Inside the world's second-largest barrier reef, English-speaking Belize sports three major atolls - but not much in the way of beaches. . . . Good diving is reachable from live-aboards or from resorts on the offshore cayes. . . . The deeply cut spur-and-groove coral reefs of Ambergris Caye, the largest and most developed, are interesting, but not as adrenaline-producing as the rugged underwater scenery of the outer cayes, where the walls are among the more spectacular in the Caribbean; there's a chance of seeing large schools of fish, a big one or two, and plenty of large nurse sharks. . . . When comparing package prices, find out if they include the cost of transfers to and from the cay. . . . Good diving off Palcencia, a funky fishing village in southern Belize; because it's on the mainland you can visit Mayan ruins, the Jaguar Preserve, or take river tours. The trade-off: it's an hour boat ride to the pristine barrier reef. . . . Flying to Belize is easy (two hours from Houston) and it's simple to fly to Honduras for a second week. . . . Avoid Belize City at night - it has a reputation for serious crime. . . . At the edge of the hurricane belt . .

Ambergris Caye

Amigos Del Mar/Paradise Villas, September 1996, Charles Stone, Durango, CO. "Patti at Paradise Villas was great. Paradise Villas not as nice as Belize Yacht Club, but closer to San Pedro town. Dove three times a day. Divemaster Tony did good job. Many dives were just the two of us. vis: 30­60 ft. water: 84 degrees. Depth restrictions for 120 ft. enforced. Best food was at the Lagoon."

Amigos Del Mar/Sunbreeze Hotel, June 1997, Tom Rain, Irving, TX. "A nice first trip to Belize. Nice small dive group. Amigos Del Mar was a well run dive operation. Local divemaster (Alonzo) and boat Captain (Marsiano) were excellent and made our boat diving much more enjoyable. The diving was easy. vis: 80­100 ft. water: 80­82 degrees. Divemaster defined time and depth. We dove in group of nine divers. I wish I had time to dive the Blue Hole, maybe next time! Rest. Great view on top at the Sunset Bar."

Blue Hole Divers, April 1997, Sharon McComas, Seagoville, TX. "Went on Blue Hole Express with 8-10 divers, a cameraman and two divemasters. Two divers had 300+ dives, one diver with 50+ dives (myself), four divers with 10+ dives and remainder less. In our briefing we were told that we would be going to a maximum depth of 130 ft. Only I and two other divers had previously been that deep. We were to descend with one divemaster in front and one in the rear. Upon reaching 131 ft. I saw my son 5 ft. below me and the "near" divemaster swim off into the murky brown water with no vis. My dive buddy and I decided to abort the dive for safety sake (I did not feel experienced enough to venture past 130 ft. With only 50 dives and no vis.) The divemaster never knew we swam to shallow water. Everyone did safely come out of this. I think it is not responsible to take inexperienced divers on this dive. If PADI does truly have guidelines, as I was taught, then this is a dive that breaks them all."

Blue Hole Divers, August 1997, Doug Bizjack, Germantown, TN. "Day trip to the Blue Hole included two wall dives on the outer atolls. Aquarium breathtaking coral formations. First class operation; get to the Hole in one and one-half hours with twin 200 horsepower engines. A must for anyone staying at Ambergris."

Journey's End, October 1996, Andrew P. Ant, MD, Houston, TX. "Staff was extremely friendly, courteous and helpful. The rooms are lovely.". . . Resort can only be reached by water taxi, an open boat for 4.5 mile trip from San Padre Zulu. Although this can be very picturesque, it can also be miserable. We were boarded onto an open boat with several other couples and luggage. We ran into a significant rain shower and there were no tarps to cover the luggage and no rain gear for the passengers. The rain soaked our luggage and ourselves. As a result, several articles of clothing and my shoes were ruined. Belize is very humid some of my clothes did not dry completely until I returned to the Houston. . . . Reef provides great scuba diving and snorkeling, but there are no fresh water facilities at the scuba shop to rinse gear or cameras. Water pressure for showers or baths is virtually nonexistent. My son had to shower by filling up his boots and pouring them over his head. . . . Facility is a one hour, 15 minute walk and a ferry ride to town. Both the water taxi and ferry stop running at 6:00 pm. When you return from a snorkel or dive at 4:00 or 4:30 p.m., it's impossible to go to San Pedro for dinner and return by 6:00 p.m., unless you hire a private water taxi."

