Belize Scuba Diving

Overview of Belize

Inside the world's second-largest barrier reef, English-speaking Belize sports three major atolls. Good diving is reachable from live-aboards or from 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 there, take a couple days to visit Mayan ruins, the Jaguar Preserve, or take river tours. Belize is about a two-hour fl ight from Houston. Belize lies in the hurricane belt and takes frequent hits.

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 in 1931, 1961, and 1978. During winter months (mainly December, January, and February), Belize is also subject to northers that blow down and disrupt diving for several days. Water temperature may dip as low as the 70s in the winter and reach as high as 85° in the summer.

Belize Feature Articles and Reader Reports

For Undercurrent Online Members and some available for Public

Dive Articles - Land Based Reef’s End Lodge, Tobacco Caye, Belize, rustic and remote, but better diving than up north, 5/08 Fire Sinks Amigos Del Mar’s Dive Boat, 2/08 Ambergris Caye, Belize, 2/08 Cuba, Bonaire, Belize... and a clever thief in Curacao, 1/07 Isla de Marisol, Belize, 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, Belize, 4/05 Thumbs Down in Placencia, (see sidebar, p.5) 2/04 New Whale Shark Preserve in Belize, (see sidebar, p.4) 1/04 Available For Public Scheduled Whale Shark Trips in Placencia, 6/00 What's Left After Mitch, 1/99 Turneffe Island, Blackbird Caye, 1/98 Jaguar Reef Lodge, 7/97 Rum Point Inn, 4/95

Dive Articles - Liveaboards Great Live-Aboard Living..., 9/05 Available For Public Live-aboard vs land-based in Belize, (see sidebar, page 4), 1/98 Rembrandt van Rijn, 2/97 Wave Dancer vs Bay Islands Aggressor, Palau Aggressor II , 4/94

Editor's Book Picks for 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

Diving Cozumel, 2nd Edition ... Diving Cayman Islands ... Belize ... Bay Islands ... Bonaire ... Diving Bermuda, 2nd Edition ... British Virgin Islands ... Hawaii ... Micronesia by Speck, Garoutte, Middleton, Cancelmo, Strohofer, Lewbel, Martin, Douglass, Verdure, Rosenberg, Hanauer... No matter where you are headed, the Aqua Quest Books covering your destination are the only way to supplement Undercurrent's hardhitting critical information. Each of these books describes specific dive sites, depths and location, shore diving entries, the critters you'll see, local history and customs, places of interests. Take one as you travel or buy one after you return for the memories. Scores of excellent colorful pictures and maps supplement each of these 7x10 paperback 128 page books.

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. This month Paul and his partner Ned deLoach 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 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, $81.60 (June, 2004). You'll get the best prices Amazon.com has to offer, speedy delivery, and the knowledge that a large hunk of our profit will go to the Coral Reef Alliance, which is working to keep our reefs alive and well. All are spiral bound, 6x9

• 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 (now listed at $81.60 -- June, 2004)

Watching Fishes: Understanding Coral Reef Fish Behavior by Roberta Wilson, James Q. Wilson. Your buddies can probably name the reef fish, but read this volume and you can explain what those critters are actually doing -- and why. This fascinating book describes why and how fish change color, how they smell and socialize, the difference between day and night behavior, even how damsels cultivate algae patches -- which is why they attach you when you fin by. Watching Fishes, Understanding Coral and Reef Fish Behavior is written for divers, not scientists, by Roberta and James Q. Wilson. They describe in lively nonfiction prose the behavior of basslets to blennies, clownfish to crinoids, damsels to drumfish. Perfect for between-dive reference. Paperback, 6x9, 274 pages.

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.

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