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 Hamanasi 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, as well as the little things like Pedersen shrimp, colorful gobies cleaning stations, and Spotted Drums. Hamanasi divers have seen 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.

Due east of our dock this remote island group is a UNESCO world heritage site and 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 Pinnacles", 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 garden 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.

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 Islands 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.

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, comfortable 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, gorgonia, 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 for our third and final dive site. Perched on the edge of the cobalt blue abyss The Aquarium 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.

NOTE: The Blue Hole trip is highly dependent on weather and a minimum number of divers signing up.  We average this trip approximately once every two weeks.  Groups can pre-arrange this trip with our dive team if weather allows.

On the Southern Barrier reef just over one hour from Hamanasi is Gladden Spit, where the largest fish in the sea, 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 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! All participants are required to complete a whale shark release form.