Ambergris Caye located in Belize offers some amazing diving and has more than 40

dive sites for you to dive when you visit Belize.

I recently held a poll for divers to vote which of the dive sites off Ambergris Caye were

the most enjoyable for the majority of divers and the following are the results of this

poll.

Coming in at Number 5 is:

Pillar Corals Hol Chan Marine Reserve

Pillar Corals is located in the Hol Chan Marine Reserve which is a 7.5 square mile

reserve located on the southern tip of Ambergris Caye. Average depth of this dive is

50-75ft and you are going down to see the cool Pillar Corals some standing 10ft tall.

The site has a healthy array of marine life and lots of healthy Coral and is suitable for

all divers.

Experience required: novice

Depth: 60-70ft

Location: South Ambergris Caye

Type of Dive: Boat

In at number 4 is :

Esmeralda Canyons

Located just a few minutes from San Pedro Ambergris Caye, is Esmeralda Canyons.

This dive site offers a large abundance of fish life including a resident Moray and lots

of tropical fish. The corals are abundant and generally the visibility is very good.

Average depth of this site is 50-75ft and suitable for all levels of diver.

Experience required: novice

Depth: 60-80ft

Location: South Ambergris Caye

Type of Dive: Boat

Number 3:

Tackle Box

Tackle Box is located just 5 minutes from shore and is located directly in front of the

Tackle box bar. This site is an excellent marine life dive with lots of Groupers, Nurse

Sharks and lots of fish. Corals are healthy and this site also offers nice canyons and

tunnels. Tackle Box is considered one of the best of Ambergris Caye. Average depth is

60-80ft.

Experience required: novice

Depth: 60-70ft

Location: In front San Pedro Ambergris Caye

Type of Dive: Boat

Number 2:

Cyprus Gardens

One of my favorite dives on the island, Cyprus Gardens is located in the Marine reserve

and starts off in just 40ft of water averaging out to 60ft more if you head into the

canyons.

The site is full of life such as big Groupers lots of shoals of fish, Nurse Sharks and the

odd pelagic that swim by. This dive site was voted the 2nd best dive on Ambergris Caye

and can be combined with the #1 top dive site on a day’s diving since both are located

in the Marine Reserve.

Experience required: novice

Depth: 40-70ft

Location: South Ambergris Caye

Type of Dive: Boat

And in at #1 Voted the Very Best Dive on Ambergris Caye Belize

Eagle Ray Canyons VOTED the #1 Best Dive on Ambergris Cay

This site is known for regular sightings of spotted Eagle Rays. I dove this spot with

some friends from Rodale’s Magazine. Steve, one of the dive masters, was guiding the

dive and during his briefing guaranteed that we were going to see Eagle Rays, and was

quite adamant about it. I asked him if he was sure because we now had some excited

divers aboard who were expecting to see Eagle Rays and they would be disappointed if

they didn’t. Steve assured me and down we went, sure enough after 15 minutes we saw

our first 3 Eagle Rays, 5 minutes later we saw an additional 5 a lot closer this time. In

addition to the Eagle Rays, lots of coral formations, spur and groove formation and the

usual congregation of juveniles.

This is a Marine Reserve so nothing may be touched or taken, we ask that you are

careful with your fins and avoid accidentally touching the reef.

Experience required: Novice/Intermediate

Depth: 60-80ft

Location: South Ambergris Caye

Type of Dive: Boat

So there you have the Ambergris Caye’s TOP 5 Dive sites and now you can request

these dive sites when you visit the island.

There are so many other excellent sites in addition to these 5, and I was quite surprised

that more northern sites were not picked such as M&M Caverns or Happy Hours

Reef or Palmero canyons etc. I determined that the reason was that not as many divers

get the opportunity to dive North Ambergris because it’s further away from town and

they are suggested less because of the fuel cost to get there. Let’s face it if I can keep

you happy with the closest dive sites why suggest sites further afield.

Be sure to add at least a day’s diving north of town to get a complete feel of the diving

off Ambergris Caye Belize.

If you would like to visit Ambergris Caye please take a look at the Ambergris Caye

Dive Packages which you can see on the right hand side of this page under Ambergris

Caye Dive Packages.