Larry Parker's Reef Divers, August 1997, Doug Bizjack, Germantown, TN. "Water 80-83 degrees, visibility 50-80 feet. First rate operation. Dive boat picked us up at our condo dock and shuttled us to the dive shop to pick-up equipment. Shark-Ray Alley awesome; 15 nurse sharks and 10 mantas waiting for their daily hand-out."

Ramon's Village, January 1997, James & Jennifer Mills, Monroville, PA. "Our best overall trip. Our divemaster Captain Turiano was the joy of our stay. Never has a divemaster worked as hard to show us a great time, plus a commitment to safety that was unmatched. vis: 50­120 ft. water: 78­82 degrees. Ramon's a very nice resort. Our only complaint would be the lack of a fully stocked dive shop on the whole island. Take with you anything you will need. Ambergris Caye is casual. You really only need a couple of T­shirts and swimming trunks!"

Ramon's Village, July 1997, Kyle Petersen, Luquilla, PR. "Rained every day, wind 15-30 knots. Seas 5-8', swells, rough. Blue Hole trip canceled 5 times in a week. Reefs over fished - no pelagics, one Jewish, nothing else of interest. vis: 30-80ft. water: 85 degrees. Limited photography options, dives boring. Good for beginners who know no better. Jesus freaks (non divers) and fisherman from Texas abound, which may be bad or good depending on your perspective. Food at Ramon's lacking badly and overpriced except for breakfasts. Vis: 30-80 ft. water: 85 degrees .Baboon sanctuary and Pine Mountain lodge more fun than Ambergris."

Reef Divers/Royal Palm Beach Club, July 1997, John Crossley, Midvale, UT. "Water 82 degrees. Nice time share condo resort with a nice pool and beach one mile south of the heart of San Pedro. Reef Divers is a very good operation. Boats are 28 ft. open "v" hulls with minimal shade. Rinse buckets for cameras are taken if requested. Maximum of 6-8 divers per boat. Most dives are a 10 - 15 minute ride to the wall outside the Barrier reef. Waves 4-6 ft. and several divers got sea sick. Coral on the wall in very good condition; several canyons and tunnels. Fish life adequate but not abundant. Eagle rays on three dives on the wall, once 10-12 eagle rays (Hol Chan canyon). Friendly groupers on several dives. Hol Chan preserve had lots of fish but at 20-25 ft, it got stirred up by the many divers from many boats, so viz was only 30 ft. Dive operation manager, Larry Parker, was very helpful and his staff set up our gear and rinsed it off and stored it after dives. Do not run boats to the blue Hole and Turneffe, but set you up with other boats that do go there. We went with the "Miss Gira" boat from Ramon's Village and it was a well managed trip. . . . Resort restaurant not as good as most restaurants in town, a 20 minute walk. At night the mosquitoes were bad when walking to dinner."

Blackbird Caye

Blackbird Caye, August 1997, John Gleason, Ft. Washington, MD. "Water 82 degrees. "Gorgeous location, excellent cabins and dining within 2-3 miles of Belize Barrier Reef. Service excellent, dive crew changed/cleaned all BC's, tanks etc., waitress service at dinner friendly. Great diving just a short ride from shore. Corals and tropical fish worth the trip and moderate cost. . . . Main dive boat broke propeller shaft and lost the prop. Boat not repaired during our stay. The 23 divers were over-crowded in two smaller boats. Manager promised to lease a larger dive boat for trip to the Blue Hole but did not nor explain why. Very cramped in the long trip over. . . . Night dives not planned well. No ropes off stern or on side to hang on. Only one entrance for 23 divers. These divers swept past the boat and out 600-800 yards from boat. If boat engines had failed they could have had serious trouble. Explained need for stern line to Manager, but none in place for second night dive. . . . Overall: diving and resort first class. Insist on stern float ropes for night dives or don't night dive."

Glover's Reef

Manta Resort, October 1996, Gunter Pilz, Managua, Nicaragua. "Water 75­80 degree, Vis: 30 to 60 feet. Excellent week of diving for away from crowds. Unfortunately one diver 'collected' lobster using scuba gear (that is prohibited by law in Belize) and neither the resort manager nor the divemaster told him it was not allowed. Price of this week ( including transport from and to the airport in Belize city) was excellent; $995."

