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Exploring the Underwater Beauty of Belize

By Carolina Aguerre and Mariana Blengio

Its crystal-clear aquamarine waters are an incredible destination for swimming, diving or simply contemplating the spectacular beauty of the underwater world. Belize, which in ancient times was an outpost of the mighty Mayan empire, today is a pocket-sized paradise that offers some of the best beaches and diving spots in the world.

A favorite destination among divers, marine biologists and sportsfishermen, Belize is also a paradise for the ever-present tourists and travelers like ourselves, who are enthralled by the country’s landscapes from the moment of arrival: the lush, untamed coastlines and warm waters home to hidden underwater treasures. This tiny nation boasts an enormous natural blessing: the largest coral reef in the Western Hemisphere. In fact, it’s been declared one of the Seven Underwater Wonders of the World.

The country’s small population of only 250,000 inhabitants, coupled with the lack of industries, has enabled it to preserve its lands almost untouched throughout the years. Some 55 percent of the country is still covered with forests. With the aid of diverse environmental protection groups, Belize has gained international recognition as a leader in the conservation of ecosystems.

Belize began to work its magic on us as soon as we arrived in its tiny capital of Belmopan—the very air seems to destress you. In this underwater paradise, bathing suits are de rigeur, and wetsuits became like a second skin to us, since diving, snorkeling and exploring the cayes off this coastline on the tip of the Yucatán Peninsula were what we came here for.

Designed for diving
Belize boasts several characteristics that make it an ideal site for diving, beginning with the magnificent coral reef that we mentioned previously. Stretching for some 185 miles, it’s surpassed only by Australia’s Great Barrier Reef.

The reef is home to every kind of fish, whose varied colors form a brilliant undersea rainbow. But this barrier reef not only boasts a wealth of marine fauna, but of underwater flora as well. Here you’ll find aquatic vegetation that encompasses the entire color spectrum.

It even seems as if nature itself wanted to make it easier to enjoy all this Belizean beauty: the average water temperature is 81 degrees and visibility is up to 98 feet.

Where to go under
Hol Chan Marine Reserve. Located on Ambergris Caye, this preserve was established in 1987, the first of its kind. Its Mayan name means “Little Canal.” Removing fish or coral from the reserve is prohibited, and thanks to the careful watch over this area, visitors can now see some marine species that were hard to find before. Here we saw a sea turtle that became the symbol of this reserve for us. Shark Ray Alley lies near the center of Hol Chan and is one of the region’s hottest diving spots. Here divers can observe the pirouettes of southern stingrays and nurse sharks as they’re being fed by a dive master. Even though they’re not the most beautiful of sea creatures, they do exhibit a certain grace and daintiness that belies their large gray bodies.

Blue Hole. This site gained world renown because legendary oceanographer Jacques Cousteau featured it so much on his long-running TV show. Although it’s extremely popular, it hasn’t been spoiled, as sometimes occurs with other popular natural attractions. In fact, it’s not as crowded as you may think and retains the absolutely incomparable beauty that left us almost nearly overwhelmed. The Blue Hole lies in the middle of Lighthouse Reef Atoll, approximately 50 miles east of Belize City. It’s a perfectly shaped, 1,000-foot-diameter hole with a depth of some 413 feet. It’s actually the remnants of an ancient cave, whose roof caved in some 10,000 years ago when the land receded into the sea, leaving this incomparable spot behind.

Laughing Bird Caye National Park. This is another spot you simply won’t want to miss. It’s a continental shelf atoll characterized by deep canals where we had one of the best diving experiences in Belize, and we highly recommend it for observing marine life. As its name suggests, the park is also a bird sanctuary created to conserve the habitat of the region’s laughing gulls, which until recently had almost completely abandoned the caye due to human encroachment.

Half Moon Caye National Monument. Just as Laughing Bird Caye, this spot is perfect for enjoying the sparkling white beaches, diving in the incredibly clear waters teaming with a variety of marine life, and above all, observing the exotic species of seabirds such as the frigatebird and other animals like iguanas, lizards and turtles.

Your experience with the sea and the wildlife of Belize will be so magical that perhaps the only sad part of the trip will be planning your departure. You can rest assured that the warm waters and friendly residents will always be waiting with open arms for your return to this underwater paradise of Central America.

For more information, please visit: www.DiscoverCentralAmerica.com.

Flying to Belize
TACA flies you nonstop to Belize City from the cities of San Salvador and Houston.

You can also fly to Belize from other cities in North, Central and South America with connections in El Salvador and San José, Costa Rica. For more information, visit your nearest TACA office, our website at www.taca.com or call our Reservations and Telephone Sales Center in your home country. For a listing of our phone numbers, look inside your ticket jacket.