Some of the weird and wonderful underwater life you can expect to see when you Dive Ambon Indonesia  is the really weird looking Frogfish and when you dive with Maluku Divers you will see lots of different species they even discovered a brand new species of Frogfish not known to science which is really cool.

Also the Rhinopias which for most of us divers we have never heard of and this is another weird looking critter kinda resebling a frogfish but a longer snout.

Now I have never really done much Critter Diving but after building this website for Andy its has really peaked my interest simply because there are so many tiny things that I have never seen before and also i suck at underwater photography but it seems that Macro photography is not so hard and normally on a dive site you may find one or 2 macro critters to photography but at Ambon in Indonesia you will be able to spend hours underwater taking underwater photographs of these stunning critters.

So if you ever want to go to Indonesia for some fantastic Underwater Photography be sure to drop Andy a line at Maluku Divers and tell him Gaz sent you I have not been yet but I am definately on my way.

Old San Pedro Town with Sandy Streets Ambergris Caye is the most popular diving and tourist destination in Ambergris Caye only town is the quaint town of San Pedro with a population of around 20,000 people. I made San Pedro my home for close to 18 years and first arrived in 1992 when the population was just 2000 people.Ambergris Caye San Pedro town

Over the past 18 years the town has grown into a small metropolis with lots of restaurants,bars, Dive Shops tours operators etc. There are lots of Hotels to choose from including Budget all the way up to Luxurious 5 star Hotels. Diving off Ambergris Caye is mainly Spur and Groove formations or Fingers which have been created over hundreds of years by the constant wave action.

Diving off Ambergris Caye is very convenient as all sites are only a few minutes boat ride form your Hotels dock. Average dive depth is 60-85ft and there is a wide array of dive sites to choose from . Some of my favorite dive sites are Cyprus Gardens which starts in just 35ft-40ft of water here you can see lots of Big Groupers, Yellow tail Snappers and Nurse Sharks that will follow you throughout the dive. Another excellent Marine life dive is Hol Chan Marine Reserve, this is an excellent shallow dive (max 30ft) and you will see abundant shoals of fish, giant Tarpon,Rays, Moray Eels and much more. Hol Chan Marine Reserve is also the main night diving spot and will possibly be the best Night Dive you will ever do.

Hol chan Belize

Another great dive site is M&M Caverns where you swim through the caverns going through the reef. Overall Ambergris offers excellent diving opportunities for the new to intermediate diver. Ambergris also offers access to the Blue Hole and Turneffe islands. Blue Hole Trips are full day trips departing early in the morning and getting back to Ambergris caye at around 5.30pm. It takes around 2 and a half hours by boat to get there and the trip includes 3 dives including the Blue Hole, the other 2 dives are conducted at Lighthouse Reef and are spectaqular wall dives not to be missed.

If you would like to read more about the Blue Hole please click here Trips to Turneffe Islands are also available from Ambergris Caye and a bit easier to get to than the Blue Hole.

There are 2 trips to Turneffe available one to the North of Turneffe and the other to the South part of Turneffe Atoll home of the Elbow dive. Both trips are excellent although the Southern trip takes a hour longer to get to but the Elbow can offer fantastic marine life interaction of the current is running. Getting around Ambergris Caye is easy, if you are staying North of the town there is a regular scheduled ferry service that shuttles hotel guests into town. If you are staying in town everywhere is within easy walking distance.

If you dont like to walk then why not rent one of the islands most popular forms of transportation which is a Golf Cart.

This is an excellent way to get around the island and do some exploring and bar hopping. Overall if you want some good diving with access to the Blue Hole and like the fact that you can eat at a different restaurant each night, visit the bars at night and shake your booty at the local nightclub on the weekends, do a bit of shopping and meet the local people then Ambergris Caye will suit your needs.

