The gorgeous Great Blue Hole is essentially a giant sinkhole (like a “cenote” on the Yucatan) which is part of the Lighthouse Reef Atoll. It is 980 feet (300 m) across & 400 feet (120 m) deep, in the middle of a shallow section of the Belizean Great Barrier Reef system and is a popular scuba destination made famous by Jacques Cousteau in the 70s.

Those wanting to visit the Blue Hole to dive or snorkel can do so by day trip through any of the popular dive shops on the island such as Belize Pro Dive or Ramon’s. It’s an all day excursion involving about a 2 hour boat trip out to where you will dive/snorkel at three different locations (Blue Hole, Half Moon Caye, and the Aquarium at Long Caye), plus get breakfast, lunch & an opportunity to see red footed boobies on Half Moon Caye!

Those who may want a quicker (& dryer!) tour of the Blue Hole can opt for a fabulous flyover from above on a 60-90 minute Tropic Air or Maya Island Air tour. From above, you can really see the color contrast of the deep hole with the shallow reef. You’ll also of course get a bird’s eye view of the Belize Barrier Reef, Turneffe Atoll, and more, plus if you’re lucky see manatees, dolphins, and other marine life from the air!

This video shows, among other things, aerial footage of the Blue Hole (starting at 5:30) and a scuba trip to the Blue Hole (starting at 6:30). No matter which way you visit, by sea or air, you will have a blast!