Diving Belize

scuba divingenvironmentssicoral reefbelizegreat blue hole

Lighthouse Reef (c) Stuart Seldon / Huracan Diving Lodge

If you want to dive in Belize, you have basically three options: Either you choose one of the many providers in Belize City, but that means that the really good dive sites are many hours of traveling away. Or you choose a safari ship like the "Belize Aggressor" and then get to the really great dive sites and the Great Blue Hole, but that certainly costs a lot... The third alternative, the Huracan Diving Lodgeturned out to be an absolute lucky chance for us, because it is the only dive center here are the good dive sites – indeed they are right outside the door of the resort. Surrounded by a classic Caribbean island landscape with palm trees, you can reach reefs within minutes, where the coral bleaching has left no traces. Or you're at the Great Blue Hole just in fifteen minutes, no one else can do it this time. The Huracan Diving Lodge is a converted old hurricane shelter. The stable wooden construction has its charm and is centrally located in the middle of the island. A beautiful veranda to rest and also used as restaurant for the guests; four rooms for two divers each: This is already the maximum occupancy of the lodge. Mass diving does not exist here. Integrated in the small diving center, a small workshop with everything you need and compressors. Electricity comes from a solar system, and water is supplied by large rain tanks and pumps. Everything works. However - air conditioning is not available - that does not fit the island flair. But in each of the beautiful rooms there is a large tropical fan at the ceiling. Everywhere on the island you will find hammocks - so you will always find a top place for great chilling. Enormous walls, gigantic stalactites The Blue Hole is certainly the most exciting and exciting dive in Belize. It looks like a "normal reef" up to the depth of 15 m - then the "hole" starts and it is almost unbelievable. An awesome sight with overhanging walls. And at every place and every depth of the Blue Hole you can see different things. Breathtaking are the huge stalactites with indescribable diameter, where we pass by. At different depths there are small sand plateaus on which one or the other shark likes to rest. Otherwise you will not see any fish here - but there are rock formations you will not find anywhere else in the world during a dive. Simply impressive. Unfortunately, Huracan Diving is limited to air and therefore we can not enjoy the maximum depth of 115m ;-) The Belize Great Barrier Reef is just outside the door. The journey times to the dive sites are between 5 and 20 minutes. Dive site names like "Aquarium" already suggest what you get to see here - a lot of fish. The reefs are completely intact and through the protection status also full of life in every size. Cliffs with good visibility, interesting reef formations with great corals - the dive site at the Belize Great Barrier Reef offers everything you would want as a diver and photographer. The divemasters and captains of the lodge know the dive sites extremely well and I would like to point out the absolute professionalism of the whole crew. You feel extremely well cared for. Not far from the island is "Half Moon Caye," a national park whose highlights are not only under water in the fish-rich reefs and cliffs. "Half Moon Caye" is also a bird sanctuary, with nearly 100 different species, including the Red Footed Booby Bird, which can only be found here with Red Feet. "Half Moon Caye" is worth more than a fleeting quick trip.