To Visit the MAIN Ambergris Caye Dive Site page please click on this link Ambergris Caye Dive Sites

Well the results are in and the Top dive site on Ambergris Caye according to the divers that voted was Eagle Ray Canyons which took the Number one spot

1st Place- Eagle Ray Canyons 63 points

2nd Cyprus Gardens 54 points
3rd Tackle Box 54 points
4th Esmerelda 54 points
5th Pillar Corals 44 points
6th Victoria canyons 38 points
7th Tuffey 33 points
8th Boca Ceiga 29 points
9th Tres Cocos 28 points
10th Victoria Tunnels 25 points

To dive Ambergris Caye check out my Ambergris Caye Packages at this Link Ambergris Caye Dive Packages

Here some additional info on it and if your looking for a new computer this one is pretty cool thats for sure and you can save $300.00 off the regular retail price by clicking here

The Mares Icon HD Dive computer is the first of a new generation of computers that are easy to use, and perfect for the visually impared The menu driven display is very easy to use and understand and it can be mastered in just a few minutes.

The Mares Icon HD Is really an excellent addition to any divers gear bag and its simplicity is suitable for beginners as well as advanced divers The Mares Icon HD Features  available to those who wish to use them.

The Mares Icon HD has a Brilliant full color OLED display that provides the contrast, sharpness and brightness which allows  the Mares Icon HD Dive computer to be viewed at almost any angle.

Mayan Princess 8 Days 7 nts 5 Days Diving

7 nights, tax, service charge, 5 days of 2 tank local boat dives, r/t Tropic Air and taxi transfers with daily Continental breakfast included.

Low season: May 1 – Nov. 14
$US 933.00

High Season: Nov. 15 – April 30
$US 1010.00

Rates are per person based on double occupancy.
Dive Belize – Blue Hole Dive Package

7 nights, tax, service charge, 4 days 2 tanks local boat diving, the Blue Hole day trip (3 dives, lunch, snacks), r/t Tropic Air and taxi transfers wit Continental breakfast daily included.

Low season: May 1 – Nov. 14
$US 1083.00

High season: Nov. 15 – April 30
$US 1160.00

Rates are person based on double occupancy. $US40 Government Park Fee for the Blue Hole is not included.

Contact Us

You can visit Marshalls website at www.MarshallKarp.com

Enjoy the Video

Belize Lionfish Project

The increasing numbers of invasive lionfish in the Belize Barrier Reef World Heritage Site and associated reef systems will likely cause additional negative impacts on an already stressed ecosystem affected by overfishing, coral bleaching and ocean acidification. After the first confirmed sighting of a lionfish in Belize in December 2008, ECOMAR began working with the Belize Fisheries Department to raise awareness on the problems that are anticipated as a result of the increasing number of lionfish in the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve Ecosystem.

These actions formed the development of the “Belize Lionfish Project,” an outreach program that is being coordinate by ECOMAR in association with the Belize Fisheries Department, fishing cooperatives, tours guide associations and other NGOs in Belize which are members of the Belize National Coral Reef Monitoring Network.

The Belize Lionfish Project has recently received funding by the United Nations Development Project (UNDP) through the Community Management of Protected Areas for Conservation (COMPACT), and Mr. Jeffrey Joseph is the Lionfish Project Coordinator who will be coordinating the activities for the Belize Lionfish Project in 2010.

The goal of the Belize Lionfish Project will be to raise awareness on this invasive fish, educate key stakeholders on how they can become involved in protecting their future livelihood, determine the source of lionfish in Belize through scientific studies, and garner renewed enthusiasm and interest in protecting the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve System and the associated marine areas. Key activities of the project will include:

Working with fishing cooperatives, tour guide associations and other stakeholders who livelihood could be impacted by the invasive lionfish;

Conducting 12 outreach workshops in coastal communities which will include a presentation on their life history and hands on training on how to safely clean and cook lionfish for consumption;

Prepare the Belize National Lionfish Response Plan in association with partners and guided by the Belize Fisheries Department; Promotion of monthly tournaments for the capture of lionfish to manage their populations; and Production of an advertising campaign that will educate the general public and key stakeholders on lionfish.

Belize-Bahamas Fishermen Exchange

In February 2010 ECOMAR also received a grant from the Gulf & Caribbean Fisheries Institute (GCFI) through the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), Caribbean Environment Program (CEP), and the Caribbean Protected Areas Management Network and Forum (CaMPAM) for the Belize-Bahamas Fishermen Exchange: Lionfish Management Training Workshop whereby fishermen from Belize were able to travel to the Bahamas for a workshop on lionfish handling and preparation techniques.

