Is It Worth Snorkeling The Blue Hole Belize?

The Great Blue Hole, also known as the Great Blue Hole, is a massive underwater sinkhole located off the coast of Belize, along Belize’s Great Barrier Reef. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most beautiful places in the world. Thousands of years ago, it was a limestone cave. Today, Belize offers a variety of snorkeling safaris, including resort-based tours, liveaboards, and photography workshops.

The Great Blue Hole is about 300 meters (984 feet) across and 124 meters (407 feet) deep. It is located off the coast of Belize’s Lighthouse Reef Atoll and requires a minimum of 10 divers or snorkelers to confirm a trip. Although not the best snorkeling experience, it is definitely worth going, especially if it is part of a day trip to visit multiple places.

Blue Hole snorkeling takes a long boat ride and offers little for snorkelers. The cost for a 2.5-hour trip is $220, and the sea may be rough, plus going through the reef cut. Most tours offer a unique opportunity to explore the mysterious Blue Hole, swim alongside vibrant coral reefs at Half Moon Caye, and discover the stunning underwater world.

For full-day scuba dive Blue Hole Belize tours, the price varies slightly depending on pick-up time. The dives after are spectacular, and snorkeling around the Blue Hole is some of the best in Belize. You can spend an hour and enjoy while divers go into the dark for five minutes.

Is the Blue Hole flight worth it?

So, is the Great Blue Hole worth it? In our opinion, 10000% YES!

It is such a unique and mind-blowing sight, seeing it with your own eyes is a special, once-in-a-lifetime experience. I hope this Great Blue Hole review has convinced you that it’s worth the splurge.

If you’re in Caye Caulker or Ambergris Caye and have the opportunity, our advice is – do it!

Is the Great Blue Hole Belize on your bucket list? Tell me in the comments below which option you are choosing, scenic flight or scuba diving?

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How many people have died in the Blue Hole in Belize?

The dive site is reputed to have the most diver fatalities in the world with estimates of between 130 and 200 fatalities in recent years. The reasons for why this site has such a high number of fatalities are not clearly understood.

The Blue Hole was historically avoided by Bedouin tribes people who inhabited the area.(citation needed)

The Sinai Peninsula was occupied by Israel from the Six-Day War of 1967 until it was returned to Egypt by Israel under the Egypt–Israel peace treaty in 1979. During the Israeli occupation, the Blue Hole developed a significant international reputation as a dive site. In 1968 a group of Israeli divers led by Alex Shell were the first to dive the hole with modern scuba diving equipment. During the dive, they noticed the underwater arch.(citation needed)

How long does it take to get to the Great Blue Hole?

How to Visit the Great Blue Hole. The Great Blue Hole is about 43 miles from mainland Belize, but most visitors will be visiting via boat or helicopter from one of Belize’s many barrier islands.

Getting there by boat can take between three and four hours, depending on if you’re coming from the north or the south. “It’s ideal to visit the Great Blue Hole from the northern part of Belize because it’s easier to get to from there,” said Patricia Johnson, director of Absolute Belize and a Travel + Leisure A-List Advisor.

If you’re looking for a budget-friendly way to see the Great Blue Hole, you can arrange for a shared tour with a local tour operator like Amigos Del Mar, which Johnson recommends. If you want something a little bit more intimate, you can jump to the next tier and charter a boat exclusively for your group or even book a multi-night catamaran adventure.

“The ultimate way to visit is by chartering a catamaran,” said Johnson. “You have your own floating hotel, and you’re out there just enjoying the atoll.”

Can you snorkel in the Great Blue Hole in Belize?

The Great Blue Hole. The adventure begins with a thrilling boat ride (approx. 2.5hrs) from San Pedro, Belize, to the iconic Blue Hole. This marine marvel is a perfectly circular sinkhole that reaches depths of over 400 feet (124 meters). As you approach, the sapphire waters of the Caribbean Sea transform into a deep indigo, and you’ll feel the excitement building. The Blue Hole is a world-renowned marine site, attracting divers and snorkelers from around the globe eager to explore its incredible underwater formations, including stalactites and limestone formations. Even if you’re not a diver, you can still appreciate the beauty of this natural wonder from the surface, surrounded by the sheer limestone walls and the possibility of spotting sharks and other marine life.

Half Moon Caye Snorkel. Snorkeling at Half Moon Caye is like entering an aquatic wonderland. This reef, located just offshore, features stunning coral formations teeming with colorful fish and other marine creatures. The vibrant coral gardens create a kaleidoscope of colors and provide a safe haven for a wide range of species, making it an ideal spot for snorkelers to encounter the underwater beauty of Belize.

Half Moon Caye Island. After the awe-inspiring snorkel to the Blue Hole and Half Moon Caye, your tour continues to the island of Half Moon Caye, a protected marine reserve and a UNESCO World Heritage site. This remote and pristine island is an essential nesting ground for the rare red-footed booby bird, and its white sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters make it a picture-perfect paradise. Relax and have lunch on the beach, explore the island’s trails,or bird-watch to witness the incredible diversity of avian life.

Is it worth going to the Great Blue Hole?

You’ve seen it featured in NatGeo, Discovery, Travel and just about every scuba media outlet in the world. 1000ft wide, 400 feet deep, this geological wonder lies 2 hours by boat off the coast of Belize. Its been named one of the best dive spots by Jacques Cousteau, one of the natural world wonders, and holds a place on the list of top 10 of the most amazing places on earth. And naturally, it was an adventure that I wasn’t willing to compromise on, so and it was at the top of our list.

