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Experience the Blue Hole

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Scuba dive in the Caribbean waters of the Belizean Cayes, which shelter a vast barrier reef, coral atolls and the famous Blue Hole.

Little laid-back Belize hides a bustling underwater world, from coral reefs replete with colourful fish to divers exploring the otherworldly depths of the Blue Hole.

Tracing the coastline in a continuous stripe of coral, a 300km barrier reef provides a habitat for at least 500 species of fish. It’s the greatest reef of its kind in the western hemisphere, and when combined with the three huge coral atolls to be found farther offshore it’s no wonder that these teeming seas attract divers from all over the world.

Sightings of rays, sharks, turtles, moray eels, grouper, barracuda and king mackerel are common all along the Southern Barrier Reef, while in the atolls beyond, snappers, jacks and spadefish swim in shoals often numbering in the thousands.

As if that wasn’t enough, experienced divers can also explore the Blue Hole, a perfectly circular cave plunging vertically into the sea bed. Seen from above this cavernous sinkhole is a dark disk in a bright aquamarine ocean, seemingly swallowing the light into its underwater reaches. There are extraordinary underwater stalactites to be seen on the sheer walls, which descend to a depth of 125m, while a number of shark species roam around inside.

Activity Rating: easy

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    Alex Walker - Travel Expert

    A globetrotter since her childhood, Alex spent a year studying abroad in Guadalajara and has returned to Latin America countless times since then.

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    Maggie Wilson - Travel Expert

    Maggie visited Latin America on her first backpacking trip when she was 19. Since then, she has taken every opportunity to travel, and has managed to explore a lot of the region in subsequent trips.

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    Kathryn backpacked across Argentina, Chile, Bolivia and Peru before joining us. She has a degree in Philosophy and French and is a keen netball player.

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    A former Journey Latin America tour leader, Sally spent 7 years working, travelling and living throughout Latin America before returning to the UK to help people arrange their own adventures to this wonderful destination.

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    Anglo-Peruvian Chris grew up in Lima and spent much of his adult life in between London and Cusco as a tour leader, before settling permanently in our London-based Tailor-made and Group Tours sales team.

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