Belize - the secret's out

What I knew about Belize won’t take very long to explain. I knew it had a barrier reef, the second-longest behind Australia’s Great Barrier Reef in fact, was home to the famous Blue Hole dive site, and it was also a reliable place to go whaleshark spotting. That’s about all. So I had a lot to learn in the ten days I was to spend in Belize in May, and considering only 10,000 people from the UK visit Belize each year, it seems many more people have a lot to learn about this well-kept secret too.

Belize has more links to Britain than you might think. A former British colony known as British Honduras until its independence in 1981, Belize is the only country in Central America with English as its official language, yet many Belizeans also speak Kriol and Spanish, among other languages. Belize is a small country, with a population of a city the size of Cardiff spread over an area about the size of Wales, but it certainly packs a lot of punch into such a small space.

Most visitors head for the main tourist island of Ambergris Caye (pronounced key). The main town is San Pedro, a busy tourist hub which has retained its small-town feel, with the locals more likely to use golf buggies than cars to negotiate its narrow streets. Ambergris Caye is also where you’ll find the highest concentration of dive centres, around 20 in total, stretched out along its shores. I dived with Ecologic Divers while staying at Portofino Beach Resort and Ramons Village. Here the Belize barrier reef is most accessible, and just a five-minute boat ride from shore. There’s dive sites all along its185-mile length.

Unfortunately my visit didn’t coincide with one of the prime-time whaleshark spotting periods. You’ll need to time your holiday around the full moons in either of April, May and June for the best opportunities. The southern part of the country is best for whalesharks, so head to a good diving base like Placencia to go in search of these gentle giants.

The local inhabitants of the barrier reef off Ambergris Caye are nurse sharks, and you’ll spot them here in abundance, with up to 20 on some dives. I’d never before seen them in such numbers, and I believe Belize is one of the top places in the Caribbean to see nurse sharks. From a photographer’s point of view, they’re a blessing, as these bottom-dwellers let divers approach to within touching distance, but I was also conscious to reward their placid nature by not firing off too many flashguns in their faces.

Shark Ray Alley in the Hol Chan Marine Marine Park at the southern end of Ambergris Caye is a well-known snorkelling site. Far from being a poor relation compared to local dive sites like many snorkelling areas I’ve been too, Shark Ray Alley probably has more fish life than anywhere along Ambergris Caye. Nowadays, that’s probably down to the feeding of the nurse sharks that goes on here, but their presence is historically linked to the fisherman who used to clean their catch in this cut in the barrier reef.

Snorkelling boats were out in force when I arrived to dive Shark Ray Alley. They were in for a real treat at this exceptional site, but I was able to get closer to the action and see things they couldn’t, like huge tarpon hiding under rocky ledges in only a few metres of water and large shoals of snapper. As I jumped in to the water I had to watch out for the nurse sharks who had turned up in force expectant of an easy meal. As their got their fill and I went for some close-up action shots, I was caught up amid the melee as the sharks jostled for position. Much of this area is only about 2m deep, with large sandy areas populated with seagrass. Just under the dive boat a green turtle happily munched on some grass before rising to the surface for a gulp of air.

After the relative hustle and bustle of Ambergris Caye I was heading to Spanish Lookout Caye for some total relaxation. This 186-acre private island half an hour’s boat ride from Belize City is home to Hugh Parkey’s Belize Adventures. Accomodation at this homely resort is in wooden beachside cabanas positioned over the water. It’s a great place to explore nature after your day diving. Take a kayak, or like I did a small boat, and paddle among the mangroves looking for the elusive manatees which live around the island’s hidden creeks. I sat for half an hour and watched as a mother and calf surfaced for air every few minutes just a few metres from the boat. Here the night sky is inky black, so you might want to peer through one of two huge telescopes and look up at the stars. Otherwise, you’ll just want to appreciate some time to relax in a hammock or take a walk around the island at this intimate retreat where you’ll quickly make friends with the staff and fellow guests.

The offshore Lighthouse Reef Atoll and Glovers Reef Atoll are around two-and-a-half hours’ boat ride from the island, so it’s a comfortable full-day trip, but you might want to also consider one of the liveaboards which ply the waters of Belize. You’ll certainly be in for more pelagic encounters diving these more remote atolls. Typically, a day-boat dive to the Blue Hole will get you one deep dive in the Blue Hole, followed by two shallower reef dives.
Belize’s most well-known dive site is undoubtedly the Blue Hole, a World Heritage Site which was made famous by Jacques Cousteau when he filmed here in the 1970s.

The Blue Hole is located in the middle of Lighthouse Reef Atoll, around 60 miles offshore and itself one of Belize’s three coral atolls. Approached from your dive boat the hole looks like a perfect circle, 300 metres in diameter, and incredibly dark blue. Climb to the top deck for the best view.
The Blue Hole is around 145m deep, which accounts for the rich blue colour compared to the surrounding shallow reef. As you approach the rim, it tips over and heads straight down into the depths, where the temperature immediately drops about 5C. The walls are very short on life, and covered in a fine layer of silt so they appear almost white. Things get interesting as you get to around 35m as the wall cuts in creating an overhang from which enormous stalactites hang, some must be 50 or 60 feet long and look like giant corkscrews. Look out into the blue to catch bull and black tip reef sharks, although on this occasion the view was hampered by poor visibility. From reading other accounts, I gather the visibility is often exceptional, which would maybe explain why this site is held in such high regard.

While whaleshark dives are offered from Hugh Parkey’s and also dive operations on Ambergris Caye, it is the southern part of Belize where these creatures are more synonymous, and it was here I was heading next.
The village of Placencia is at the end of a peninsular separating the open ocean from the Placencia Lagoon. Tourist development is very low-scale, although there are signs of that changing with the construction of an international airport set to alter the landscape. At the time of writing, the building of a proper paved road linking Placencia to the Southern Highway is still an ongoing project, which gives you some idea of how little tourism has encroached on this part of the country.

Splash Dive Shop is building a larger premises to meet increased demand, but it was Roberts Grove dive centre who I joined for a trip out to the barrier reef. Here the topography was different, with spectacular walls to explore in the 25m range. As with all areas of Belize, I found the coral reefs to consist of a healthy mixture of purple barrel and yellow tube sponges, whip corals and gorgonians. Spotted eagle rays were spotted regularly, while turtles and the odd barracuda made an occasional appearance. The barrier reef may be further from the mainland here, but this means there is a larger area of shallow and sheltered coral reef dotted with tiny mangrove cayes. The water is a gorgeous green-blue colour and the boat ride is smooth and relaxing.

With my time spent diving over, I headed inland to the San Ignacio Resort Hotel in San Ignacio, and the Black Orchid Resort at Burrell Boom, for two day trips (see separate story). Being such a small country – it’s possible to drive across it in two-and-a-half hours – it’s quite possible to base your stay in one of the coastal towns or cayes for your diving, and do day trips inland. Alternatively, add a few days at the beginning or end of your holiday to really get a feel for what Belize has to offer.

Belize was home to the ancient Maya civilisation for 3,000 years, and today more than 35 major Mayan archaeological sites are dotted all over the country. Belize also has a massive underground cave system which can be explored on foot or by river tubing, ideal for families. With dense jungles, pine forests, and the highest waterfalls in Central America, Belize has much more to offer than your typical Caribbean destination. If you like your holidays to include a blend of tremendous diving and exciting land-based activities, then I can’t think of a better choice anywhere in the Caribbean.

Martin’s trip was organised by Dive Worldwide and The Belize Collection.