Diving Sites

Lighthouse Reef, the Turneffe Island Atoll and Glover's Reef Atoll together cover more than 400 square miles with a total of 140 miles of drop-off walls. Incredibly, these atolls comprise as much reef surface as the Belize barrier reef itself! These Belizean atolls, unlike Pacific atolls built on volcanoes, actually sit atop two parallel submarine ridges close enough to the surface to allow the formation of massive coral and sponge growths.

Southern Barrier Reef Trips
Departure time: 8:00 AM
Approx. return time: 1:00 PM
Number of dives: Two
Food/Drinks: Snack, Juice & Water
What to bring: Sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, wetsuit (available at dive shop), camera, candy bars/power bars, etc.

These trips will explore areas from just north of Tobacco Caye to a cut five miles south of South Water Caye called Grand Channel. The trip out to the Barrier Reef is ten miles and it takes 30-40 minutes to get to the first dive site. The pristine southern section of the Barrier Reef sees few divers and is typically a wall dive that is interspersed with sand channels and spur and groove sections. With literally dozens of dive sites, divemasters will show you a wide variety of this area. You will rarely dive the same site twice. We often see turtles, moray eels, barracuda, king mackerel, eagle rays and southern stingrays. Hamanasi divers have seen during Barrier Reef dives Manta Rays, Hammerhead Sharks, Jew Fish and Dolphins up close. Some of our common dive sites include Jason's Wall, Elsie's Aquarium, Carrie Bow, South Water Wall, Trick Ridge, Hell Hole and The Abyss. On these trips we often stop by a "postcard" coral isle, such as South Water Caye, perched right on the Barrier Reef.

Glovers Atoll
Departure time: 7:00 AM
Approx. return time: 4:30 PM
Number of dives: Three
Minimum number of divers: 8
Food/Drinks: Lunch, Juice & Water
Snorklers: No
What to bring: Sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, wetsuit (available at dive shop), camera & candy bars/power bars

Located due east of our dock this remote island group probably best represents the incredible diversity and pure diving potential that Belize has to offer. We motor out sixteen miles past the barrier reef which takes us just over one hour to the first dive site. If visibility is good we like to dive a site called "The Pinacales" which has big coral heads rising up 40 feet or more from the bottom. Our second and third dives are on the East side of the Atoll where the water depth quickly drops off to more than 2000 feet and visibility is usually over 100 feet. We dive several sites on this side of the Atoll and usually dive Long Caye Wall; a world class dive that is always memorable. We drop onto a big field of bright white sand at 40 feet, home to southern stingrays and garden eels. While descending you can spot eels slowly dropping into their holes. As you approach the wall running the length of the sandy area it looks like the coral is growing out of the sand bottom in big chunks. Just as you crest the wall the sand appears to be running like small rivers down through the coral into mini canyons. With the usual 100+ feet visibility the view down the wall gives the impression of limitless space. In reality, the wall is a 2000+ foot drop-off into the deep blue. We follow the top of the wall and explore the sand channels exploding with fish and marine life.

Turneffe Atoll
Departure time: 7:00 AM
Approx. return time: 4:30 PM
Number of dives: Three
Minimum number of divers: 8
Food/Drinks: Lunch, Juice & Water
Snorklers: No
What to bring: Sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, wetsuit (available at dive shop), camera & candy bars/power bars

This 3 tank trip heads northeast cruising past remote fishing camps and idyllic cayes before punching out of the protective Barrier Reef for a short crossing to Turneffe Atoll. Our first dive is one of Belize's most famous dive sites, "The Elbow." This has a convergence of several ocean currents passing by canyon-type formations. Here we may swim through enormous schools of horse-eye jacks, Atlantic Spadefish, snappers and permit, as well as see sharks, turtles and eagle rays! During surface intervals we go into the sheltered lagoon surrounded by mangrove islands. On the next two dives we experience sheer walls for which Turneffe is famous. It is common to see moray eels, turtles, rays, big barrel sponges and large coral formations while drifting along over the edge of the abyss. We usually end our trip with the shipwreck site Sayonara. It is a broken wreck sitting at less than 60 feet depth on top of a steep wall. This site has a proliferation of fish and big coral formations including swim-throughs.

