What is the best time to dive Great Blue Hole?

The best months to dive Great Blue Hole in Belize are April, May, June, July, August. Water temperatures range from 26°C to 29°C during peak season.

How deep is Great Blue Hole?

Great Blue Hole reaches a maximum depth of 125 m, with visibility ranging from 24–46 m. The full depth range requires Advanced certification at minimum; some zones are technical diver territory.

What marine life can you see at Great Blue Hole?

Great Blue Hole is known for encounters with Caribbean reef shark, bull shark, giant grouper, nurse shark, eagle ray, barracuda. The site features deep, wall, reef, cave diving across 18 named sites, with a marine life score of 68/100 in OkToDive's ranking.

Is Great Blue Hole good for beginners?

Great Blue Hole is better suited to experienced divers. Currents can be mild and depths reach 125 m. A minimum Advanced Open Water certification is required, and OkToDive recommends at least 100 logged dives before visiting.

How much does it cost to dive Great Blue Hole?

A 2-tank dive at Great Blue Hole averages around $250 USD, placing it in the luxury tier. Both boat and shore access are available, giving divers flexibility on budget.

Great Blue Hole Diving — Belize's Iconic Dive Site

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World Class

Advanced

Great Blue Hole

BelizeCentral America

70.1

SCORE

17.3155°N

-87.5347°E

The Great Blue Hole is diving's most recognizable natural wonder — a near-perfect 1,000-foot-wide circle of deep blue surrounded by the shallow turquoise of Lighthouse Reef Atoll. The main event is a descent to 130 feet where massive stalactites hang like cathedral columns in the darkness. While the Blue Hole itself is more spectacle than reef dive, the surrounding atoll offers excellent wall and reef diving.

The Iconic Sinkhole of the Caribbean

Visibility24–46 m

Temperature26–29°C

Max Depth125 m

Currentmild

2-Tank Dive$250

Best MonthsApril, May, June, July

CertificationAdvanced Open WaterAdvanced

Score breakdown

Click any score to see a detailed breakdown

Marine Life

68.0

Species diversity, megafauna encounters, reef fish abundance, macro life, and endemic species.

Species Diversity

Megafauna Encounters

Reef Fish Abundance

Macro Life

Endemic Species

Marine life diversity

68.0

Coral & reef health

60.0

Visibility & conditions

90.0

Dive site variety

58.0

Water temperature

85.0

Depth & access

72.0

Operator quality

78.0

Topside experience

62.0

Getting there

55.0

Value & cost

48.0

Crowding

60.0

Social proof

95.0

Key species

Caribbean reef shark bull shark giant grouper nurse shark eagle ray barracuda

Dive types

deepwallreefcave

Traveling with non-divers?

Your non-diving travel companions will find plenty to enjoy topside while you're underwater. Here are some activities to consider.

Activities for non-divers

snorkeling Half Moon Cayeblue-footed booby colony viewingkayakingaerial tour of the Blue Hole

Nearby cultural sites

Half Moon Caye Natural Monument

Non-diver score

5/10

Limited topside — plan ahead for non-diving partners.

Family FriendlyYes

Restaurants & Nightlifebasic

Safety & emergency

Dive insurance

DAN recommends dive insurance for all divers.

Learn more at DAN.org

Hyperbaric Chamber100 km — Sub-Aquatic Safety Services Chamber, San Pedro (Ambergris Caye)

Nearest Hospital100 km

Remote atoll — boat to Belize City (3-4 hrs) or charter flight; chamber on Ambergris Caye

Skill LevelAdvanced

Current Strengthmild

Top operators

Ambergris Divers

PADI

4.7

410 reviewsNITROX

Belize Diving Adventures

PADI

4.5

320 reviews

Hugh Parkey's Belize Dive Connection

PADI

4.4

280 reviewsNITROX

Compare this dive site

Great Blue Hole in Belize scores 70.1/100in OkToDive's 12-category data-driven rating. Best for deep diving with 24–46m visibility and 26–29°C water temps. A 2-tank dive costs ~$250 USD. Peak season: April, May, June.

Last updated: 2026-05-18

Who should dive here

Best for

+ Wide-angle photographers wanting crystal visibility
+ Anyone visiting Central America for the first time
+ Groups seeking 18+ named dive sites in one area

Skip if

− You don't have Advanced certification
− You're on a tight budget — avg $250/dive

Verdict

Choose Great Blue Hole over similar Central America destinations when social proof matters more than value cost

How Great Blue Hole compares

Site	Score	Visibility	Cost/dive	Best for
Great Blue Hole	70.1	24–46m	$250	deep, wall
Roatan	79.3	18–37m	$70	wall, reef
Cocos Island	64.6	9–30m	$350	pelagic, wall
Belize Barrier Reef	58.8	12–30m	$85	pelagic

Honest reality check

What your dive shop won't tell you

The minimum certification printed on a brochure is the legal floor, not the honest recommendation. Here's what we actually think you should bring to this site.

Recommended logged dives

55+

Below this we'd send you somewhere easier first.

Recommended certification

Cavern Diver minimum. Full Cave certification for anything past the daylight zone.

“The Blue Hole is a bucket-list dive that lasts 8 minutes at depth. The stalactites are otherworldly. Everything around Lighthouse Reef is better for actual diving.”

