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Your Guide to Diving Belize
including Ambergris Caye, Glover's Atoll, Lighthouse Reef, St. George's Caye, Southern Belize and Turneffe Atoll

All of Undercurrent's information on diving Belize, including articles, reader reports, Chapbook sections, ...

Diving Belize Overview

Inside the world's second largest barrier reef, English-speaking Belize sports three major atolls. Good diving in Belize is reachable from liveaboards or the resorts on the offshore cayes. The deeply cut, spur-and-groove coral reefs of the rapidly developing Ambergris Caye are interesting but disappointing to many experienced divers. Outer cayes have better diving. While on a Belize diving trip, take a couple of days to visit Mayan ruins, the Jaguar Preserve, or take river tours. Belize is about a two-hour flight from Houston. Belize lies in the hurricane belt and takes frequent hits. Read K. Smith's Tropical Ice before you go! Available on the Undercurrent website.

Belize Seasonal Dive Planner

The dry season runs from March through May. The most predictably good weather for diving is from April through June when the winds are normally light. Hurricanes hit Belize an average of once every six years. Major hurricanes have hit roughly every two decades. During winter months (mainly December, January, and February), Belize is also subject to north winds that blow down and may disrupt diving for several days. Water temperature may dip as low as the 70°F (21°C) in the winter and reach as high as 85°F (30°C) in the summer.

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Diving Belize Reader Reports and Feature Articles

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Latest Reader Reports from Belize

from the serious divers who read Undercurrent

All Reader Reports from Belize

All 10,000+
Reports
Turneff Island Resort Report in Belize/Turneff Island Resort
"The Death Of the Caribbean"
filed Mar 5, 2024 by Bette Nordberg (Experience: 501-1000 dives, 2 reports)
3 stars

[None]We were last in Belize in 2014. The change in the coral is profound. Soft coral continues to flourish. But hard coral is just dea... ... Read more


Frenchie's Diving/Island Magic Report in Belize/Caye Caulker
"Great choice for our group of divers and non-diver"
filed Jan 28, 2024 by Marcia Pedersen (Experience: 501-1000 dives, 12 reports, Contributor )
3 stars

Great crew with Frenchie’s Diving on Caye Caulker. Crowded boat (24 divers), but the crew managed the numbers well. Water and snacks al... ... Read more


Frenchies Diving Report in Belize
"Blue Hole and Lighthouse Reef"
filed Jan 2, 2024 by Philip Karp (Experience: 251-500 dives, 4 reports, Reviewer )
4 stars

I've dove with Frenchies Diving before so I pretty much knew what to expect for their full-day, 3-tank dive to the Blue Hole and Lighth... ... Read more


Ramon's Village Resort Report in Belize/Ambergris Caye
"Bleaching is wide spread"
filed Dec 7, 2023 by Leslie Russum (Experience: 251-500 dives, 6 reports, Reviewer )
3 stars

I was in Belize in Jan 2023 and this summer has been devastating to the corals. There is so much bleaching which has also reduced the ... ... Read more


Ramon's Village Resort Report in Belize/Ambergris Caye
"Bleaching is wide spread"
filed Dec 7, 2023 by Leslie Russum (Experience: 251-500 dives, 6 reports, Reviewer )
3 stars

I was in Belize in Jan 2023 and this summer has been devastating to the corals. There is so much bleaching which has also reduced the ... ... Read more


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Complete Articles Available to Undercurrent Online Members; Some Publicly Available as Indicated

Diving Belize Articles - Liveaboards

Belize Aggressor IV Grounds on Reef, 1/24
Bahamas, Turks and Caicos, Raja Ampat, Belize, live reefs, dead reefs, liveaboards, shore diving, 3/23
Belize Aggressor IV, Belize Belize Aggressor IV, Belize -- Publicly Available, Easy concierge diving, with sharks galore, 10/21

Available to the Public
MV Belize Aggressor III, Belize, good boat, great crew, easy diving, 6/18
Belize, Utila, Palau, Komodo, Bonaire, Caribbean whalesharks, missing hammerheads, 6/17
Belize, Vieques, Indonesia, Molokai, Christmas crowds, lousy food, white tips and mantas, 4/17
Belize, Bonaire, Florida, Philippines . . ., and a Cozumel dive shop with a great refund policy, 7/15
The Unprofessional Side of Placing Blame, 9/10
Nekton Cruises Shuts Down, 6/10
Great Live-Aboard Living, and our day-boat choice on Ambergris Caye, 9/05
Live-Aboard vs. Land-Based, 1/98
Off Belize on the Rembrandt van Rijn, Sailing and diving with the Dutch masters, 2/97
Wave Dancer vs. Bay Islands Aggressor, 4/94

