See The Blue Hole
Still to do
Sink into a perfect circle of deep blue in the Caribbean, where ice-age stalactites hang 40 metres below the surface.
The adventure
From the air it looks unreal: a near-perfect circle of deep indigo, about 300 metres across, set into the turquoise shallows of Lighthouse Reef. It is a flooded cave system that formed when sea levels were far lower during the last ice age, then collapsed and drowned as the oceans rose. Jacques Cousteau made it famous when he brought his ship Calypso here in 1971.
Diving it is short, deep and unforgettable. You drop down the sheer wall as the light fades from turquoise to navy, and at around 40 metres huge stalactites appear beneath overhangs, proof that this was once dry land. Caribbean reef sharks often cruise the gloom below. Back on the boat, most trips stop at Half Moon Caye, where red-footed boobies nest in the trees, before snorkelling the reef on the way home.
Why it’s epic
- About 300 metres wide and around 124 metres deep.
- Stalactites at around 40 metres formed when the cave was above sea level during the last ice age.
- Part of the Belize Barrier Reef, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest barrier reef in the northern hemisphere.
- Half Moon Caye's colony of red-footed boobies is a common stop on dive trips.
What it is
The Great Blue Hole is a giant marine sinkhole about 300 metres across and over 120 metres deep.
How to do it
Day trips run from Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker. Experienced divers descend to around 40 metres among stalactites; others take a scenic flight.
Top tip
You'll need an advanced diving certificate and some deep-dive experience to dive it.
Need to know
- Diving it usually requires Advanced Open Water certification and deep-dive experience, and time at depth is only a few minutes.
- The boat ride from Ambergris Caye or Caye Caulker takes around two to three hours each way and can be rough.
- Scenic flights give non-divers the classic aerial view of the circle.
Plan this trip
- Rough cost
- £2,000 to £5,000 per person, including flights from the UK
- Time needed
- 1 day
- Best time to go
- April to June
- Fly into
- BZE airport
Long-haul flights to Belize, plus a full-day dive trip and marine park fees, add up quickly.
Make it happen
Some of these are affiliate links: if you book through them I may earn a small commission, at no extra cost to you. More about this.
Why it’s on my list
Not done yet. If you’ve done it and have tips, tell me about it.
Comments