SNORKELING & SCUBA DIVING
Snorkeling or SCUBA Diving -
Experience the Belize Barrier Reef
Go diving in the largest barrier reef in the Caribbean and the second largest in the world! We take you to all of the top diving spots in Placencia and Belize. The Belize Barrier Reef offers all ranges of diving and snorkeling, from shallow water cayes to the Great Blue Hole. Belize offers excellent diving for beginners and experts, the many dive sites offer a range of dive types. Whether SCUBA diving or snorkeling in Belize, we've got you covered - contact us at adventures@theplacencia.com.
Snorkeling
Ranguana Caye Snorkel
Ride out to the beautiful island of Ranguana Caye to experience some of the best snorkeling in Belize. Nurse sharks, sea turtles, and stingrays can regularly be found along the reef just beyond the island. Ranguana Caye offers a unqiue opportunity for snorkelers to enter the water directly from the shore, it’s that close to the reef!
SCUBA Diving
Dive Sites Based on Availability
Barrier Reef Diving
These dives may include wall dive (drop-offs), Canyon dives (swim thru) and Faro dive. We do these dive on the Barrier Reef or the Inner Lagoon (Inner Reef) each with their own characteristics. Dive sites and destination are normally determined by group interest and weather conditions of the day and escorted by a PADI Dive Master. Some dive sites include Laughing Bird Caye National Park, Silk Cayes, and Pompion Caye. Your dive master will lead the group pointing out interesting things as you cruise along on your dive.
Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate
Boat Ride: 30 Minutes – 1 Hour
Approximate Time: 9:00 am – 3:30 pm
Glover’s Reef
It is Belize’s smallest and southernmost atoll, only 20 miles long and 7.5 miles wide. It is also Belize’s most completely formed coral atoll offering a wide abundance of coral and marine life, unmatched by any dive location in Belize. Because it is located farthest from the busier diving hub of Ambergris Caye and Belize City, you will soon discover that it is also the least visited of all the atolls which make for real pristine diving.
Home to about 700 patch reefs in the lagoon and surrounded by 50 miles of sheer drop-offs, which start from 25 feet and drop straight down to about 2,700 feet., you will find that most of the reefs are virtually uncharted and untouched. It might take you a bit longer to get there but the diving is defiantly worth the long ride. Once there, you will soon realize that there are a countless amount of dive sites to choose from. But, some of the most popular ones we visit are: Long Caye Wall, The Aquarium, Manta Wall, and The Pinnacles.
Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate
Boat Ride: 1 Hour 45 Minutes – 2 Hours
For private charters and pre-scheduled dates only.
South Water Caye
Located just a little further North of our Local Barrier Reef Dives, South Water Caye is known for good off-the-beaten-reef diving. South Water Caye Marine Reserve (SWCMR) is the largest Marine Reserve in Belize covering an area of 117,878 acres.
Divers and Snorkeler will find more pristine reefs and corals here. This area is home to numerous spotted eagle rays and large southern stingrays.
Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate
Boat Ride: 1 Hour – 1 Hour 15 min
Approximate Time: 7:00 am – 4:00 pm
Shark Hole
Dive this Cavern in the Inner-Reef about 38 miles from Placencia. Known for the sharks that sometimes inhabit the cavern and turtles which circles its entrance the shark hole dive is one you will soon not forget. The sinkhole is hidden within a turtle grass bed with boulders of corals surrounding the hole.
As you enter the hole, it opens up into a domed chamber, about 150ft across. stalactites stipple the roof of the dome at about 60ft. Thousands of years of accumulating sediment has created a sand hill in the center directly under the opening. The top of this sandhill is at about 100ft and gradually drop down to the edge of the hole to 130ft. It is around this sand hill that the sharks circle. Usually, they swim up and out of the hole at the approach of divers, but often will swim deeper into the cave where divers cannot go.
The fun (and safe) thing about this cave is that no matter where you are, you can always see the entrance above. The Shark Hole dive may include 2 or 3 dives. The First dive of the day is done at the Shark Hole, while the second and third dives are done at the pristine reef near Tobacco Caye or South Water Caye.
Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced
Boat Ride: 1 Hour 45 Minutes
Blue Hole Diving
The Great Blue Hole is a large underwater sinkhole off the coast of Belize. It lies near the center of Lighthouse Reef atoll about 65 miles from Placencia. This site was made famous by Jacques-Yves Cousteau who declared it one of the top ten best scuba diving sites in the world. Since then thousands of divers have made it the reason they have come to dive in Belize. In past years diving The Great Blue Hole meant visiting Ambergris Caye, Caye Caulker, or Belize City. Now you can dive the pristine southern reef of Belize and include the Blue Hole as part of your vacation.
The hole is almost perfectly circular, over 1,000 feet across and 400 feet deep, and is almost surrounded by fringing reefs which make for an excellent snorkel adventure as well. While the snorkelers explore the fringing reefs, divers descend along the wall to a depth of 130 feet. At a depth of 120ft divers can clearly see the stalactites which were form from dripping water when the cave was above sea level.
The second dive is done at Half Moon Caye Wall which is known for its abundance of Marine life. The seascape is cover with varieties of sponges, sea fans, and a wide variety of corals which makes for a kaleidoscope of colors.Between our second and third dive, we visit Half Moon Caye National monument for lunch on the beach. The most famous inhabitants of this island are its Red-footed Boobies and Frigate birds which nest on the Caye. There is viewing platform in the heart of the colony that lets you enjoy the birds from up close.
The Third dive is done at the Aquarium. The site is named for the wide variety of small resident reef fish on the reef top and along the edge of the wall.
Difficulty: Intermediate to Advanced
Boat Ride: 3 Hours (same as from Ambergris Caye)
Approximate Time: 5:00 am – 5:00 pm
For private charters and pre-scheduled dates only.
Not certified? Still want to dive?
Courses are available!
Discover SCUBA
Have you ever wanted to experience Scuba Diving but never had the time it takes to get fully certified? We can have you breathing underwater in just a few hours with The PADI® Discover Scuba Diving program. You will learn the basic safety guidelines and skills needed to dive under the direct supervision of a PADI Professional. While not a scuba certification course, it is a quick and easy introduction to what it takes to explore Belize underwater. No certification needed!
Open Water Certification, Referral, or E-Learning
If you’ve ever wondered what is like to scuba dive, experience what it’s like to breathe underwater and see the world beneath the waves, this is where it starts. There is no better place to learn to dive than the warm turquoise waters of Belize. Experienced PADI® Dive Instructors will equip you with the skills and confidence to be a safe and competent diver. The course consists of three parts: Academics, Confined Water, and Open Water Sessions. Each designed to make the course engaging and fun.
Advanced Open Water
The PADI Advanced Open Water course is designed to advance your diving and build upon what you’ve learned during the open water certification course. The course will take your confidence and diving skills to new levels by gaining experience through five different Adventure Dives under the direct supervision of PADI Dive Instructors. The completion of this course will expand your access to more challenging dive sites and more way to have fun scuba diving.
Why SCUBA Dive at The placencia?
Belize is one of the world’s top diving destinations. With The Placencia Resort, you'll experience Belize’s best scuba diving and snorkeling during the day and spend your evenings taking advantage of our top notch service. We work closely with PADI certified diver instructors to take you to all the best sites in Belize, including the Blue Hole, miles of the Southern Barrier Reef, and the best of the Caribbean’s atolls. We offer diving certification and specialty lessons. We also offer Discover SCUBA, for those of you who want to try diving before getting PADI certified! For serious divers, check out our SCUBA vacation packages for the best deal. We offer resort packages and charter options.