Help Planning first Dive trip to Belize

[chillyinCanada]

Where's a good spot in Placencia for whale shark watching? are the Chabil Mar villas OK?

You can't see them from shore. It's a good 45 minutes or more out to Gladden Spit area.

The ocean delivers her delights at her whim. The whale sharks weren't coming around as much for a couple of years. I'm not sure about last spring.

 

[chillyinCanada]

You can't see them from shore. It's a good 45 minutes or more out to Gladden Spit area.

The ocean delivers her delights at her whim. The whale sharks weren't coming around as much for a couple of years. I'm not sure about last spring.

Thread 'Whale sharks 2025'

Dec 30, 2024

Once a year I do an update on whale shark sightings at Gladden Spit (years ago I did almost daily posting during the hale shark seasons in April, May and June). We are scheduling whale shark tours April 10 to April 20, May 10 to May 20 and June 9 to June 19 in 2025 but I need to caution you. In 2024 there were no whale shark sightings. In April 2023 there was one whale shark sighting and no whale shark sightings in May or June. In 2022, we did one whale shark tour in April and two in May (saw lots of bull sharks but no whale sharks). In 2021 we did three whale shark tours and saw a whale...

• Ralph Capeling
• Replies: 2
• Forum: Belize

 

[Snoweman]

Belize Pro is a good shop -- dove with them a few months ago. I wouldn't hesitate to dive with them if I were to go back, but honestly I'm not a huge fan of the island, Ambergris Caye (roads are horrendous, food a bit pricy, didn't see any great beaches - even Secret Beach) and the diving was just o.k. for Caribbean diving. If you like nurse and reef sharks, you'll see multiples every dive -- but not as many other interesting critters as I'm used to in the Caribbean.

Edit: We stayed at Grand Caribe Belize: the room was good, the restaurants were just o.k. and pricey (even charged for refills on coffee) and the beach was bad -- could only go about 20 feet into the water walking on seagrass and then blocked from going farther by something that looked kind of like a snow fence (but in the water) -- water was only up to my waist. Belize Pro did pick me up from the hotel's pier each morning.

Were you time limited diving with Belize Pro?

 

[nldunn]

I am trying to plan a dive trip to Belize with my wife for March (somewhere between 9th and 16th) 2025 for roughly 4-5 days. We are both SSI open water certified with Nitrox certification and will be bringing our own gear, we dive at least one big trip a year. We have been to Maui, Cozumel (many times, our favorite place so far), Honduras, Costa Maya, and small local spots near home in Missouri. The whole trips main focus is diving and we do want to dive the blue hole. While diving is the main event it is always nice to stay somewhere comfortable to relax on a beach when not diving. But other than sitting on a beach staring at the ocean and eating diving we don't really have any other needs. We had a friend that we were working with to plan this all out but he died suddenly and we are now without our Belize experienced friend. With so many small islands and different dive shops and the internet full of so many opinions I thought our best bet was to post here and ask for help. Can anyone make a some good suggestions or know a place to point me to that can help us lock down a good option?

Hi, would you share why you like Cozumel the best? My husband and I had our refresher dive there after not diving for 30 years (and we only dove twice when we were certified NAUI) and we loved the people and the food and the hotel but found the diving to be deep and more difficult on our two refresher dives there. And sorry I can't help you with Belize - I was on this thread for the same reason as you. We are in Cozumel now and looking for where to go for our next dive.
Thanks!!

 

[Snoweman]

Hi, would you share why you like Cozumel the best? My husband and I had our refresher dive there after not diving for 30 years (and we only dove twice when we were certified NAUI) and we loved the people and the food and the hotel but found the diving to be deep and more difficult on our two refresher dives there. And sorry I can't help you with Belize - I was on this thread for the same reason as you. We are in Cozumel now and looking for where to go for our next dive.
Thanks!!

I like Julio Kin VIP. I've known Julio for years. He and his DMs find stuff others don't find (Splendid Toad Fish, Sea Horses, and many other creatures).

I love Coz for the value (getting there, hotel costs, dining costs, etc). Also, drift diving is the easiest diving you can do. Drop off the boat, sink, drift, come up, get on the boat with snacks - rinse and repeat. Night diving is easy and wonderful as well. Enjoy!

EDIT: I think my favorite dive site is Palancar Bricks if the viz is good. The next one up is Santa Rosa Wall. But, all is great!

 

[MtnDiverColorado]

I'm a little surprised no one's mentioned Ramon's in San Pedro (apologies if someone did and I missed it). They are a pretty decent resort, and have a very turn key dive operation. I've dove with three shops in San Pedro, and while I don't plan to go back there any time soon, if I did, would probably just stay at Ramon's if for no other reason than ease...

 

[nldunn]

I like Julio Kin VIP. I've known Julio for years. He and his DMs find stuff others don't find (Splendid Toad Fish, Sea Horses, and many other creatures).

I love Coz for the value (getting there, hotel costs, dining costs, etc). Also, drift diving is the easiest diving you can do. Drop off the boat, sink, drift, come up, get on the boat with snacks - rinse and repeat. Night diving is easy and wonderful as well. Enjoy!

EDIT: I think my favorite dive site is Palancar Bricks if the viz is good. The next one up is Santa Rosa Wall. But, all is great!

Thank you! And I meant I am in Curacao this week. The diving is easier but the service at the hotel this time and the last time I was here is terrible! I think they hate us!

 

[Snoweman]

Thank you! And I meant I am in Curacao this week. The diving is easier but the service at the hotel this time and the last time I was here is terrible! I think they hate us!

I only did two dives in Curacao a year ago. I was so bummed out about the bleaching I had no interest in diving more.

 

[nldunn]

I only did two dives in Curacao a year ago. I was so bummed out about the bleaching I had no interest in diving more.

I don't know what it was like before, but everything here and in Cozumel looked grey with what looked like dust or algae on it. Still, it beats being at work and the fish were eating it.

 

[Snoweman]

I don't know what it was like before, but everything here and in Cozumel looked grey with what looked like dust or algae on it. Still, it beats being at work and the fish were eating it.

I was in Coz in September of last year, and I thought it looked pretty good. I was in Coz in 2019, and thought I would not return due to reef decline. I returned in 2020 because MX was one of the few places we could visit. I thought it had improved 100% from 2019. I attributed it to the southern resorts not pumping their untreated sewerage into the ground which then came out into the sea.