Participants in the exchange program included representatives from the Fisheries Department, Northern Fishermen Producers Cooperative, National Fishermen Producers Cooperative, Placencia Fishermen Producers Cooperative, the Rio Grande Fishermen Producers Cooperative, Coral Reef Alliance and ECOMAR. The participants in this program will assist in the 12 outreach workshops that will be held through Belize and can also share the lessons learned with their counterparts on a day to day basis. For further details on the Fishermen Exchange Program please contact ECOMAR or any of the participants listed below:

Isaias Majil, Marine Protected Areas Coordinator, Fisheries Department

Guadalupe V. Rosado, ECOMAR Representative & CORAL Reef Alliance Belize Field Manager

* Eugenio Perez, Member, National Fishermen’s Producers Cooperative

* Ovel Leonardo, Chairman, Northern Fishermen’s Producers Cooperative

* Gareth Longsworth, Member, Placencia Fishermen’s Producers Cooperative

* Armando Ramirez, Vice Chairman, Rio Grande Fishermen’s Producers Cooperative

Monthly Lionfish Tournaments

In an effort to maintain the unique marine diversity of the Belize Barrier Reef Reserve Ecosystem and associated reef ecosystems which sustain the Belizean citizens that rely on it for their livelihood, reducing the population of the invasive lionfish is a must. Monthly lionfish tournaments will be an integral part of the 2010 Belize Lionfish Program.

The monthly tournaments will be open to fishermen and tour guides who capture and deliver the most lionfish each month commencing with April 2010 and ending November 2010 and culminating in a grand prize on December 15, 2010. Prizes and collection points throughout the country are presently being established with partners throughout the country and will be announced next week. Please note we will need the following information for each lionfish submitted: person who captured, date of capture, and location of capture.

This Lionfish Tournament program was initiated on a trial basis with Belize City fishermen from December 2009 through March 2010 and more than 400 lionfish were submitted. The Belize Lionfish Project is pleased to announce the winners of the ongoing ‘Wanted: Lionfish Dead or Alive’ eradication campaign for the four months:

Jesus Pena – 61 Lionfish, Glover’s Reef, Dec. 09

Jesus Pena -70 Lionfish, Glover’s Reef, Jan. 10

Denton Bernanr – 1000 Lionfish, Turneffe, Feb. 10

Jorge Cawich – 36 Lionfish, Turneffe, Mar. 10

Safe Handling of Lionfish & First Aid Treatment

Lionfish are venomous with toxins in their dorsal and ventral (top and bottom) fins where needle like spines are located. If you puncture your skin with one of these sharp spines, severe pain lasting up to 24 hours may result. If you observe a lionfish and attempt capture, try to avoid direct contact with the fish. While special gloves are made that resist punctures by needles, other gloves can be used to minimize puncture. If a lionfish is successfully captured place the lionfish in a bucket or other receptacle and store in freezer or dry in the sun until you can turn it in to one of the collection points. Once the fish has been stored the venom will not cause pain.

Should you be stuck by a venomous spine, check for any obvious pieces of spine left in the wound and remove. Pre-treatment includes applying heat to the wound to prevent the venom from spreading. Hot water, as hot as one can withstand (not more than 100-110 degrees F), should be applied directly to the wound for 15 to 20 minutes or an instant heat pack. Repeat if pain returns. Lionfish venom contains proteins that are denatured by heat, thus preventing them from spreading in the bloodstream. Since envenomation is painful, over-the counter painkillers should also be taken for additional pain relief. Consult with your physician if necessary.

Lionfish Hotline

Please call the Belize Lionfish Project Hotline at 223-3022 to report sightings or to just to find out more about the program. You can also email the Belize Lionfish Project Coordinator Mr. Jeffrey Joseph at jeffrey@ecomarbelize.org or Mr. Isaias Majil, Protected Areas Manager for the Belize Fisheries Department at isaiasmajil@yahoo.com Please also visit ECOMAR’s website for details on the project at www.ecomarbelize.org.