Manta Resort, May 1997, Linda Rutherford, Montara, CA. "All drift diving over dramatic walls and landscapes, east of the atoll. Saw eagle rays, dolphin pods, large groupers and variety of tropical fish. Swam with 20 dolphin for 15 minutes as boat driver entertained them by circling the boat. Best diving is east, with trade winds and large ocean waves. Most days, 4­6 foot waves, and one day, 8 foot waves. vis: 80­110 ft. water: 84­85 degrees. No restrictions were enforced. The divemaster stayed in the water until the last person was out to check on the safety of all persons. Reef is about 55 feet below. Not much current. . . . Cabanas are very small but clean. No air­conditioning. Water is good due to desalinization treatment system. The food very good. The three­course dinner is served. Lunch and breakfast are buffet. The divemasters and boat drivers do their very best. The palm­covered island is romantic, however, after a few days, your spouse will not look so attractive: sand flea bites cause red welts the size of a dime. Females are advised to bring light­ weight cotton leggings and long sleeve shirts for lounging around at dusk. Not a spot for a non­diving spouse."

Manta Resort, July 1997, Dee Foster, Newport, CA. "Water 81 degrees; vis 60-100 feet. Bottom time one hour and no deeper than 100 feet. Published reference to a site called "Shark Corner" is not true; divemaster told us it does not exist; manta's only visit one or two months a year. Brownest reef I've seen. No pelagics, no large fish, no large schools of tropicals, parrot fish no larger than 12-18 inches. Rooms filthy and roach ridden. Toilet flush brought sewage smell. Drapes dirty so we washed ours. Had their brochure stated "rustic accommodations" I would not be so critical. Food very good if you could overlook the roaches. Island beautiful, quiet, well maintained. Too bad they didn't put as much effort into cleaning the rooms as they did their beach. Divemaster indifferent, boat captain, "Junior" excellent at anchoring exactly over dive site and judging wind and current."

Lighthouse Reef

Lighthouse Reef Resort, May 1997, Linda Rutherford, Montara, CA. "Good diving at the south end of the atoll near Half Moon Key and Long Key, with good visibility and many swim­throughs and chimneys. This is where the live-aboards congregate. Hour boat ride from Lighthouse Resort, so they arranged two day trips leaving at 9 AM and returning a 5 PM, which included three dives and a picnic lunch. The nearby "Blue Hole" was interesting and the dive is organized with safety in mind. The diving around Lighthouse is just "OK". Reef tops were about 45 to 60 feet below. No shore diving. Not much snorkeling. vis: 60­100 ft. water: 84­85 degrees. . . . Non diving spouse might be bored, but at least pampered. Very large cabanas or elegant beach house are comfortable and air­conditioned. Rarely saw divemasters on a dive because they were busy monitoring beginning divers and went up after 30 minutes. After we surfaced, they asked everyone to report their depth and time, and they recorded these. . . . Food was excellent. Meals were served rather than buffet. Several meals were served on the patio or on the dock, in the refreshing sea breezes. Water is well water and rain water. We were advised to only drink the rain water. A significant tax of hundreds of dollars (VAT) is added to your bill when you check out. Overall: Very pleasant."

Placencia

Seahorse Divers/Soul Shine, February 1997, Bill Wortman, Tulsa, OK. "Soul Shine Resort is advertised as a private island. It is an island because they had cut a canal through, so instead of a beach we faced a canal with a house on the other side. Mangrove swamp in the area which smelled like a sewer whenever the tide was out. We could not swim there nor could we view either the sunrise or set. The location was abominable! Owners were nice and pleasant, but they were gone several days and left a lady in charge who was neither pleasant or nice. Had the same sheets for over a week. . . . Dive shop was Seahorse Divers and brothers who owned and operated it were very nice and allowed us to fully use our computers. Unfortunately, they only had 3 dive sites. vis: 75­150 ft. . water: 75 degrees. The dive restrictions were 115 ft. on the wall. We could stay until we ran out of time or air, usually 50 minutes. We saw very little except pristine coral. February is a bad month."

St. Georges

St. George's Lodge, October 1996, David & Lucile James, Seattle, WA. "Resort and Fred Good (owner/operator) lived up to the glorified reputation we'd read about in these pages. Having dived throughout much of the world, we've never had more personalized attention anywhere! And Fred sniffs out where the most diverse marine activity will be at his many private dive sights, all within a few minutes' boat ride from his dock. Food and service were excellent. Don't miss their excursion to dive the wall off Turneffe Island."

