You Better BELIZE it!

[SoCalRich]

Back from St George's Cay, Belize. Had a great time 11 dives in 4 days. 1 main land excursion (Cave tubing & Zip line).
We missed all the hurricanes but still had some awesome thunder & lighting storms at night.
St George's Caye is a small 23 bungalow all inclusive resort. With just the right mix of rustic & modern conveniences. The staff will do most anything to accommodate their guest. Their Chef was creative and skilled.

The diving: 84* water temp at depth. 80+' Vis. All the dive sites where within minutes of the resort, two dives & back in time for lunch. Lion fish, and eels & spotted rays oh my. Shallow or deep dives there is plenty to see. First two days it was just me and the DM, hunting delicious Lion Fish (15 lions a day) and taking pictures. Never made the trip to the Blue Hole. too far, 2 hrs+ each way.

I'm no "Max Bottom Time", But here's a couple shots of the locals

 

[drrich2]

Love that hermit crab shot!

Glad to see a report on St. George's Cay. I've been curious as to where it 'fits' in the Belize dive scene, compared to the other options, and I'm curious as to what led you to choose it over other options. My quite possibly erroneous understanding of the Belize 'dive tourist' scene goes something like this:

1.) Best diving - Lighthouse atoll region, but that's way off the mainland, away from mainland attractions, so you either do one of the Aggressor live-aboard boats or maybe land-based with Huracan.

2.) Also very good - Turneffe Island Resort (& neighbors, I think?). Land-based, still pretty far removed from the mainland, fine diving.

3.) Ambergris Caye - more touristy, closer to the mainland, good diving but not up there with options 1.) & 2.), seems to draw a lot of people for a more 'rounded' (not all about the diving) dive trip.

4.) Caye Caulker - for people who want a more laid-back vibe than Ambergris Caye and don't mind longer dive boat rides.

5.) Placencia (where Splash Divers is praised) for a mainland-based rounded trip including some diving but also mainland topside excursions.

These are my impressions from reading on the forum and elsewhere (plus 1 live-aboard trip to Belize), so if other options and error corrections are welcome.

For the dive tourist looking at Belize, any idea where St. George's Cay 'fits' in terms of what might make divers want to pick it over other options? What was the topside like? I see from Google Maps it's smaller than Caye Caulker and far smaller than Ambergris Caye, but close to Royal Palm Island Resort and Hicks Cays. Do people venture over to those, or just stay on St. George's?

Richard.

 

[SoCalRich]

This was my first trip to the B-Zone. So I can't compare St G. with other resorts.
It is family stile dining and very quiet and just a quick boat ride to Belize city. We only left the island to do an excursion, Cave tube & Zip line( Bring a dive light!!! for the cave tubing). DO NOT go on excursions when the cruse ships are in port!!! We where lucky with our timing and had private tours. St. G, was the most economical $$ resort. The meals where perfect, and they would cook up your catch to share with the other guest. We enjoyed Lion fish, barracuda, snook?. They had fishing poles available for fishing off the shore or docks. Kayaks, Hobbi cats available as well. The wild life at the docks and the over water cabanas included. Manatees, Rays, angle fish, puffers, trumpets, tarpon,sharks, crabs and a 12' baby crocodile.

Good Divin
SoCalRich

 

[Pat Sharman]

Love that hermit crab shot!

Glad to see a report on St. George's Cay. I've been curious as to where it 'fits' in the Belize dive scene, compared to the other options, and I'm curious as to what led you to choose it over other options. My quite possibly erroneous understanding of the Belize 'dive tourist' scene goes something like this:

1.) Best diving - Lighthouse atoll region, but that's way off the mainland, away from mainland attractions, so you either do one of the Aggressor live-aboard boats or maybe land-based with Huracan.

2.) Also very good - Turneffe Island Resort (& neighbors, I think?). Land-based, still pretty far removed from the mainland, fine diving.

3.) Ambergris Caye - more touristy, closer to the mainland, good diving but not up there with options 1.) & 2.), seems to draw a lot of people for a more 'rounded' (not all about the diving) dive trip.

4.) Caye Caulker - for people who want a more laid-back vibe than Ambergris Caye and don't mind longer dive boat rides.

5.) Placencia (where Splash Divers is praised) for a mainland-based rounded trip including some diving but also mainland topside excursions.

These are my impressions from reading on the forum and elsewhere (plus 1 live-aboard trip to Belize), so if other options and error corrections are welcome.

For the dive tourist looking at Belize, any idea where St. George's Cay 'fits' in terms of what might make divers want to pick it over other options? What was the topside like? I see from Google Maps it's smaller than Caye Caulker and far smaller than Ambergris Caye, but close to Royal Palm Island Resort and Hicks Cays. Do people venture over to those, or just stay on St. George's?

Richard.

This is just the sort of info I need, thanks! Would you say the diving is better for sea life from Caye Caulker, or Placencia, and which would you say is cheaper (under the sea, and on the surface)

 

[drrich2]

I haven't stayed at either, just did a live aboard, but hopefully someone else can help. Belize offers divers a LOT of options.

 

[Downing]

Nice write-up, thanks. We don't hear much about St George's Caye here.

I admire that you had the balls to zip-line. I did it once. Never again. When people tell me they're afraid to dive, I respond that I'm afraid to zip-line.

Glad you had a good time.

 

[katzgar]

The best diving in Belize are the atolls. AC and CC dive the same reef but AC is closer and much more popular with divers. Placencia is 20 miles from the reef but easy access to mainland stuff. The blue hole is liked by some and disliked by others, use youtube to get a feel and decide.

 

[nuts4corals]

to the OP really enjoyed you pics...

 

[SoCalRich]

Thanks Nuts4, It's time for some new camera gear.

CORRECTION!! St Georges Caye, has only 12 bungalows (4 over the water, 4 Beach front, 4 in the garden), for a total of 24+ guest.

DAN Insurance:
Dive incident that week. One of the fellow divers felt ill enough after diving, that they where given oxygen and taken to the hospital on mainland. Two Doctors evaluated him and arrived at two different conclusions. They kept him for observation, then released in the morning.
The diver had a DAN policy, but never contacted DAN.

DAN is there for just this type of event, They are just a Phone call away.

Good Divin SoCalRich

 

[Downing]

The diver had a DAN policy, but never contacted DAN.

DAN is there for just this type of event, They are just a Phone call away.

That's too bad. Even if not needed to cover expenses, DAN likes to track these things.

I have happily spent my money on DAN's most expensive annual policy for years. I can't imagine diving without it.