What will challenge you

→Recreational limit of 40 m is reachable here (max depth 125 m). Gas planning and NDL tracking matter.
→Overhead environment. Standard recreational training does not cover you past the entrance. People die here doing what they'd do on an open reef.
→Fast descent to 40m in open blue with no wall reference. Equalization matters more than anywhere.

What will surprise you

→The actual reef diving around Lighthouse Reef is better than the Blue Hole itself. Most people never find out.

Time of day

When to dive it

Every dive shop gives you this briefing at 7am. We just wrote it down.

Morning

Viz
high
Current
slack
Crowd
moderate

descent into the void
stalactite cathedral
wide angle

The 6am boat gets you to the Blue Hole before the day-trip armada from San Pedro. Descend past the lip at 40m and the stalactites appear like a cathedral organ. One dive, one shot.

Afternoon

Viz
high
Current
mild
Crowd
light

Half Moon Caye wall
reef sharks
eagle rays

Nobody dives the Blue Hole twice in a day. Afternoon is for Half Moon Caye wall — legitimate reef diving that most people skip.

Month-by-month

Dive forecast

Realistic conditions by month. Viz ranges are what you should actually expect, not best-case marketing numbers. Confidence % is the share of days that match this profile historically.

Month	Viz (m)	Temp (°C)	Current	Sea	Rain	Confidence	Highlights
Jan	29–42	28	Mild	Calm	Dry	55%	dry season, best viz
Feb	29–39	28	Mild	Calm	Dry	65%	peak dry, whale sharks possible
Mar	29–39	28	Mild	Calm	Dry	78%	peak conditions
Apr	29–42	28	Mild	Calm	Dry	88%	peak season
May	30–44	28	Mild	Calm	Dry	88%	still good, warming
Jun	30–44	28	Mild	Chop	Light	88%	rainy starting
Jul	29–42	27	Mild	Chop	Light	88%	wet season
Aug	29–39	27	Mild	Chop	Wet	88%	hurricane risk
Sep	29–39	27	Mild	Chop	Wet	78%	peak hurricane
Oct	29–42	28	Mild	Chop	Wet	65%	hurricane tail
Nov	30–44	28	Mild	Calm	Light	55%	transition
Dec	31–46	28	Mild	Calm	Dry	55%	dry returning

Shoot here

Photography brief

Subjects are only half the shot. A perfect macro site is useless in a three-knot drift, and a wide-angle dream is useless at 35 m with a murky ceiling. These are the conditions, not the hype.

Macro subjects58

Wide angle73

Viz stability88

Hover friendliness100

Natural light0

Recommended kit

→Wide-angle or fisheye (8-15mm range), dual strobes for close-focus wide angle
→Two independent light sources minimum; video lights beat strobes in caverns

Level up here

What this site will teach you

The dives that made you a better diver are the ones that made you uncomfortable for the right reasons. Here's what this site will quietly train you for.

Deep water comfort
intermediate
Descending into a 130m void with no reference builds a different kind of confidence than wall diving.
Equalization under pressure
intermediate
Fast descent to 40m demands reliable Frenzel technique.

What it costsEstimates — calibration pending

7-day trip, per person

Rough ranges anchored to existing regional data — not booking quotes. Land-based trip, standard breakdown.

Budget

$2,700–$3,800

Hostels, shore diving, cheap eats

Flights (RT from US): $360–$440
Accommodation / day: $100–$180
Diving / day: $210–$250
Food / day: $15–$30
Transfers + misc: $50–$150

Mid-range

$4,200–$6,450

3-star hotels, standard boat ops, mix of restaurants

Flights (RT from US): $590–$720
Accommodation / day: $220–$400
Diving / day: $250–$330
Food / day: $35–$70
Transfers + misc: $50–$150

Splurge

$7,300–$12,300

Top resorts or liveaboards, premium operators

Flights (RT from US): $900–$1,100
Accommodation / day: $500–$1,000
Diving / day: $330–$430
Food / day: $80–$150
Transfers + misc: $50–$150

Budget decision guide

Choose Budget if you prioritize dive count over comfort — hostels and shore diving maximize bottom time per dollar. Choose Mid-range for the best balance of comfort and value — most divers land here. Choose Splurge for premium operators, private guides, and top-tier accommodation — worth it for special trips or non-diving partners.

Flights priced round-trip from a major US hub. Figures are per person on a shared room. Solo travelers add ~30% to accommodation.

Pair with

Build a trip around it

Most divers fly across the world for one destination and don't realise another worth-it site is 90 minutes away. Here are the honest pairings.

Best dive types here

Great Blue Hole Diving — Belize

Score breakdown

Marine Life

Key species

Dive types

Traveling with non-divers?

Activities for non-divers

Nearby cultural sites

Non-diver score

Safety & emergency

Dive insurance

Top operators

Ambergris Divers

Belize Diving Adventures

Hugh Parkey's Belize Dive Connection

Who should dive here

Best for

Skip if

Verdict

How Great Blue Hole compares

What your dive shop won't tell you

When to dive it

Dive forecast

Photography brief

What this site will teach you

Deep water comfort

Equalization under pressure

7-day trip, per person

Budget decision guide

Build a trip around it