclose a central lagoon. They are separated by deep channels from the mainland, the barrier reef, and one another. The Caye derives its name from the local name of the Laughing Gull. Other birds can be seen on the Caye including the Brown Pelican, Green Heron, Swifts, Melodious Blackbird and many other birds from the surrounding cayes and strays from the mainland. There are also a variety of lizards and insects on the Caye. Laughing Bird Caye can be reached with a local guide by motorboat from Placencia.