Thatch Caye, Hopkins, Placencia and Glover's Reef

Often overshadowed by more famous dive sites further north, the diving in Belize’s south is arguably even more impressive - and often far less crowded. Characterised by plunging walls, and pristine, protected reefs, these beautiful dive destinations are home to all of Belize’s signature marine life, from the grand-slam big three - permits, tarpon and bonefish - to Southern stingrays, eagles rays, nurse sharks and more.

Diving Glover's Reef

Belize’s southernmost atoll, Glover’s Reef, lies some 70-kilometres from the mainland, on the western edge of the Cayman Trough. This atoll is one of the country’s favoured dive spots, featuring an impressive inner lagoon scattered with more than 700 pristine patch reefs, and outer walls that plummet to depths of close to a kilometre. Eagles rays, dolphins, whale sharks and turtles can all be encountered, while tube sponges and swaying gorgonians decorate the reef. At Long Caye Wall, in particular, you can find almost every kind of Caribbean coral and manta rays occasionally glide past high in the water column. The Aquarium is located near Long Caye Wall, on the atolls southeast edge, and offers crystal clear waters with huge schools of creole wrasse and yellowtail snappers as well as horse-eye jack and black durgons as you venture off the wall. Seasonal whale shark sightings are possible between March and June, with April and May delivering the highest chance of an encounter.

Hopkins diving

The South Water Caye Marine Reserve is located less than 20-kilometres east of Hopkins, offering spectacular wall diving with Southern and roughtail stingrays, hawksbill and loggerhead turtles, nurse sharks, and eagle rays. Popular dive sites include Rosella's Garden, Trick Ridge, and The Abyss. In the far northeast corner of the South Water Caye Marine Reserve, just a stone's throw from the tiny Tobacco Caye, lies an interesting dive site known as Shark Pit. Here, hidden amongst the turtle grass bed, is a sinkhole that opens up into a domed chamber some 50-metres across. Sediment trickling into the sinkhole over the years has formed a sandy hill in the centre of the chamber. Lucky divers can often find several species of shark circling the hill, including blacktips, nurse, and even bull sharks.

Scuba diving near Placencia

Lying southeast of Placencia, The Laughing Bird Caye National Park is perfect for new or rusty divers. The island itself is part of an enclosed reef structure which surrounds an inner lagoon, forming a kind of miniature atoll, or faro. The reef slopes down to around 20-metres and is home to some interesting marine life, including eagle rays. Further east, the Gladden Spit and Silk Cayes Marine Reserve offers more seasonal whale shark sightings between March and June, and a spectacular wall dive at North Wall, where you can expect appearances from almost every kind Caribbean reef creature. Cubera snapper also aggregate to spawn at Gladden Spit from March through September. Heading a few miles south, Pompion Caye - or Pumpkin Caye - is well known for pretty lettuce leaf coral formations and a plunging wall where Caribbean reef sharks roam.