St. George's Lodge, December 1996, Maureen and Steve Gordon, Atlanta, GA. "Third visit in four years; gets better and better. Diving with Fred Good, the owner, is an experience in itself. He pushes you to the maximum. A week with him is like having a postgraduate diving course. Used Nitrox for our second time and became certified. Additionally, Fred constantly points out interesting things during the dive. Fran, his partner, also took groups for diving. She is knowledgeable and enthusiastic. Thanks to Fran, the food at St. George's is the best that we have had during a diving trip. It was gourmet dining."

St. George's Lodge, December 1996, Edwin T. Phillips, La Verne, CA. "I am writing to say thank you. My wife (a non­ diver) and I wanted to plan a trip to Belize to celebrate our 40th anniversary. I found my Chapbook and chose St. George's Lodge and it and owner Fred Good lived up to all the wonderful things written about them. We were well taken care of from the time we arrived in Belize, until we left. Fred, Fran and the staff made us feel at home. Meals were great; wonderful home cooking, served family style. . . . Diving was excellent. Fred led most dives, pointing out every thing of interest he came across: rays, eels, large beautiful fish, sponges, black coral, as well as beautiful small fish, shrimp, etc. We noticed dolphins and quickly entered the water and did not see them again until the end of our dive. They started swimming around us, a pod of eight dolphins. Three dolphins separated from the pod and were "playing" together. We, Fred and I quickly noticed this was more than play. The male dolphin had an erection and the female's genitalia was visible. We stayed and watched the romancing for a few more minutes and then had to leave because we were low on air. This was a once in a lifetime event for me and it was a great end to a wonderful week of diving."

St. George's Lodge, April 1997, Philippe Watel, New York NY. "Fred and Fran the innkeepers really want you to have a pleasurable vacation, so a great emphasis is placed on hospitality, service and flexibility, but very laid back, from the time you arrive to the moment of departure. The lodge caters to few guests at a time (6-10 mostly couples) so this type of attention is possible. For example, tea or coffee and fresh juice are brought to you at 6:00 am on your patio (without waking you) in case you rise before breakfast and want to have refreshments in bed. . . . Stayed in comfortable cottage on the water with thatched roofs with big ceilings built in a solid beautiful wood. Wished I had mosquito net some nights when the wind was low, although fan and anti-bugs spirals are at your disposal. . . . Food (a very important item for an expatriate Frenchman): Fran makes sure that all menus are varied, healthy and tasty: food is plentiful and wonderful. Freshly baked bread at every meal with always some vegetables and a salad. Meals are taken at fixed hours on a big communal table (great for interacting with everyone). . . . Marine life. Good visibility, no currents, nice healthy reefs. Varied fish life. I saw most of the reef fishes which are in Humann's Book reef fish identification. Lots of sting rays, a few eagle rays, turtles, nurse sharks, and sometimes dolphins. Lacks "real" sharks and "large" stuff. 2-3 dives a day the first one around a depth of 120 feet. . . . Fred is one of the best dive master/instructor I have seen. Either done in a formal way (certification) or subtle way (pre/post dive briefing) every one gets some kind of personal instruction, advice or answers to questions one might have. He is big on Nitrox which is a good skill to pick along the way. Besides having tried it I'd never dive on air again if I could avoid it. Beautiful, quiet place, and personal attention with very nice mellow dives where your diving skills will improve."

St. George's Lodge, May 1997, Pete Garafola, Falls Church, VA. "From Miami an easy 2 hour flight. Arrived at 1pm, promptly greeted by Robert, their driver, shuttled to a waiting boat and whisked through the harbor at Belize City, out to St. George's. Easy 30 minute ride. I was warmly greeted by Fred, Fran, the staff and guests, My bags were handled by Tony, the boat driver, had a snack, and was ready for the 2:30 pm dive. . . . Fed Good, the proprietor, is friendly, informative, and a great divemaster, tailoring the diving to individual tastes and needs. He directly observe the capabilities and comfort of his divers, and adjusts dive spot and profile accordingly. For the better part my week, there were five guests; last 2 days, I was the only diver, so made a number of dives with Fred only; never hurried or rushed, or pushed to obey arbitrary rules. Always reviewed profile before diving and stuck to it. . . . Got Nitrox certification. Breathing 32 % Oxygen and 28 % Nitrogen, we dived parts of the reef that would otherwise have been inaccessible for no-decompression diving. A typical morning profile: 20 minutes at 120 feet, 30+ minutes at 50 feet. Afternoon typically 20 minutes at 98 feet, followed by 30 minutes at 50 feet. Using the optional 95 cubic foot tanks, we were able to safely spend more time in the water than I have been able to do elsewhere. I was less cold during the dives, and less fatigued after diving. . . . Vis not optimal due to steady winds, but below 40 feet water clarity improved. Large numbers of lobsters, a huge green moray entirely exposed, 6 feet loggerhead turtle at 120 feet, schools of horse eye jacks, good numbers large groupers, and snappers, (3 feet), numerous cleaning stations, 12 foot hammerhead shark at 100 feet eyeing horse-eyed jacks hovering over our group. Reefs are healthy ­­ lots of large barrel and tube sponges. Dives usually 10 minutes away. . . . Hospitality exemplary. staff friendly and helpful, tanks filled and gear ready to go before each dive. Each meal was a delight and portions were plentiful, all followed by delicious dessert. Excellent diving for both experienced and beginners."

