Ambegris Caye, Belize

We will be staying on Ambegris Caye this Thanksgiving. Has anyone been
there recently. It has been five years since we were there. We did not
dive the Blue Hole on our last trip, but plan on doing so this trip. Can
anyone give me the pro's and con's of diving the Blue Hole. Would you
recommend it or would you prefer another dive site. Any updated info
will be appreciated.

Thanks,
Robert Lloyd

"Robert Lloyd" <rlloyd@cox-internet.com> wrote in message
news:10dpg5896r36u7d@corp.supernews.com...
> We will be staying on Ambegris Caye this Thanksgiving. Has anyone been
> there recently. It has been five years since we were there. We did not
> dive the Blue Hole on our last trip, but plan on doing so this trip. Can
> anyone give me the pro's and con's of diving the Blue Hole. Would you
> recommend it or would you prefer another dive site. Any updated info
> will be appreciated.

I highly recommend the Blue Hole day trip . . with Amigos del Mar on their
Pro48. It's a full 3 tank dive day, very early departure. Lunch served on
an idyllic island. First dive of the day is the Blue Hole and the following
2 dives are fabulous atoll dives.

Where are you planning on staying?

> We will be staying on Ambegris Caye this Thanksgiving. Has anyone been
> there recently. It has been five years since we were there. We did not
> dive the Blue Hole on our last trip, but plan on doing so this trip. Can
> anyone give me the pro's and con's of diving the Blue Hole. Would you
> recommend it or would you prefer another dive site. Any updated info
> will be appreciated.
>
> Thanks,
> Robert Lloyd
>
It's been quite a while since I was there too. First time I was there, I
dived the Blue Hole. It's a down-around-up dive because it's so deep.
Nothing but the stalactites altho' I understand some people see sharks. If
you've never done it, you should. It's not that it's such a fantastic dive,
but it's quite unique. Second time my buddies and I elected to stay on top
and dive the reef. It was OK, but VERY shallow and not much there.

Jeanne

Thanks for the reply. I will post a trip report after the trip.

Robert

bjeanneb wrote:

>>We will be staying on Ambegris Caye this Thanksgiving. Has anyone been
>>there recently. It has been five years since we were there. We did not
>>dive the Blue Hole on our last trip, but plan on doing so this trip. Can
>> anyone give me the pro's and con's of diving the Blue Hole. Would you
>>recommend it or would you prefer another dive site. Any updated info
>>will be appreciated.
>>
>>Thanks,
>>Robert Lloyd
>>
>
> It's been quite a while since I was there too. First time I was there, I
> dived the Blue Hole. It's a down-around-up dive because it's so deep.
> Nothing but the stalactites altho' I understand some people see sharks. If
> you've never done it, you should. It's not that it's such a fantastic dive,
> but it's quite unique. Second time my buddies and I elected to stay on top
> and dive the reef. It was OK, but VERY shallow and not much there.
>
> Jeanne
>
>

"Robert Lloyd" <rlloyd@cox-internet.com> wrote in message
news:10dpoplbhldjnc7@corp.supernews.com...
> Our dive shop uses the Sunbreeze. We stayed there five years ago and it
> was ok. Nothing fancy by any means, but clean, close to the airport and
> the town.

Sunbreeze is a good location and a nice hotel. Their dive shop isn't the
best though, which is a shame.
Hope you have wonderful time. I just love it in San Pedro.

So I can't wait to see your trip report.

>
> chilly wrote:
>
> > "Robert Lloyd" <rlloyd@cox-internet.com> wrote in message
> > news:10dpg5896r36u7d@corp.supernews.com...
> >
> >>We will be staying on Ambegris Caye this Thanksgiving. Has anyone been
> >>there recently. It has been five years since we were there. We did not
> >>dive the Blue Hole on our last trip, but plan on doing so this trip. Can
> >> anyone give me the pro's and con's of diving the Blue Hole. Would you
> >>recommend it or would you prefer another dive site. Any updated info
> >>will be appreciated.
> >
> >
> > I highly recommend the Blue Hole day trip . . with Amigos del Mar on
their
> > Pro48. It's a full 3 tank dive day, very early departure. Lunch served
on
> > an idyllic island. First dive of the day is the Blue Hole and the
following
> > 2 dives are fabulous atoll dives.
> >
> > Where are you planning on staying?
> >
> >
> >
>

I just got back last week from what is perhaps my tenth trip to San Pedro
(Ambergris Caye.)

Even if you are staying at the Sun Breeze Hotel, there is NO OTHER DIVE SHOP
TO GO WITH THAN AMIGOS.

They are absolutely the best, and one of only perhaps three dive shops on
the Island that haven't changed their name and ownership over the last
several years. There is no comparison. They have by far the most
experienced and professional staff and a remarkably low turnover.