Diving Belize Articles - Land Based

Bonaire, Belize, Rangiroa, Fiji, Indonesia, dying coral, schools of sharks, super photography course, 3/24
Humpbacks Whales, Shark Rodeos, Monk Seals, Giant Octopuses, what our readers have to say, 11/23
Little Cayman, Maui, Raja Ampat, Texas Oil Rigs Little Cayman, Maui, Raja Ampat, Texas Oil Rigs -- Publicly Available, thresher sharks, dying reefs, barefoot elegance, 9/23
A Unique and Serious Injury at Ramon's in Belize A Unique and Serious Injury at Ramon's in Belize -- Publicly Available, a tough fight for compensation in another country, 5/23
Turneffe Island Resort, Belize, C.A. Turneffe Island Resort, Belize, C.A. -- Publicly Available, private island, plenty of reef sharks, 2/23
Itza Resort: Lighthouse Reef, Belize, fine diving at the end of the Maya World, 6/22

Available to the Public
Belize, Little Cayman, the Conflict Islands, bedbugs, tiny bunks, and an unknown gem, 2/20
Isla Marisol, Glover’s Reef, Belize, where divers are few, but the fish are plentiful, 7/19
Want to Buy a Dive Center or Liveaboard?, we found a few, if you’re looking for something new to do, 7/19
St. Vincent, Maldives, Roatan, Belize, destinations for everyone, 4/18
The Chinchorro Banks, Alor, Belize, Roatan, and how cut-rate trips leave early birds steaming, 2/18
Fiji and Belize Protect their Reefs, 2/18
Ambergris, the Red Sea, Raja Ampat, bad briefings, free flowing regulators, overflowing toilets, 9/17
Worse Things Happen at Sea!, 8/17
Dominica, Fiji, Belize, Costa Rica, Florida, big animals, no head counts, free flowing regulators, 7/17
Itza Resort, Long Caye, Belize, great lodge, great diving, 4/16
Belize, British Virgin Islands, Hawaii, a KKK leader’s resort, a dive shop’s faulty rental gear, 4/15
Turneffe Island Resort, Belize, concierge diving on a remote private island, 5/13
The Resort’s Off-Putting Documents, 5/13
Belize Diving Services, Caye Caulker, Belize, Old Caribbean living, the reality of current Caribbean diving, 4/13
Belize, Hawaii, Cozumel, Palau . . ., Caribbean winter warnings and more trouble with the Siren fleet, 3/13
At Last, Justice in Belize, shoddy operation and its owner fined for diver’s death, 1/11
Reef’s End Lodge, Tobacco Caye, Belize, rustic and remote, but better diving than up north, 5/08
Ambergris Caye, Belize, La Isla Bonita goes upscale, but diving has gone downhill, 2/08
Fire Sinks Amigos Del Mar’s Dive Boat, 2/08
Cuba, Bonaire, Belize... , and a clever thief in Curacao, 1/07
Isla de Marisol, Belize, among the best, if it weren’t for..., 9/05
Dive Boats Hassle Utila’s Whale Sharks, 9/05
Two on Turneffe Island, Belize, — Turneffe Island Lodge and Turneffe Flats, 4/05
Thumbs Down Advanced Diving Placencia, Belize, 4/05
Thumbs Down in Placencia, 2/04
New Whale Shark Preserve in Belize, 1/04
Behemoths in Belize, scheduled whale shark trips in Placencia, 6/00
What's Left After Mitch?, reports on Honduras, Belize, Cayman, and Cozumel, 1/99
Diving the Turneffe Islands of Belize, Ecotouring at Blackbird Caye Resort, 1/98
Jaguar Reef Lodge, Belize, Nice place to visit, but diving is a distance, 7/97
Rum Point Inn, Belize, 4/95
Ambergris, We Hardly Knew Ye., 1/93
Lighthouse Reef, Belize, C.A., By Land And By Sea, 10/92
Manta Resort, Belize, C.A., And A Second Look At St.George's Lodge, 2/92
St. George's Lodge, 2/92
Victoria House, Ambergris Caye, Belize, There's Better In Belize, 8/89
Belize On The Cheap, 8/89
Reports From The Readers: Belize and Ambergris Caye, 8/89
Turneffe Island Lodge, Belize, Central America, A Trip Back In Time, 5/89
Captain Morgan's, Ambergris Caye, Belize, Central America, 9/86
Glover's Reef village, Belize C.A., An Outpost Of Civilization, 2/82
Trudy's Hotel, Utila, British Honduras, A bargain of bygone days, 11/80
St. George's Lodge, Belize, Total Isolation And Super Diving, 8/80
Ambergris Caye, Belize, Runnin' Against The Wind, 7/80
The Isla Mia, Belize, At Play With The Porpoises, 6/80

Belize Sections from Our Travelin' Diver's Chapbooks

Reader Reports filed for that year
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Belize Liveaboards

For Members Only

2024 2023 2022          

For Public

2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013
2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005
2004 2003 2002 2001        

Land Based Dive Resorts in Belize

For Members Only

2024 2023 2022          

For Public

2020 2019 2018 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013
2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007 2006 2005
2004 2003 2002 2001        
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Editor's Book Picks for Scuba Diving Belize
including Ambergris Caye, Glover's Atoll, Lighthouse Reef, St. George's Caye, Southern Belize and Turneffe Atoll

The books below are my favorites about diving in this part of the world All books are available at a significant discount from Amazon.com; just follow the links. -- BD

Travel Edition of Reef Fish Identification: Caribbean, Bahamas,
South Florida. Travel Edition of Reef Fish Identification: Caribbean, Bahamas, South Florida
by Paul Humann and Ned DeLoach

Today's airline weight restrictions not only limit the amount of dive gear and cameras you can pack for overseas trips, but also those valuable prized marine life identification books. And with spotty Internet access overseas, it's not like you can look a critter of or fish up easily online. For the divers who still want a book in their hands post-dive to look up the fishes they encounter, Paul Humann and Ned DeLoach are offering "Travel Edition of Reef Fish Identification: Caribbean, Bahamas, South Florida." It's lightweight enough to thrown in your carry-on but rugged enough to withstand frequent saltwater washings on board.

