Belize’s main barrier reef, which is also known as the Outer Reef, lies approximately 20 miles to the east of Placencia. Here, walls begin in about 40 feet of water and drop away into the deep blue abyss some 3,000 feet below, and visibility is usually excellent, sometimes reaching 120 feet. With more than forty dive sites to choose from, and with several areas which are suitable for snorkeling, it is no surprise that these dive sites are some of the very best Belize has to offer. Here are just seven to help you chart your course for an incredible Caribbean diving vacation.
The Abyss
Truly mesmerizing, and certainly one of the most extraordinary walls you may ever see, The Abyss begins in forty feet of water and offers a sheer drop into the ever deepening blue below. Despite its depth, the site is suitable for intermediate divers with good buoyancy control, and it is ideal for experts who want to enjoy a deep dive. Also known as Fourth Cut, the site is well-known for its eagle rays and turtles, huge lobsters and nurse sharks, and for its schools of blue wrasse. Other pelagics are seen with regularity. Overhangs wreathed in black coral trees and lovely gorgonians create the perfect backdrop for photos. Try shooting up toward the surface, and remember to time your breathing so you don’t get bubbles in the shot!
Long Reef
Look for spiny lobsters and massive spider crabs with long spindly legs, spotted moray eels, and eagle rays as you explore this fantastic reef and wall. The reef drops away into the blue from a shelf at 100 feet, above which a wall reaches up to a depth of about 45 feet. The wall is festooned in colorful corals and sponges, and it is not uncommon to encounter turtles and reef sharks as you explore. Suitable for intermediate divers, the site is also a favorite with local underwater photographers.
Pompion Canyons
With sandy-bottomed grooves and soaring walls, Pompion Canyons is not only a splendidly beautiful dive site, it is also suitable for all divers, even novices. With maximum depth at just 60 feet, it is very well-lit from above, allowing you to see the kaleidoscope of colors that make it so magical even if you forget your light. Look for nurse sharks and lobsters lounging beneath the rocks, and keep one eye on the sandy stretches as this is a place where southern stingrays and yellow stingrays are often encountered. Horse eye jacks and grunts, schoolmasters and yellow snappers hang in schools, and there is a light current that allows for an easy drift. Keep an eye out for turtles and groupers, too!
Silk Cayes
Also known as Queen Cayes, Silk Cayes is a group of small, scattered islands which is usually where your lunch break will take place. With shallow areas and beautiful little reefs for snorkeling, the area is perfect for all divers – maximum depth is just about twenty feet. Be cautious in the shallowest areas, as there are black spiny sea urchins that sting if you touch them. With coral heads and big patches of brilliant green turtle grass, plus clear sandy stretches, life here is abundant. Look for juvenile pelagics swimming in shoals, and keep an eye out for the barracuda that hunt them. Watch for reef fish too – angelfish and butterfly fish, iridescent stoplight parrotfish, and all sorts of wrasse can be found grazing on the algae that covers the coral heads.
White Hole
While the outer wall drops away into the endless blue of the abyss below, White Hole is best known for its abundant marine life, and is suitable for all divers, as most of the action takes place at depths between 30 and 60 feet. Schooling yellowtail and dogtooth snappers, marble groupers, spotted groupers and even a few huge Nassau groupers are here in abundance. A popular fishing hole, the site has a sandy bottom dotted with a few coral heads. Look for moray eels and stingrays, yellow rays and nurse sharks hiding in sheltered areas, and if you’re lucky, you can see groups of spotted eagle rays out in the open sea beyond.
North Wall
One of the best dive sites in southern Belize, and certainly one of the most popular spots around Placencia, the North Wall begins in 40 feet of water and is prime territory for spotting huge pelagics, including whale sharks in season. Suitable for intermediate divers, this wall is covered in lush coral and sponge growth, but the smaller creatures that are here in abundance play supporting roles to the many larger marine species which are seen here with regularity. Watch for manta rays and spotted eagle rays, reef sharks and hawksbill turtles, huge black groupers, and shoals of schoolmaster snappers and horse-eye jacks. Keep an eye out for the green and spotted moray eels that live here, and watch for big crabs and lobsters, too. If you are exceptionally lucky, you may even encounter dolphins.
Trick Ridge
Cleaner shrimp do a thriving business here, helping sleek barracudas and big black snappers, spotted drums, and other larger fish remain parasite free. Suitable for intermediate divers, Trick Ridge features depths between 40 and 100 feet. The complicated profile that goes deep, then shallow, demands that you pay close attention to your depth gauge and follow the dive master to enjoy a fun and safe experience. With huge barrel sponges and amazing coral formations including brain and lettuce corals, the site also features colorful clusters of vase and tube sponges where you can find juvenile spotted drum and other tiny creatures in abundance.
Placencia’s dive sites, including those on the outer reef, are easily accessible. Local dive operators can help you plan a custom charter, or you can simply pick a package and go with the flow. For an even more amazing experience, consider visiting Belize via liveaboard. Remember to plan well in advance. While it is possible to dive Belize on short notice, making reservations well in advance can help you avoid crowded sites and enjoy your vacation even more.