The Blue Hole in Belize

[dmyers]

I am thinking about going on a dive trip this summer to the Blue Hole in Belize. Has anyone been there and is it worth the money for airfare, hotel and dive boat tour? Hoping for a little more information than a "yes it is". What kind of marine life (sharks, fish, etc.) do you see and how deep.

What I don't want to do is drop to 100 or so feet and just have a few minutes to look around. Nitrox is not a problem if it is offered, just want to make sure it is worth the expense.

 

[Hawkwood]

It's 140 feet and you will only have a few minutes to look around. Only you can decide if that is worth it.

 

[jlevine]

There are many threads in this forum about diving the Blue Hole. If you are starting in San Pedro, you will do the Blue Hole and two other dives. The two additional dives make it worthwhile.

 

[DevonDiver]

The Blue Hole is a dive unlike any other. I'm not sure if it's an "amazing" dive, but it is certainly unique. You wouldn't go all the way to Belize 'just' to dive the Blue Hole though. Belize sits upon the second largest coral barrier reef in the world - so there's a wealth of amazing dives to be enjoyed there.

Most of the dive operations run out of the Cayes. The Blue Hole is the furthest site from there - a day trip in it's own right, normally done as part of a 3-dive day-tour taking in several different sites. Trips leave very early am - I remember watching the dawn glow rise in a pitch dark sky from the end of a pier whilst waiting for the boat to arrive.

From what I've seen, experienced and heard, most dives on the Blue Hole are deep. It's a straight drop down to 130-140ft - which is where the overhang starts and you can swim amongst the stalactites. There's not much to see above that. It's a deep, dark and eerie dive. Below the divers, the water drops into inky darkness over 900ft deep. Narcosis is evident at those depths. By rights, such a dive should demand a high level of diver experience, but I noticed many (very) inexperienced divers amongst the groups there - which could be a recipe for disaster.

When I dived there, the DM was particularly un-observant, swimming along at the front of the group and not looking back much. He didn't intervene when some (inexperienced open water level) divers dropped significantly below the briefed depth. At the time I was at 44m/145ft...and some of the divers were at least 8-10m/26-32ft below me...so, they were at least 50+m deep...

Nitrox isn't that relevant for the Blue Hole dive itself. The depth means you'll only have a lean mix (MOD to be planned for 42-44m). Buoyancy control has to be good, as it's a wall type dive - enough danger with narcosis and depth to merit advice that adding O2 tox risk is possibly a bad call, depending on your experience.

We saw a bunch of large Grey Reef sharks as we started to ascend. They kept level with us throughout the ascent, so everyone got a good view. Other than that, there wasn't much marine life of note. The safety stop was carried out over the shallow reef fringing the hole.

Other sites off the Cayes had much more marine life. Several sites were swarming stingrays and nurse sharks. The corals were plentiful and vibrant. Other than the Blue Hole trip, most of the sites were just 10 minutes off the pier.

So, in short, it isn't worth going to Belize just to dive the Blue Hole. Whilst the Blue Hole is a unique experience and very memorable, it isn't a fantastic dive for coral or marine life. However, there's a myriad selection of other dives off the Cayes that do make Belize a very attractive destination for divers. It worth going to Belize for the sum of all it's dive site options...

 

[supergaijin]

Nitrox is not a problem if it is offered, just want to make sure it is worth the expense.

It's 140 feet

Nitrox still not a problem? You'd be better off with mixed gases. There are a bunch of threads on this dive- many are on diver incidents or near misses. Have a search.

From what I understand, there are sharks in the deep. It also sounds like one of the most dangerous 'recreational' dives in the world (dues to depth and cowboy ops).

 

[DevonDiver]

Nitrox still not a problem? You'd be better off with mixed gases....It also sounds like one of the most dangerous 'recreational' dives in the world (dues to depth and cowboy ops).

By rights, the dive should be firmly in 'technical diving' territory. Both for safety and enjoyment. The only reason it isn't... tourist $$$'s.

 

[driftwood]

Blue Hole was made famous by Jacques Cousteau. I know one of the divers who was on the Calypso. They dynamited a channel into the lagoon for an aerial photo of the Calypso. For that reason alone, not a chance I would ever dive there.

 

[KeithG]

I am thinking about going on a dive trip this summer to the Blue Hole in Belize. Has anyone been there and is it worth the money for airfare, hotel and dive boat tour? Hoping for a little more information than a "yes it is". What kind of marine life (sharks, fish, etc.) do you see and how deep.

What I don't want to do is drop to 100 or so feet and just have a few minutes to look around. Nitrox is not a problem if it is offered, just want to make sure it is worth the expense.

Yes been there (many times...dove it just once)
Worth it? No. Shortest dive since my first dive after certification.
Marine life == none.
142 feet.
nitrox? Please review your course material...

 

[BDSC]

Blue Hole was made famous by Jacques Cousteau. I know one of the divers who was on the Calypso. They dynamited a channel into the lagoon for an aerial photo of the Calypso. For that reason alone, not a chance I would ever dive there.

This rumor comes up now and then but appears to be quite false. Here is part of an article from an interview with Ramon Nunez.

In 1972 the Government contacted Ramon, the only certified native diver in the country at the time, and asked him to guide Jacques Cousteau during his visit to the country. He would guide Cousteau to the Blue Hole, as well as to the cavern under Caye Caulker. In Ramon's words, "This was the experience of a lifetime!" He lived aboard the Calypso for a week with all the crew, as well as singer John Denver, who, at this time, penned and sang the Calypso's famous theme song. Ramon remembers that the equipment on the Calypso was cutting edge and fondly recalls how every afternoon the crew would enjoy a barbeque as John Denver sang for them all.

The famous shot of the Calypso in the Blue Hole was taken after they brought the vessel around through the west entrance of Longboat Key, where the water is deep. Before Cousteau even arrived, Ramon and others had marked all the coral with buoys to prevent damage to the reef. No damage was done to the reef during the entire expedition. Ramon scoffs at the rumors of dynamite being used to blow a hole into the reef to allow the Calypso to enter the Blue Hole. Great care was taken by Nunez and others to prevent any damage to the precious reef. Marine Biologist, Richie Wood, was also present at the time and verified this account.

 

[halocline]

Ramon remembers that the equipment on the Calypso was cutting edge and fondly recalls how every afternoon the crew would enjoy a barbeque as John Denver sang for them all.

Thanks for this post clearing up the reef destruction rumor, I just wanted to add that having John Denver sing would be a great way to ruin a barbecue...

(okay John Denver fans, let me have it...)