Click here to buy it at Amazon.



World Atlas of Coral Reefs
by Mark D. Spalding, Corinna Ravilious, Edmund P. Green, United Nations World Conservation Monitoring Center.

If there is one book that belongs in every traveling diver's library, this is it. The superb World Atlas of Coral Reefs has everything you want to know about the reefs from Costa Rica and Cuba to the Coral Sea and Cayman. The information is specific and up to date. The photos, maps and layout superb. And the price, for this 424 page, full color, hard bound volume, is a steal at $31.50

The Atlas was released in September by the United Nations World Conservation Monitoring Center to document and conserve the world's coral reefs. Clearly written with divers in mind, it's an invaluable resource for global travelers. Here's what you'll find.

  • 94 maps, including global maps of biodiversity and reef stresses, regional maps showing 3-D bathymetry and high resolution maps showing reefs, mangroves, population centers, dive centers and protected areas.
  • 280 color photographs, showing reefs, wildlife, people and places, Including 84 photographs taken from space by Shuttle astronauts.
  • Text explaining the formation, structure and ecology of coral reefs; their various uses and abuses at the hands of humans; and the techniques used in coral reef mapping.
  • Detailed texts describing the distribution and status of coral reefs in every country.
  • Data tables listing information on biodiversity, human use, and protected areas. These include statistics on coral reef area, biodiversity, fish consumption, and threats.

For example, you can learn about pollution damage to the reefs at Providenciales and the lack of human impact, as well. Or, where extensive bleaching took place in Honduras 1998. You'll read that Milne Bay in Papua New Guineas has the most extensive reef system in that country and where, in Fiji, the bumphead parrotfish and tridachna clams will not be found, thanks to overfishing. Order now.



Reef Fish ID Reef Creature ID Reef Coral ID

The Reef Set: Reef Fish, Reef Creature and Reef Coral (3 Volumes):
Paul Humann ID Books
by Paul Humann, Ned Deloach

The three set fish, creature and coral ID books by Paul Humann are the unparalleled sources for information on Caribbean sea life and identification. Paul and his partner Ned Deloach recently released updated and expanded editions of each, with scores of new critters, even better photos, and information unavailable anywhere else. Why, the Reef Fish Identification book, at more than 500 pages, is 20 percent larger than the previous volume, which came out in 1994. Whenever I travel to the Caribbean, I tote all three books and spend my down hours figuring out what I saw and where to look to find rare creatures. Paul's splendid Reef Creature book (420 pages), covers sponges, nudibranchs, octopus, crustaceans, Christmas tree worms and plenty more. His Reef Coral ID book (276 pages) helps you identify all the hard and soft corals, spawning, and even the growth on top of corals, as well as algae and other plant life. Beginners may want to ID only fish, but I'd recommend that all three books be part of every diver's library. And, if you have an old set, by all means replace it. You'll be delighted at the additions and improvements. Each book normally retails for $40, but are discounted when you order here. And the boxed 3-volume set is available now at a bigger discount, up to 30%. Click below to buy them at Amazon:

* Reef Fish Identification: Florida Caribbean Bahamas,
* Reef Creature Identification: Florida Caribbean Bahamas, and
* Reef Coral Identification: Florida Caribbean Bahamas
* The Boxed Set of all three (you can save up to 30%)



Coral Reefs of the Caribbean A Guide to the Coral Reefs of the Caribbean
by Mark Spalding

This book doubles as a guide to the natural history of the coral reefs and a diver's travel guide. In addition to providing information about some of the most popular diving and snorkeling, it also offers practical suggestions to divers who want to protect these sites. Author Mark Spalding, a coral reef scientist who has worked on coral reefs in over thirty countries, delves into the eco-problems with a focus on what each person can do to protect the reefs. The guide section covers 35 dive destinations with key information on the reefs, marine parks, remote places, and unusual species as well as excellent maps and a photographic field guide of the marine flora and fauna.
Order Now at a reduced price of only $16.47.



Diving Southeast Asia There's a Cockroach in My Regulator
by Undercurrent

The Best of Undercurrent: Bizarre and Brilliant True Diving Tales from Thirty Years of Undercurrent.

Shipping now is our brand new, 240-page book filled with the best of the unusual, the entertaining, and the jaw dropping stories Undercurrent has published. They’re true, often unbelievable, and always fascinating. We’re offering it to you now for the special price of just $14.95.

Click here to order.



You might find some other books of interest in our Editor's Book Picks section.

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