Our first stop in Belize was Caye Caulker, a small island off the mainland,famous for its laid back vibe and ease of organization/participation in everything water-adventure related. But having missed the first day and a half of our trip due to flight delays, we arrived without a plan, sufficient time, or prior reservations for a dive charter. So with our fingers crossed, webegan wandering the island in search of a dive company that would take us out to the barrier reef the next day.

After a few failed attempts to secure last minute spots, a quick google search directed us down a side street to our last hope. Luckily they had two spots open.We spent the next twenty minutes verifying our SCUBA certification cards; confirming our appropriate certification levels; and filling out paperwork releasing the company of any liability in the event of an accident. The usual. Then we forked over a pretty penny and walked out with two reservations for 5am the next morning.

Is snorkeling the Blue Hole worth it?

You’d need an entire day to explore the entire perimeter. It isn’t the best snorkeling experience, but definitely worth going, especially if it’s part of a day trip to visit multiple places.

Can you swim in the Blue Hole in Belize?

It closes at 4PM, but you don’t need a whole lot of time here. You can swim in the Blue Hole, the water is not cold.

Can beginners dive the blue hole Belize?

Outer Atolls. The three outer atolls (Turneffe Atoll, Glover’s Atoll andLighthouse Reef) are a huge draw for divers, with Lighthouse Reef’sGreat Blue Hole topping many visitors’ Belizean bucket lists.Although the Great Blue Hole is not ideal for beginners (it’s deepand dark), the nearby sites on the protected Belize Barrier Reefoffer some of the best beginner diving in Belize, with The Aquariumdive site being a particular highlight.

Southern Belize. The southern region of Belize is perfect for those looking forseclusion and scuba away from the madding crowds. You can stay in aFrancis Ford Coppola-owned beachfront resort in Placencia or aprivate-island paradise on the edge of Gladden Spit. NearbyLaughing Bird Caye offers shallow sites ideal for snorkellers anddivers alike, while Silk Cayes Marine Reserve sees annual spawningaggregations of snapper between March and June, which attractshungry whale sharks to the area.

Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Hol Chan Marine Reserve, a stone’s throw from the southern tipof Ambergris Caye, boasts colourful coral formations and anabundance of marine life. While nearby Shark Ray Alley is a greatplace to spot nurse sharks and southern stingrays, its gentleconditions are perfect for diving newcomers.

How deep is the Blue Hole in Belize?

410 ft It lies near the center of Lighthouse Reef, a small atoll 100 kilometers (62 mi) from the mainland and Belize City. The hole is perfectly circular in shape, over 300 meters (1000 ft) across, 3140 feet circumference and 125 meters (410 ft) deep.

Easily recognizable from space, the Belize Blue Hole, sometimes known as the Great Blue Hole, is one of the most iconic dive spots in Belize.

Here are 10 fascinating facts about the Belize Blue Hole:

1 – Size and Dimensions. The Belize Blue Hole is almost perfectly circular in shape, measuring 300 meters (984 feet) across and 108 meters (354 feet) deep.

Has anyone ever been to the bottom of the Great Blue Hole?

The expedition. In 2018, Richard Branson and a crew from Aquatica Submarines carried out a descent to the bottom of the Great Blue Hole.

Despite life being found at much greater depths in the open ocean, they found that once they got to 90 meters any signs of life began to diminish.

Erika Bergman, who went on the expedition, explained that this was due to a layer of hydrogen sulphide across the sinkhole which, in addition to being toxic, prevented oxygen from getting to its deepest points.

What is the best way to see the blue hole in Belize?

You can also see the Great Blue Hole via helicopter tours — ideal for non-divers who want to skip the long boat ride. “The Blue Hole is great for diving and snorkeling, but for people who just want to see it because it’s a bucket-list item, they can do a helicopter tour over the Blue Hole and take some amazing pictures.” Fly-over tours are great because they’re fast and provide gorgeous visuals of the entire Blue Hole from above. Johnson recommends Tropic Air, which offers fly-overs twice a week from Ambergris Caye.

Diving the Great Blue Hole. The Great Blue Hole is one of the most famous dive sites in the world, drawing people from all over the planet who want to explore its mysterious depths. There are millennia worth of stalactites, stalagmites, and, yes, even a few sharks. The entire area surrounding the Great Blue Hole is prime real estate for spotting a kaleidoscope of tropical fish, shrimp, and other Caribbean wildlife, so it’s a paradise for people who love to explore the world below the surface of the water.

That said, only those who are fully qualified can dive here — it is not a dive for beginners. To be qualified, divers need at least an Open Water or Advanced Open Water diving certification. Before diving the Blue Hole, divers will typically practice their skills with a divemaster who will make the final call on whose skills are up to the challenges of the Blue Hole. (Ask your tour operator for the specific requirements before you book.)

What kind of sharks are in the Blue Hole Belize?

4. Many species of sharks live in or near the cave. Biodiversity is one of the most important reasons why people want to see Great Blue Hole. In particular, this place is home to several shark species including Caribbean reef sharks, nurse sharks, hammerheads, bull sharks, and black tip sharks.

5. The name was coined by a diver. It’s only logical that the current name of the Great Blue Hole was proposed by a British diver and author named Ned Middleton who saw its wonders with his own eyes and appreciated them greatly.

6. Great Blue Hole is a part of a larger coral reef. In fact, it is located right in the middle of Lighthouse Reef, one of the three atolls within the Belize Barrier Reef. However, the origin of the Belize Blue Hole is related to the glacial processes of limestone erosion, not the buildup of corrals.