Turneffe Flats, June 1996, Paul Rosenthal, Butte, MT. "Combination bonefish and diving trip; only diver out of ten guests and had the boat and dive crew at my disposal. Walls pristine and beautiful Divemaster went out of his way to please. vis: 50­70 ft. water: 78­82 degrees. No dive restrictions. Accommodations excellent. Wonderful home style local cooking. No beach and limited night diving opportunities, no non diver activities, photo lab or night life. Great trip."

Turneffe Flats, March 1997, Harry Pearson, Cape Canaveral, FL. "Flew into Belize City Airport. Staff met and transported me to Ramada Hotel for overnight. Next morning boat to resort & diving the same afternoon. 3 dives/day through the week. Boat back to mainland following Saturday and transported to Airport. Accommodation in sparkling clean duplex bungalows, meals served family style, pack lunch if you wanted to spend the entire day on the water away from the lodge. Managers Doug Ferguson and Nancy Shields saw to my every need. Turneffe Flats Resorts books mostly fishermen and never a crowded dive boat; this week I was the only diver. One couple was fishing or diving as they chose and a family of 3 took some scuba lessons. For the most part, Divemaster Kevin Hayden and I were on our own. He knows the area well and took me to his favorite dive sites or we went exploring. Plenty of fish, coral, sponges, etc., but the highlight of the week was encountering large southern sting rays feeding in the sand & we were able to approach within inches for a close look! Many eagle rays and sea turtles. A wonderful dive week. vis: 50­ 100 ft. water: 80­82 degrees."

Turneffe Island Lodge, January 1997, Terry Spennetta, Mazomanie, WI. "Very good dive operation and resort. Got our usual 15 dives in, but seemed to wear down the dive staff (short handed due to DEMA). No insect problems. Lots of stuff to see. DM went slow like we asked (photos & videos). Only 4­7 people diving. Saw sharks, leopard rays, dolphins. Local area is fished and most of lobster gone. vis: 50­150 ft. water: 75­79 degrees. Day trip to Blue Hole, Half Moon Cay with Boobie birds and the aquarium dive site. Really enjoyed this trip. Only real problem was malaria medicine, which led to significant dizziness at the end of one dive day. Malaria preventative medication was a major problem with dangerous side effects. Almost at the top of my list for dive locations." (Editors Note: A malaria prophylactic is unnecessary for Belize divers; there is some malaria possibility to the south and inland, but it's not to be found where divers tread."

Turneffe Island Lodge, July 1997, Roger and Donna Soape, Houston, TX. "Water 80-82 degrees; vis 80-90 feet. Sharks and eagle rays nearly every dive at the Elbow, plus huge schools of large jacks, permit and tarpon. Three to five divers on one boat; drift diving with divemaster. Wall is deep so part of dive spent off-gassing with large schools of snapper, jacks. Owners Dallas and Bobbie Gay are working hard to return this resort to greatness."

Turneffe Island Lodge, July 1997, Cat, Atlanta, GA. "Darrin, our divemaster, was personable and knowledgeable. Food exceptional, lodging. . . . much better than I expected for a private island, a/c in most rooms. Diving no more than 10 min. from island. All drift dives great vis, full of life, colors spectacular! vis: 80­100 ft. water: 80­82 degrees. Day trip to dive Blue Hole, Half Moon Wall and Long Caye Wall a new and great addition to dive package. A must vacation for serious divers. Worth every penny. Truly a divers paradise."

Copyright 1998 by DSDL, Inc., publishers of Undercurrent. All rights reserved. No portions of this report may be reproduced in any way, including photocopying and electronic data storage, without prior written permission from the publisher. For more information, contact DSDL, Inc., P.O. Box 1658, Sausalito, CA 94966.