If you have a passion for scuba diving or snorkeling, Belize is a dream destination for you. Located in the heart of Central America, the Belize Barrier Reef is widely considered to be one of the top scuba diving and snorkeling destinations on Earth. Belize spent many years hidden in plain sight, and only a small percentage of the world’s tourist population chooses to visit. As a result, the Barrier Reef, as well as Belize’s other attractions, such as Mayan ruins and a lush rainforest, remain largely unspoiled and pristine. If you’re planning a trip to Belize to explore its underwater treasures, here are some of the top dive sites that you might want to visit.
- Shark-Ray Alley and Hol Chan Marine Reserve. These two sites are highly popular and have a lot to offer. Shark-Ray Alley is well-known for its promise of close encounters with schools of nurse sharks and stingrays. If your goal is to get an up-close-and-personal brush with marine life, this is the site to visit. Meanwhile, Hol Chan Marine Reserve is a snorkeling destination best known for its location: a narrow channel that winds through a beautiful and well-kept shallow coral reef. Snorkelers who are interested in examining a coral reef up close will definitely want to visit Hol Chan Marine Reserves.
- Turneffe Island & Lighthouse Reef Atolls. These two sites are well-known to experienced divers as some of the top diving sites anywhere. These are mid ocean atolls that offer opportunities for incomparable wall, drift and coral-garden diving. This is also the home of the Great Blue Hole, a large submarine sinkhole that is one of the most famous Blue Holes in existence. Here you’ll also have an opportunity to see several varieties of reef sharks: The Caribbean reef shark and the Blacktip shark are regularly sighted in this area. Many area dive operators offer day trips to these sites.
- Gladden Spit. This site, located in Southern Belize, is best known as a spot that offers the chance to swim with enormous whale sharks. This is a mid-ocean site, and is a natural spawning area for many different varieties of marine life; because of this, whale sharks visit the area regularly in order to feed. This is especially common from March to June, but whale sharks can also be seen here between August and October, and in December and January. Because whale-sharks feed close to the surface, this site is ideal for both scuba divers and snorkelers that wish to see these massive marine animals.
There is a reason that Belize is a top destination for avid divers and snorkelers:n Anywhere along the Barrier Reef, you can be assured of an excellent aquatic experience. These sites are just a few of the standout dive and snorkeling sites that you’ll find in Belize.
