| Belize, which is situated along the eastern coast of | | | | circle and is more than 1,000 feet (305m) wide and |
| Central America, boasts a rich cultural history and | | | | 480 feet (146m) deep. |
| varied natural beauty including spectacular diving sites. | | | | Interestingly, a blue hole does not generate much |
| For a scuba holiday with a difference you could do | | | | circulation, thus little oxygen reaches the depths of the |
| worse than Dive in Belize. Holiday makers can visit the | | | | hole. As a result, few marine life creatures can survive |
| great Mayan ruins on the mainland or accept the | | | | there, though bacteria seem to proliferate. |
| challenge to dive in Belize's famous Blue Hole. | | | | Other famous blue holes include the Andros Island |
| The climate in Belize is hot and humid for most of the | | | | Bahamas Blue Hole and the, Egyptian Blue Hole just |
| year with little variation in temperature even in winter. In | | | | north of Dahab. All the main Islands in the Bahamas |
| addition to the wonderful diving opportunities, there are | | | | have blue holes, but the Andros Island is considered to |
| plenty of land activities for tourists, such as the Belize | | | | be the best of the lot. The Egyptian blue hole, in |
| zoo and Ancient Mayan temples. Many tourists, | | | | particular, is known to be very dangerous and has |
| however, come exclusively to enjoy the many dive | | | | claimed the lives of many divers over the years. |
| sites in Belize. | | | | Belize also has wonderful world famous reefs to |
| Experienced divers tend to prefer the challenge of | | | | scuba dive. The largest barrier reef in the northern |
| adventure dives, and the Blue Hole in Belize is one of | | | | hemisphere can be found in Belize. It has mangrove |
| those dives. A blue hole is a cave or sinkhole and is | | | | forests, coastal lagoons and estuaries and is |
| also known as a vertical cave. The steep drop means | | | | surrounded by several marine reserves. The area has |
| that the centre of the hole is a rich dark blue colour, | | | | been placed on the exclusive list of UNESCO World |
| and the closer one gets to the shallows around it, the | | | | Heritage sites, which is a testament to the great |
| lighter the water becomes. Blue holes are thought to | | | | beauty found there. The blue hole and reefs alone |
| have been formed during the last Ice Age when sea | | | | make Belize a fantastic place to go scuba diving. |
| levels were much lower than they are now. | | | | Divers travel from all over the world to experience |
| Belize has the largest and arguably the most stunning | | | | scuba diving in Belize. For serious scuba divers, the one |
| blue hole in the world, and located near Lighthouse | | | | thing to do in Central America is to dive in Belize. |
| reef, it is a diving paradise. The hole is nearly a perfect | | | | |