Belize · dive site guide
Great Blue Hole diving: depth, card, and how to get there
The Great Blue Hole is a round sinkhole near the middle of Lighthouse Reef, an atoll 70 km off Belize City. It is 412 ft deep and about 1,000 ft across. Divers reach it on day trips from Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker.
The short version.
Depth on the dive: 13-40 m on our map. Level: Advanced.
Card: set by each dive shop, not the park. Ask before you book.
Park fee: BZD 60 a day for non-nationals.
Depth and the card you need
The Belize Audubon Society, which manages the Great Blue Hole Natural Monument, describes it as a submerged collapsed cave, 412 ft (126 m) deep and about 1,000 ft (305 m) across. Recreational dives stay far above the bottom: our map lists the dive at 13-40 m, and rates it advanced.
The park's page sets no certification level, so each shop sets its own rule. Ask the shop what card and how many logged dives it wants before you pay.
Getting there
Day boats leave from Ambergris Caye (San Pedro) and Caye Caulker, where the Belize Tourism Board lists dive shops that run Blue Hole trips. Liveaboards that sail to Lighthouse Reef are on our Belize page.
The other dives on Lighthouse Reef
Half Moon Caye Wall
Wall and coral passages beside Half Moon Caye Natural Monument, usually the second dive of a Blue Hole day.
Long Caye Aquarium
Reef at Long Caye on Lighthouse Reef with dense fish life and lobsters. Visibility often over 30 m.
Long Caye Wall
Wall dive with swim-throughs on the west side of Lighthouse Reef.
West Point (Lighthouse Reef)
Deep wall drop-off on the west side of Lighthouse Reef.
Where to stay for a Blue Hole trip
Stay on Ambergris Caye or Caye Caulker, near the shop that runs your trip. No hotel on our map is near the Blue Hole itself. These are our Belize stays, closest to the Blue Hole first, in a straight line.
Bella's Backpackers
Family-run hostel on Crocodile Street, Caye Caulker, four blocks from the water taxi, with dorms, private rooms and cabins.
CayeReef
Beachfront apartments of about 1,000 sq ft on Caye Caulker, within walking distance of the island dive shops.
Victoria House Resort & Spa
Beachfront resort south of town, closest of these stays to Hol Chan. Dive and snorkel trips are arranged through the activity center with pickup from the hotel pier.
Ramon's Village Resort
Beachfront resort on Coconut Drive in San Pedro with its own dive center, Ramon's Village Divers, operating from the resort dock.
SunBreeze Hotel
Beachfront hotel at 7 Coconut Drive, walking distance to San Pedro town, with an on-site PADI 5 Star dive center.
Sandbar Beachfront Hotel & Hostel
Beachfront hostel with dorms, private rooms, a communal kitchen and a rooftop pool on Boca del Rio Drive in San Pedro.
Grand Caribe Resort
Studio to five-bedroom condos with full kitchens about 2 miles north of San Pedro, with a dock and six pools.
Belizean Shores Resort
Suites with full kitchens about 3.5 miles north of San Pedro. Dive trips are booked through partner operators.
Book a Blue Hole dive
Great Blue Hole and Lighthouse Reef dive day
Park rules
The Great Blue Hole Natural Monument is managed by the Belize Audubon Society and charges non-nationals a daily entrance fee, which dive operators usually add to the trip price. Boats must contact Half Moon Caye park rangers on VHF Channel 16 before mooring or anchoring in the Half Moon Caye and Blue Hole Natural Monuments. Hol Chan Marine Reserve also charges a separate park fee, and dives there are made with a licensed guide.
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Great Blue Hole?
The sinkhole is 412 ft (126 m) deep and about 1,000 ft (305 m) across, according to the Belize Audubon Society, which manages it. Divers do not go near the bottom: our map lists the dive at 13-40 m.
What certification do I need to dive the Blue Hole?
The Belize Audubon Society's page for the monument sets no card level, so each dive shop sets its own. Our map rates the Blue Hole as an advanced dive. Ask the shop for its rule before you pay.
Can I dive the Blue Hole on a day trip?
Yes. Dive shops on Ambergris Caye and Caye Caulker run day trips to the Blue Hole, and the Viator trip on this page leaves from Ambergris Caye. Lighthouse Reef, the atoll it sits in, is 70 km from Belize City and the mainland. Liveaboards that sail there are listed on our Belize page.
Is there a park fee for the Blue Hole?
Yes. The Great Blue Hole Natural Monument charges non-nationals BZD 60 a day, according to the Belize Audubon Society. Ask whether your trip price includes it.
Where should I stay to dive the Blue Hole?
On Ambergris Caye or Caye Caulker, near the dive shop that runs your trip. No hotel on our map is close to the Blue Hole itself: the nearest, Bella's Backpackers, is 70.7 km away in a straight line.
Sources
- Belize Audubon Society, Blue Hole Natural Monument
- Wikipedia, Great Blue Hole
- Belize Tourism Board, Caye Caulker dive shop listing
- NOAA
- Belize Audubon Society
- dive directory