Great Blue Hole

The flight took about half hour to reach the Great Blue hole & an hour back , but we had to land elsewhere temporarily ( Caye Caulker- Tropic air terminal as there was a plane with a burst tire at John Grief 2 airport- if you are heading near San Pedro Belize do catch this opportunity- really recommended

It was an awesome experience flying over the Big Blue Hole. The bird's eye view of seeing the entire Big Blue Hole was amazing. In addition, the plane also flew over Belize Barrier Reef and Turneffe Atoll, which were beautiful. Along the way, saw a really picturesque shipwreck which constituted a great photo. The flight from Belize City took 1 hour and cost close to USD300, not cheap but worth it.

1. It was formed during several ice ages when sea levels were much lower. The collapse of a limestone cave system created this unique geological formation. 2. The hole is circular in shape, approximately 300 meters (984 feet) across and 125 meters (410 feet) deep. Its depth and perfect circular shape make it an ideal spot for divers to explore. 3. The Great Blue Hole is home to a variety of marine life, including tropical fish, sharks, and coral formations. Divers can encounter species like Caribbean reef sharks, nurse sharks, and various types of reef fish. 4. Diving into the Great Blue Hole is a bucket list experience for many divers. The clear, deep waters offer excellent visibility, and the underwater stalactites and stalagmites add to its allure. 5. While the Great Blue Hole is a captivating dive site, it can also be challenging due to its depth and the potential for strong currents. It's recommended for experienced divers. 6. The Great Blue Hole is part of the larger Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Conservation efforts are ongoing to protect this unique marine ecosystem. 7. The Great Blue Hole attracts tourists from around the world, who come to Belize specifically to dive or snorkel in its waters. Boat tours and diving excursions are available from nearby towns like Belize City and San Pedro.

Great Blue Hole, Belize The Great Blue Hole is a massive marine sinkhole located near the center of Lighthouse Reef, about 70 km (43 miles) from the mainland of Belize. It is part of the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Geological Formation The sinkhole is roughly 300 meters (984 feet) across and 125 meters (410 feet) deep. It was formed during multiple episodes of karstification and sea-level changes during the Pleistocene epoch. Initially, it was a limestone cave system on dry land. During the last ice age, sea levels were lower, exposing the cave system. Subsequent collapse of the cave roof and rising sea levels led to the formation of the water-filled sinkhole we see today. The walls reveal stratified limestone layers and stalactites, some of which are now submerged due to the inundation of seawater. Physical and Chemical Characteristics Depth: ~125 meters (410 feet). Diameter: ~300 meters (984 feet). Water: Saltwater with high clarity, allowing visibility of 30–40 meters, due to the lack of sediment inflow. The hole exhibits stratification of water layers, with warmer, oxygenated water at the surface and cooler, slightly hypoxic water at depth. Biological Aspects The Great Blue Hole supports a variety of marine life, particularly in its outer rim and reef edges. Species include reef sharks, groupers, snappers, parrotfish, and other tropical fish, as well as sponges and coral formations. The deeper parts are relatively barren due to low light and oxygen levels. Scientific and Recreational Significance The Great Blue Hole is of great interest to geologists, oceanographers, and climatologists, as its formations provide evidence of past sea levels, cave development, and carbonate deposition. It is a world-famous scuba diving destination, attracting divers eager to explore its vertical walls, stalactites, and marine biodiversity. The sinkhole also serves as a natural laboratory for studying submarine karst systems and extreme marine environments. Hazards The main risks are related to diving at depth, including nitrogen narcosis, decompression sickness, and strong currents. Surface conditions can change rapidly due to weather, and the sinkhole’s depth makes it unsuitable for casual swimming without proper diving equipment.

We went to the Blue Hole with Amigos del Mar. We were only snorkeling, so we were not able to see the cave formations. From what the divers on our boat said, that seemed pretty cool. We snorkeled for about 45 minutes and saw absolutely amazing coral formations and marine life. I highly recommend doing the Blue Hole tour with Amigos.

This is a full day activity, 11 to 13 hours on & in the water, depending on who you make reservations with if your leaving from San Pedro. Diving or snorkeling, the sunnier the weather the better viewing, it can be a rough ride across the open sea to get there depending on weather conditions too. It was a interesting & rewarding day, lots of different fish & sea creatures to see. I booked with ‘Amigos Del Mar’, completely satisfied! Pictures taken with an iPhone 8 inside water case. If you don’t already know the touch screen feature usually dose not respond correctly underwater, it is better to use the hard-buttons on side of case when picture taking underwater, make any adjustments on touch screen above water…

Fun diving experience at Great Blue Hole. Since it's a deep diving, the bottom time is around 8 min. I highly recommend bringing a 360 camera instead of just GoPro to capture the landscape of it. It is over 400ft deep, and we dove up to 137 ft down around the stalagtites. We went with Amigos del Mar diving shop in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye with a dive package. On this day, we started from Blue Hole, Half Moon Caye, then Long Caye Aquarium dives. It's about 2 hours away on a boat ride to get to Blue Hole from San Pedro, and the way there could be bumpy so you might want to take motionsickness meds the night before and the day of. It was a whole day tour, so started from 5:30am, and came back to San Pedro around 4:30pm. Worth visiting! Note: The great blue hole itself is almost impossible to see from the boat height. If you want to see the shape well, you would have to be seeing it from an aircraft.

While the actual blue hole may not have a lot to see marine life wise, it's still impressive seeing the walls and Stalagmites. However the dive sites nearby (Aquarium Long Wall and Half Moon Caye) are OUTSTANDING. Saw sharks, turtles, various rays, garden eels, parrotfish, barracuda and more. There are swim throughs, great drifts and overall amazing variety. Strongly recommend Frenchies Diving on Caye Caulker, highly professional, fun and solid equipment.