Scuba Diving and Snorkeling

For many visitors to Belize, the marine attractions are their main reason for visiting the country. Belize has an unparalleled reef with varied coral formations along its 176-mile coastal barrier reef. Snorkelers and divers can experience the atolls, barrier reef, patch reefs, fish, flora, and sea life…endlessly.

If you do not dive and you want to enjoy the marine life, there is snorkeling, which can be just as exhilarating as diving. Snorkel in shallow water with brilliantly colored coral or over the deep ocean waters beyond the reef and experience the finest aquatic paradise in this hemisphere. Going at night is a good way to see a variety of nocturnal sea creatures that are entirely different from those seen during the day. Many dive operators can arrange trips to the Belize Barrier Reef and the atolls. By day, there is a plentiful variety of marine life also. Just make sure you bring a bathing suit, light cover clothing, towel, sunscreen and snorkeling equipment.

Dive Courses

Dive certification is available for PADI, NAUII and in some areas NITROX diving.
There are different levels including refresher courses, open water diving, and advanced open water diving. There are many dive shops that have all the gear you will need, which can be purchased or rented. In case of the event of a dive emergency, there is a hyperbaric chamber located in San Pedro Town, Ambergris Caye.

The Belize Barrier Reef

The reef spans Belize’s coastline and is covered with numerous coral species and wonderfully colored fish. Around many of the keys of Belize, you will find mangroves that act as a "nursery of the Caribbean.” You will find barracuda, snapper, tarpon, bonefish and many other species primarily found in the deeper waters of Belize’s coastline. The Belize Barrier Reef is the second largest in the world and the largest coral reef ecosystem in this Hemisphere for its size. Aesthetically and ecologically, its integrity is virtually unharmed. Forming a nearly continuous fortification for 150 miles along the continental shelf edge, the Belize Barrier Reef provides life and security to all of Belize. The Belize Barrier Reef ecosystem has remained pristine because the small, subsistence-level population has not stressed it unduly, keeping it a diver's dream.