Ambergris Caye Diving

The paradise island of Ambergris Caye in Belize is located in the tropical waters of the Caribbean Sea and has some world-famous dive sites; dive into the depths of the unique Blue Hole or experience the vibrancy of the Belize Great Barrier Reef or enjoy the inquisitive Nurse Sharks at Shark Ray Alley, and so much more! 

San Pedro

San Pedro is located on Ambergris Caye in Belize and an ideal departure location to access the best diving in Belize. This city provides visitors with the best that Belize has to offer, above and below the water. Divers can access world famous locations such as the Belize Great Barrier Reef and the Great Blue Hole from here.

 

Diving in Ambergris Caye

Ambergris Caye is the gateway to some of the biggest spectacles of diving in Belize. Ambergris Caye is the largest island of Belize and is located in the pristine waters of the Caribbean Sea. White sandy beaches, crystal clear waters and vibrant marine life, this is a true paradise, above and below the water.

Two of the most famous dive sites here for which many divers come here are the Great Blue Hole and the 300 kilometre long Belize Great Barrier Reef. Divers would expect that the immense and vibrant coral reefs here would attract the usual reef fish, but curiously those are not in high abundance here, but not to worry! In their place are numerous larger species including pelagic species. This diving area can be enjoyed either from liveaboards or via one of the multiple dive centres or dive resorts. 

Best time to dive

The Caribbean Sea has some of the most ideal diving conditions out there. The water temperatures range between 26 and 29 degrees Celsius with visibility ranging between 15 metres and over 30 metres. The climate in the Caribbean consists of a wet and a dry season, however, there are not extreme amounts of rain. The wind can pick up between November and July, but for the most part it will not hinder diving. The best time to dive here would be in April to June. There are a vast array of larger species to spot here, and luckily they are around throughout the year. The month of June is the best month to spot the most amount of species including Whale Sharks and the unique Dugongs. 

Types of diving

The large coral reef here has a variety of topography throughout its 300 kilometres and will provide divers with a lot of versatility in their dives. Aside from multiple flourishing coral gardens, coral pinnacles and coral plateaus teaming with life, there are also canyons, caves, mangrove lagoons and seagrass beds. 

The Great Blue Hole is the dream dive site more the more advanced divers and technical divers. Here technical divers can descend down to 100 metres in complete blue surroundings. For recreational divers, it is absolutely worth having a Deep Speciality certification as there are caves at just past 30 metres which are a really stunning site. 

The large majority of the diving here is done from day trip boats from San Pedro mostly or liveaboards, and there are also many opportunities for dive courses here. It is also a perfect area for underwater photography, as the reef provides incredible colours and there are so many larger species to capture. 

What to see

With this much flourishing reef made up of a selection of Hard Corals, Gorgonians, Sea Fans and Soft Corals, there can only be as much flourishing marine life who are attracted to this reef. Even though the abundance of schooling reef fish is lower here than expected, it is made up for by the large amount of pelagic and other species here. The Nurse Sharks at Shark Ray Alley are known to be incredibly inquisitive and like to come up close to divers to inspect them, which is a unique experience. Aside from them, divers are also likely to spot Eagle Rays, Stingrays and Sea Turtles. On the luckiest days there may be Hammerhead Sharks, Whalesharks, schools of Barracuda and Trevally and Dugongs. Some of the species which live in the reef include lobsters, adorable Nudibranchs and Moray Eels.

Best places to dive

Belize Barrier Reef is a 300 kilometre stretch of flourishing reefs which attract a lot of different species for divers to enjoy. There is something to see for divers of all levels, with varied topography. 

The Great Blue Hole is a truly unique natural phenomenon where there is a hole, which drops down hundreds of metres into the earth in the middle of the ocean. It’s a unique experience for divers to experience floating above such depths in the deep blue. It’s a dream location for tec divers who want to venture deep and there are even some interesting caves located at 30 metres. 

Hol Chan Marine Reserve has been a marine reserve since 1987 so the marine life here is thoroughly protected and so in pristine condition. It is, essentially, a cut/channel through the coral reef, and it’s filled with vibrant marine life.

Shark Ray Alley used to be a location where fisherman would clean their fish, this attracted many predators including Nurse Sharks and different rays, and even many years later, they remain in this area for divers to now enjoy.


Nearby Dive Areas