Bluehole and Lighthouse Reef
Departure time: 6:00 AM
Approx. return time: 5:00 PM
Number of dives: Three
Food/Drinks: Snack, Juice & Water
Minimum number of divers: 8
Snorklers: No
What to bring: Sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, wetsuit (available at dive shop), camera & candy bars/power bars

We start this trip bright and early and head 50 miles offshore to the Great Blue Hole, which takes approximately 2.5 hours. Once there you can go down 130 feet to view the largest underwater dripstones on the planet. We have two Blue Hole dive profiles. Only experienced divers will be permitted to dive to 130 feet. Other divers will enjoy a comfortable, 60-foot Blue Hole dive. After the Blue Hole, we head a short distance to Half Moon Caye Bird Sanctuary. Located at the southeast corner of Lighthouse Reef, Half Moon Caye has some of Belize's clearest waters and finest beaches. This 45-acre island managed by the Belize Audubon Society was declared a natural monument in 1981, largely because of its Hawk's Bill and Loggerhead turtle nesting sites, as well as its 4,000 red footed boobies. These rare birds are a glistening white color with bright red webbed feet. The birds nest in the heavily wooded west end of the island where there is a viewing platform allowing visitors an unbelievable view of both the reefs and the trees covered with booby and frigate birds. Our second dive explores the Half Moon Caye wall, a unique topography of swim-through channels. Immense coral buttresses are decorated with black corals, gargonia, sea whips and a variety of brightly colored sponges, as well as a profusion of reef fish and cruising pelagics. Divers then return to Half Moon Caye for a picnic lunch and a relaxing surface interval before heading out to Long Caye Wall for our third and final dive site. Perched on the edge of the cobalt blue abyss Long Caye Wall starts in only 15-20 feet of water before plummeting downward. This site offers what is arguably some of Belize's most prolific and high energy diving. We then depart for our 2-hour journey home with the wind at our back and the sun setting over the Maya Mountains before us.

Whale Shark Trips

Whale Shark Dive Trips will be available in 2005 during the March, April, May and June full moon phases:

Note:The closer to the full moon up to three days after the full moon, the better the chance of seeing these majestic creatures. Trips are weather dependent.

Departure time: 10:00 AM
Approx. return time: 5:00 PM
Number of dives: Two
Food/Drinks: Snack, Juice & Water
Minimum number of divers: 8
Snorklers: No
What to bring: Sunscreen, hat, sunglasses, wetsuit (available at dive shop), camera & candy bars/power bars

On the Southern Barrier reef just over one hour from Belizean Dreams is Gladden Spit, where the largest fish in the sea, the whale sharks, come during the week of the full moon in April, May and June. This special place has a steep sandy bank pushing out into very deep sea. On an ordinary day one can see large schools of jacks or snappers and visibility is well over 100 feet. But during the full moon phases in March, April, May and June of each year Gladden Spit has no ordinary days. Each year during the full moon Mutton and Cuberra snapper spawn here. The giant whale sharks come from far away to feed on the spawn. It is common on this dive to see schools of snapper in the thousands with whale sharks passing through them. Divers will likely see these majestic creatures very close but they are not allowed to chase, ride, touch or otherwise disturb the Whale Sharks. These dives are very popular. Book your vacation in advance to see Whale Sharks with Hamanasi!

Please Note:

• Trip minimums apply! If we do not have enough divers for our trips, especially atoll trips, we will stick to the Barrier Reef. In that unlikely event you will still be able to enjoy excellent diving on a great number of different sites. We try to dive all 3 atolls every week but are not always successful. We dive the Southern Barrier Reef almost every day.
• The water can get choppy, especially outside the Barrier Reef. If the water is too rough we will not take out divers, snorkelers or anglers. Safety first!
• Keep your hands off! No divers or snorkelers are permitted to touch or take anything from the sea. No exceptions. If an individual refuses to abide by these rules we will not take them on our boats! Respect our Belizean Reef and her inhabitants. Touch only water! Take only pictures! Leave only your wake!
• Things breakdown! We service our boats, engines, equipment and compressor regularly. Despite our strict maintenance schedule, things can break down (usually when we least want them to!). We do our best to fix quickly any problems and try to make alternate arrangements. Please be understanding and patient!
• There is an incredible diversity of marine life in Belize. We hope guests will be able to see much of it. However, we can't promise a dolphin, shark, turtle, moray eel or any fish at all will swim in front of your eyes on every dive! Rest assured, they often do!
• We cannot control the weather! It may rain for days and days. There may be a freak hurricane. Rough water may make a trip take longer than planned. It could be unusually cold. Be prepared! Normally, the water temperature is 78-85 degrees.
• All rates, policies and dive and snorkel excursions are subject to change without notice!
• Let us know! If you have any problems or suggestions simply tell us. We welcome your feedback and want you to have a great trip!