The Great Blue Hole in Belize – is a popular destination among recreational scuba divers but be mindful of your certifications because diving in the Great Blue Hole is not for the feint of heart although the surrounding atolls are perfect for beginner divers. Of course for advanced divers nothing beats the excitement of going as deep as 125 meters.
For those of you who are not familiar with the place, let me introduce you to this phenomenal diving paradise just 70 km off Belize City. So the next time you think about logging more hours to your diving, you might as well think about diving the Great Blue Hole which is a famous UNESCO World Heritage Site. Another thing, the Great Blue Hole topped the list of Discovery Channel’s “The 10 Most Amazing Places on Earth” in 2012.
The Great Blue Hole was formed eons ago practically carved from solid rock when the world was still freezing at the last grips of the ice age, then the sea started rising and filling the abyss with tiny fragments of limestone rocks. This activity continued for hundreds of years until multicolored stalactites and stalagmites formed from incessant water filtering through the great stone cathedrals.
Fast-forward in time, the Great Blue Hole is now circular in shape with a diameter of 300 meters and with a staggering depth of 125 meters. It’s also part of the Great Barrier Reef Reserve System ensuring that it stays pristine for future generations of mankind to experience.
As a world-class diving destination, the recreational diver in you is going to wonder what’s in it for you. First things first, there is the crystal clear water teeming with rich marine biodiversity and secondly, the exhilarating sensation of experiencing a bit of the area’s rich natural history.
Jacques Cousteau, the first explorer of the Great Blue Hole and its surrounding atolls said that ancient Maya people once inhabited a few of the atoll islands so logically speaking there is bound to be a few archeological traces that are yet to be discovered. Nonetheless, lots of European explorers have chartered the coastline and all agreed that the coral reef in the area are not just pristine but genuinely rich in natural history or simply said, formed many years ago.
If you’re up for the fascinating diving in the Great Blue Hole in Belize, be prepared to be wowed by incredible rock formations; and of course engage your diving appetite with the Caribbean reef shark, Midnight Parrotfish, and several species of shark including bull shark and hammerheads not to mention other juvenile fish species waiting for you in the pristine crystal clear waters.
A little note though, getting to the Great Blue Hole is quite fun in itself because it’s pretty much isolated. Divers do love remoteness as it promises the most pristine waters and unspoiled marine life and the scenery is simply beyond your imagination.
