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New dive areas are being discovered every year, and many are found on the southern coast. These hold as much promise as the north but half the divers.
In Gladden Spit near Placencia, encounters with these graceful creatures while snorkeling or diving are all but guaranteed from April to June.
In addition to numerable Caribbean fish species, reef sharks and turtles, Belize’s barrier reef is home to the endemic whitespotted toadfish.
The most famous of Belize’s dive sites, this strange geological structure welcomes divers inside its circular depths, reaching 400 feet (124m) deep.
Traditionally, this was where fishermen cleaned their catch. Nurse sharks and rays were attracted to the area and have been coming ever since.
The wet season falls from August to October. These months tend to be the warmest with average temperatures around 82 or 84°F (28 or 29°C). The wet season also offers the best surface conditions, ensuring that all sites are accessible. Rainfall, while prevalent during these months, will only impact a few hours of the day. This means that most of the day will be sunny rather than rainy. More importantly, visibility may decrease due to runoff from nearby rivers.
October and November is grouper mating season. Thousands of these fish descend on the cayes to mate and give birth to their young.
August to October is considered low season for tourism and diving in Belize. However, the diving is only slightly impacted by the rain and many would argue that this is the best time to dive in Belize. You’ll find fewer crowds and the best deals during these months.
The drier of the two seasons is from November to July. These months bring slightly cooler temperatures above and below the water. However, temperatures will only drop by a couple of degrees and most divers are still comfortable in a shorty. Surface conditions can become choppy at this time, creating limited access to the more exposed sites. With that said, from November to July, you can expect little to no rain and excellent visibility.
April to June is considered the best time to dive in Belize. This is also high season so be prepared to see crowds at the Blue Hole and pay top dollar for your diving experience. April to June is also whale shark season in Placencia.
Ambergris Caye is the perfect location to access Belize’s best diving spots like the Great Blue Hole, Lighthouse Reef and the Hol Chan Marine Reserve.
Belize City juts into the Caribbean offering a convenient base for diving the Belize’s most famous locations like the Barrier Reef and the Blue Hole.
The sleepy islands of Caye Caulker offer easy access to the fantastic diving in the Blue Hole and on the second largest barrier reef in the world.
With the longest barrier reef in the western hemisphere and access to the Blue Hole, the outer cayes and atolls of Belize are an easy diving paradise.
Home to predictable whale shark encounters and the southern barrier reef, diving in Placencia is quickly becoming a popular alternative in Belize.
There are about 70 types of hard corals and around 400 species of fish in Belize. Expect hawksbill and loggerhead turtles, giant jewfish, eagle rays, and nurse sharks. Sea turtles nest on the sandy beaches from June to August. Placencia draws whale sharks from April to early June. Although rare, bull sharks, hammerhead sharks, lemon sharks, reef sharks and manatees are seen. Fish come in all the colors of the rainbow and include butterfly fish, angelfish, clown fish, parrotfish and even large barracudas and groupers. Critter-lovers will enjoy seeing seahorses and lobsters among the staghorn and elkhorn corals, and keep an eye out for the rare white spotted toadfish.
For better readability of the table, pass into the landscape mode.
