BELIZE - WHERE TO DIVE

Belize offers divers many opportunities to experience a diverse underwater adventure. There are shallow dives with sandy bottoms, spectacular reef dives, sheer walls, blue holes, atolls and more to choose from. Belize also offers great visibility year-round and the second largest barrier reef system in the world. There are more than 400 species of fish to observe and with the 100-foot-plus visibility, it's also a photographer's dream. Here are a few dive sites worthy of a visit when in Belize.

The Blue Hole A circular, ancient sink hole (one quarter mile in diameter) that begins in sandy shallows on the seafloor and plummets more than 400 feet. Most dive operators offer a 60-foot dive and a 130-foot dive to accommodate divers of all levels.

Half Moon Cay Wall From the sloping sea grass at 15 feet down - to the sand where the spotted eaglerays, conch and seastars cross, to where the pinnacles line the top of the wall - there are no dull moments. Zig-zaging between the pinnacles or over the edge you might meet Bubba the turtle or some of his friends to make a lasting memory.

Whale Shark Dive During certain times in April, May and June every year, the whale sharks visit Gladden Spit to feed on Cuberra snapper during its spawning season. With 100-foot visibility you could see thousands of snapper and many whale sharks as they perform this yearly feeding/spawning frenzy. Tres Cocos If you are looking to dive close to shore, this dive is only a short boat-ride off Ambergris Caye. This is a beautiful spur-and-groove reef with deep canyons for lots of interesting places to photograph the amazing sea life. Depths range from 50 to 100 feet and offer colorful sponges and corals.

Mexico RocksAlso off Ambergris Caye, this is a shallow dive at only 8-15 feet, but here you'll see large boulder and brain corals, sandy flats and opportunities for great macro and wide-angle photos. The wide-open spaces offer great visibility and a chance to see marine life as it approaches.

HollywoodLocated on the leeward side of the Turneffe Islands, this site is great for the novice diver with depths of 20 to 50 feet. The site offers gently sloping reefs and is sheltered from rough waters. While this site offers plenty of sponges and corals, the visibility can be less than optimal due to floating matter from the nearby mangroves.

The Elbow Located on the south side of the Turneffe Islands, this is one of the most popular dive sites there. With strong currents, however, it's best left to the advanced divers. The depth ranges from 60 feet to the great beyond and because of the currents, this is often used as a drift dive site. Its popularity is due to the large pelagics that can be seen with regularity and the great photo opportunities.