Diving in Belize (Blue Hole) or Honduras (Utila or Roatán)??

[Jessti]

I'm planning a trip to central America for November. I don't know where to go. Has anyone been to both? I hope to spot whale sharks or manatees. Heard that Utila is the best place to dive with whale sharks.. Help me decide! Thanks!

 

[DeputyDan]

Whale Sharks in the Utila region (of Honduras) in March/April
Whale sharks in southern Belize in April/May

You (probably) won't see whale sharks at your time of the year.

Manatees will be seen in Belize - Don't know about Honduras but probably not.

If the trip is a combination of diving and other activities go to Belize.
If diving focused - there is a rustic resort on Roatan (in Honduras) that a lot of us love to visit - It's called Coco View Dive Resort.

 

[diversteve]

Utila is snorkeling with whale sharks only - Honduran law. Unless of course you get lucky and one swims overhead while you're diving. In our experience that's likely not going to happen because all the ones we found were too deep off the north side to be diveable sites. We saw 8 over two days in late March.

November is a possibility but the best time is Spring. ^

Belize is diving with Whale Sharks. During the full moons around April-June. Specifically at Gladden Spit in Southern Belize - they show up nowhere else. (Cubera Snapper Spawn attracts them) After those months they're gone.

Roatan would be my third choice. I have read of whale sharks spotted there but nowhere near the frequency as Utila. It's why all the Whale Shark research operations are based on Utila and they run dedicated WS snorkel trips in the spring.

 

[kerrycorcoran]

Just returned from Roatan; stayed at Anthony's Key Resort. Didn't see Whale Sharks or Manatees, but had a blast none the less.

 

[Jessti]

thanks for the quick reply! The trip is definitely a combination of diving and other activities. Think my first choice will be Belize. But Belize is more expensive than Honduras.. I hope the blue hole is worth it!

 

[victorzamora]

If your dive count is correct, I HIGHLY suggest you search through the threads here for Blue Hole warnings. Dive operators take guys with not NEARLY enough experience on decompression dives into overhead environments on one tank with no redundancy and no backup plans. I'm cave AND deco certified with hundreds of dives, and I wouldn't do that dive with one tank. Most people also vehemently believe that the Blue Hole isn't worth it. It's worth doing once to say you've done it, and there's little or no reason to return.

Please, look around before you go. The regular diving around Belize and Roatan/Utila is all fantastic. There's no need to pay all the money to head out there for one short dive and risk what you'd be risking in those conditions.

 

[chillyinCanada]

The Blue Hole dive day is not just one short dive. It is a full day starting with a dive into the Great Blue Hole, followed by two fantastic dives Atoll dives, usually Halfmoon Caye wall and then Aquarium site. Included is a yummy lunch on the idyllic Halfmoon Caye itself. There's a trsil off the beach and into an area where can be seen the redfooted boobie bird. If you get your dive count up before the Blue Hole trip, perhaps you'll be more ready for it. I've been 12+ times. Love it but yeah, wouldn't go all that way just for the one dive. But the whole day is magnificent. Doesn't appeal to everyone and I'm still trying to figure out if Victor has actually been there or not.

---------- Post added May 16th, 2014 at 06:23 AM ----------

There are so many wonderful things to do in Belize. I highly recommend the ATM cave day tour. Look it up on the internet. (Actun Tunichil Muknal) (cave of the Crystal Sepulchre)aka (cave of the Crystal Maiden).

Belize can be done more inexpensively than it would appear. There are hostels and smaller hotels along the way. Street food is safe and there are also local hole in the wall type places.

I'm currently waiting for take off, literally! ! On my way to Placencia and then up to San Pedro.

I will more than likely go to the Blue Hole again.

 

[wico6768]

thanks for the quick reply! The trip is definitely a combination of diving and other activities. Think my first choice will be Belize. But Belize is more expensive than Honduras.. I hope the blue hole is worth it!

Haven't been to Roatan yet, but loved Belize.

However, although we took the blue hole trip, we snorkeled there and dove the other two locations.

We were beginners, and not comfortable doing that dive With us, was a guy who did his OW the previous day, and he did the dive. On the other two dives when we were also diving, the guy was finning everyone, vertical all the time, and just generally unable to not kick all of us and the reef.

Anyway, I know some people love the dive, but it's just dark, little to see, and deep. We love diving with sharks, just prefer that to be by the reef with everything else to see. So given our newness at the time, and what we've seen in video and heard from others, we decided not to do that dive. The snorkeling was ok, but we were very cold. Bad weather that day, and the trip took forever. Seriously. Also, they were about 45 min late picking us up in the morning, which was also annoying as we were told to be ready and on the dock by 5am.

We dove with a local small shop for the rest of our diving, and had a lot more fun, wouldn't personally do the trip to blue hole again, and definitely wouldn't plan the vacation specifically for that. We did love Belize generally.

 

[warmwaterturner]

Just returned from Roatan; stayed at Anthony's Key Resort. Didn't see Whale Sharks or Manatees, but had a blast none the less.

+1 for AKR. Just returned as well. Daily sightings of Eagle Rays, Sharks, Octopus, etc.......

 

[jpecht]

I never understand the people who say the Blue Hole dive isn't worth it. I dove it in January and March this year - and both times were spectacular dives with lots of sharks (including a hammerhead), and the eerie atmosphere I usually associate with wreck diving. It's up there in my favorite dives I've done. I do agree, however, that you probably shouldn't dive it without some experience deep diving and a good dive operation.