Belize’s Blue Hole and Lighthouse Atoll for Diving

For a recreation scuba diver, the Blue Hole in Belize gives one of the deepest dives there is. The water is clear, warm enough to avoid a wet suit, and is teeming with colorful fish and harmless reef sharks. The Blue Hole is a sinkhole in the middle of the ocean, filled in with water after the last ice age. It is more than 400 feet deep and draws visitors in with its huge stalactites that are as old as 153,000 years.

Most Blue Hole dives in Belize include two additional coral wall divers in the Lighthouse Atoll that are almost more spectacular than the Blue Hole itself. This is consistently rated as one of the top dives in the world. If you want to dive the Blue Hole but is quite unsure how to go about it, follow these tips.

Plan Your Blue Hole Dive Ahead

You will depart for the dive from one of the cayes. Most diving boats take off from Ambergris Caye, and will usually stop by Caye Caulker to pick up more divers if they need to fill in more slots. Boats take off very early in the morning as its takes about two hours by boat to get to the Blue Hole.

If you intend to spend a few days in the cayes, male plans for your Blue Hole day right from the first day. Belize is laid back and specific planning does just does not happen. Boats do not take up unless they are fully booked, so you can have a trip planned that can end up cancelled. To make sure that you get to do this dive, give yourself a few days in the caye and make it a priority from the first day.

Choose Your Tour Operator

There are tour companies that require divers to have a certain number of dives on their log books before they are allowed to be taken to the Blue Hole. If this is only your third or fourth dive, it would best to look for other companies.

Some companies make the trip as comfortable as possible, offering top-rate equipment, and a hefty price tag. You should also find cheaper companies, but they might have less fancy equipment. Both tours will end up exploring the same places, though, so ask yourself if the extra $200 for the luxury tour will be worth it.

Check Your Gear Carefully

Any trained diver should know how to check their gear before each dive. Be just as careful with the Blue Hole dive. You can never tell that there might be problems with them which can cause trouble once your are already under the water.

Make sure you have a diving partner. The Blue Hole is not a scary dive, but you can possibly suffer from nitrogen narcosis due to extreme depths. Make sure your partner is always nearby and you have the narc signal understood before you dive so you can watch out for each other.

If you are worried about the depth of the Blue Hole, fret not. Belize has the second largest barrier reef in the world, and it offers many other exciting dives. If someone in your group is not a diver, snorkeling in the Blue Hole should be excellent as well.