Great Blue Hole and Lighthouse Reef Atoll

Lighthouse Reef Atoll, Belize Barrier Reef Reserve · Belize

Challenging7 daysNorth America~£1,500 est.

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Overview

From the air it is a perfect navy circle punched into turquoise; from the dive deck it is oddly quiet water. You drop over the rim at Lighthouse Reef Atoll, follow the wall to 40 metres and swim beneath stalactites the size of church organs — formed when this cave was dry land in the last ice age, drowned as the seas rose. Caribbean reef sharks patrol the twilight below. Bottom time is short and the dive is more geology than fish soup, which is exactly why it belongs in your logbook. The trick is knowing the Blue Hole is one dive of many: Half Moon Caye Wall and The Aquarium on the same day trip are arguably better dives, with eagle rays, garden eels and a red-footed booby colony at the picnic stop. Base yourself in San Pedro or Caye Caulker; the atoll run is a bumpy two-to-three-hour crossing, so take seasickness tablets seriously. Operators want an advanced certificate and around 24 logged dives for the 40-metre profile. Budget about £1,500 for a week including the Blue Hole day and reef days; December to May brings the calmest crossings.