Exploring the Great Blue Hole

The Blue Hole should be on every diver’s bucket list. You can’t talk about Belize and diving without mentioning the famous Blue Hole. This giant sink hole is nearly 1,000 feet across and almost 400 feet deep. It is a 2.5-hour boat ride from San Pedro, but worth the time and cost. This extraordinary dive site was made famous by Jacques Cousteau when he brought his research ship to investigate the sinkhole in 1972, where he found, to his surprise, submerged stalactites.  The conclusion that Cousteau and his team reached was that the sinkhole was formed before the seas rose.

The Great Blue Hole is a part of the larger Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, a World Heritage Site of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

How to Experience

There are several ways to experience this extraordinary Belize treasure. You can view it from the sky or jump in, get salty, and see it through the lenses of a dive or snorkel mask.

Spend the day Diving (or Snorkeling) the Blue Hole and Lighthouse Reef

This is the granddaddy of all Belize dive trips. The 2½-hour boat ride from San Pedro to Lighthouse Reef (a little shorter from Belize City), which is home to the Blue Hole. The boat leaves around 6am and passes some interesting sights. It’s a good time to enjoy some quiet time and make new friends. A small “continental breakfast” is typically provided.

Expect to arrive at the Blue Hole around 9 am, you’ll spend the first few minutes looking in awe of this incredible dive site. This is the most photographed dive site in the world and you’re about to jump in and can experience it.

Dive #1 - At the its top, Great Blue Hole is nearly 1,000 feet in diameter. It is ringed by fringing coral that makes for an excellent snorkeling adventure (for the non-divers in the group!). The base of this fringing reef gradually slopes down until at a depth of 50 feet it suddenly drops into the Great Blue Hole. A sheer, dimpled wall is the only reference as your descent begins. Typically, there will be a slight thermocline felt at around 90 feet and at this point the visibility will become magnificent. The stalactites start at a depth of 120 feet and are plainly in view at the 130-foot limit of sport diving. This dive is not known for its marine life, especially at depth. Once in a while, you will see groupers, jacks, and even reef sharks.

Due to the depth of this dive, bottom time will be a 8 to 10-minutes, which includes the descent. A slow, controlled ascent back up the wall, to a safety stop makes this dive 20 to 25 minutes total. The Great Blue Hole is truly a unique dive site which, for many, is the dive of a lifetime.

Dive #2 - Half Moon Caye Wall (may vary)

About 6 miles south of the Great Blue Hole is usual second dive site. Half Moon Caye Wall is one of the most phenomenal sites to dive in all of Belize. You’ll do a multi-level dive to a maximum depth of 60 feet with about 45 minutes of bottom time. The structure here alone makes this a must do dive.
Along a mile to mile and a half section of the wall there is a towering ridge of reef that is cut through with crevasses that in some places are 150 feet deep. Growths of mountainous star coral, numerous varieties of large sponges, and soft coral growth galore decorate this reef. Along the top edge of the reef the depth averages between 35 and 40 feet. On the inside of the reef is a vertical drop to white sand that is strewn with garden eels, red hermit crabs, peacock flounders, blue parrot fish, barracuda, and southern rays. The outside edge of the wall plummets straight down to depths exceeding 3,000 feet. Swimming through the cuts in the wall from inside to outside offers chance encounters with tarpon, eagle rays, turtles, Caribbean Reef Sharks and occasionally a solitary manta ray.

Dive #3 - The Aquarium at Long Caye (may vary)

Your third dive will usually take place at The Aquarium near Long Caye. Again, you’ll do a multilevel dive with a maximum depth of 50 feet for a bottom time of 45 minutes. The wall around the northwest side of Long Caye will start in 15 to 20 feet of water and drop down almost sheer to a slight bump, beyond the limits of sport diving, and then it plunges again into the depths. The crystal-clear, blue water has an abundance of colorful sponges, beautiful deep fan gorgonians and marine life such as Reef Sharks, Dolphins and Turtles.

In the middle of the dives, you’ll have a wonderful beach lunch provided by your crew. You’ll return back to the dive shop typically around 4:30 and may have enjoyed a few cold beverages, while in route! Snorkelers can participate at all three dive sites and are charged at a slight lower rate than the scuba divers.

Seeing it from Above by Airplane or Helicopter

Airplane

Tropic Air, one of our country’s regional airlines, flies passengers over the Blue Hole aboard an airplane. Tours typically leave on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. They will accommodate 1-11 passengers. The flights will originate from: San Pedro/Ambergris Caye, Caye Caulker, Belize City, and Placencia. The flights are approximately 1 hour in duration, during which you passengers will see the world famous Great Blue Hole the way it was meant to be seen. You will fly over the Lighthouse Reef Atoll, and make several fly-bys of this natural wonder of the world. Of course, while en route you’ll fly over Belize Barrier Reef and Turneffe Atoll. Be sure to keep watch on the water below for Manatees, Rays, Sharks, Dolphins, and other wildlife. Prices may vary depending on number of passengers. We will get an exact quote for you in advance of your booking.

Helicopter

Astrum Helicopters can provide an unforgettable, once-in-a-lifetime helicopter flight experience. Let their pilots take you and your private party on an exclusive journey over pristine blue waters to the stunning Blue Hole. Get the best camera shots from either side of the helicopter as your pilot slowly circles around a mysterious shipwreck and the multi-colored barrier reef.

Your helicopter pilot will take you and your party on a VIP tour of the Great Blue Hole. Capture the most beautiful photos of Belize while circling the reef with close ups of a shipwreck and impromptu marine creature sightings such as sting rays and manatees. On your flight, your pilots will point out views of interest while keeping your ride safe and stable. We can also arrange a scuba or snorkel add-on from the helicopter if you want to do something few others have done.

Flights Depart San Pedro and Belize City. The flight durations range from 1hr to 1hr 24min, depending on your chosen helicopter aircraft and weather conditions. Prices will vary depending on whether you need a 4 or 6 seat helicopter and whether you get salty from the helicopter. We will get an exact quote for you in advance of your booking.

Learn More About Exploring the Great Blue Hole