Because you go so far down and you are really in a roofless cave, your
experience will be thick stalagtites, minimal visibility, a few large
pelagics, a relatively short bottom time and a long slooooow ascent . That
said, the Blue Hole trip is definitely one you want to do, "because it's
there." And you can spend your surface time betwen dives doing some
excellent snorkelling, because the reef breaks through the water at that
point and there's a lot to see. On the trip I was on, we spotted a couple
of whales, mother and baby, which we were able to see for quite a few
minutes.

"j b" <joledy@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:BAeDc.949$a92.355@twister.nyc.rr.com...
> I just got back last week from what is perhaps my tenth trip to San Pedro
> (Ambergris Caye.)

Wow!! You've got my 6 beat. :^) Where do you stay?

>
> Even if you are staying at the Sun Breeze Hotel, there is NO OTHER DIVE
SHOP
> TO GO WITH THAN AMIGOS.
>
> They are absolutely the best, and one of only perhaps three dive shops on
> the Island that haven't changed their name and ownership over the last
> several years. There is no comparison. They have by far the most
> experienced and professional staff and a remarkably low turnover.

I couldn't agree more. Aquadives, they are one of the worst. It is a shame
that they are so closely tied to the Sunbreeze. Groups booking into
Sunbreeze generally use Aquadives because of the package.

>
> Because you go so far down and you are really in a roofless cave, your
> experience will be thick stalagtites, minimal visibility, a few large
> pelagics, a relatively short bottom time and a long slooooow ascent .
That
> said, the Blue Hole trip is definitely one you want to do, "because it's
> there." And you can spend your surface time betwen dives doing some
> excellent snorkelling, because the reef breaks through the water at that
> point and there's a lot to see. On the trip I was on, we spotted a couple
> of whales, mother and baby, which we were able to see for quite a few
> minutes.

How marvelous.

>
>

"Robert Lloyd" <rlloyd@cox-internet.com> wrote in message
news:10dpp0pakp5nved@corp.supernews.com...
> Thanks for the reply. I will post a trip report after the trip.
>
> Robert

Robert, here is part of a post I made a year or so ago.

#

I love the Blue Hole. It's all in
your perspective. Last year I did it twice. It is a short deep dive into a
dark hole. And at depth there are stalactites and a bit of an overhang, if
you are so inclined. I do not recommend it to new divers, though they take
new divers in there all the time. I'm against that.

There's sharks in the Blue Hole, very cool, very cool. It is a different
kind of dive than a reef dive, no doubt. No pretty fishes, no coral
formations, but think of it. The geologic history alone. Amazing. Check
this out: http://www.ambergriscaye.com/pages/t...tbluehole.html

First of all it makes mention of diving to 150', that is incorrect, the dive
is only supposed to be 130'. And perhaps because I haven't been as deep as
they
mention, I've never seen this extended visibility they discuss either. I've
never seen a hammerhead in there but ya never know.

For myself, I take down my flashlight and check out the walls, I've found
some little chambers and they've had some little fish in them. Last time,
when the sharks rose from the depths, I saw one that was swimming parallel
to us. What a beauty. So of course, I shone my flashlight all up and down
the length of it. When it turned and started towards me, I quickly doused
my light and swam off with my group. But my spidey sense were tingling, so
I looked behind and sure enough . . .there is was coming up from behind me.
I turned and went vertical, it slid by eeeeeevvvvvvveeerrr sooooooo
sloooowly, just beneath me. First its snout, its eyes, its dorsal, its tail
fin and then it was gone. I rose with the rest of the group to make the
extended safety stop just above the rim. There were a number of fish
swimming around to amuse me while I waited out my time, not to mention the
occasional shark lazily circling our group. We ascended and I came out of
the water singing "Again, again, I want to do it again!!" :^) That was my
5th time in the Hole.

If you do decide to do the Hole, you will probably be on Amigos del Mar's
Pro48. They break the divers into groups to dive. Make sure that you get
into the last group to step into the water. Sometimes the first group
doesn't see any sharks.

The two followup dives are excellent and the surface interval that includes
lunch, is on Halfmoon Caye. An idyllic little island. Then on the trip
home, if you are so inclined you will be served panty rippers and/or a
Belikin beer or two. A most excellent way to spend a day. Sigh.

If you do go, make sure to see as much of this little island as you can.
Scarf down your lunch, head over to the booby bird sanctuary, don't spend a
bunch of time there. When you go back down to the path that would take you
back to where you started, you will come to a sort of T intersection. Go
right instead of left. Watch for the iguanas and hermit crabs. This path
will take you out to the far side of the island. If it is not too hot, you
can walk from there back to where you had lunch, and then it's pretty much
time to head out for another dive. Oh, damn, now I've made myself
'homesick' . . .

Last few times at Maya Princess since it's so convenient to Amigos. (And
Cholo's bar!) I like the central location and you can always use Ramon's
beach for swimming. Also, if you take a cab from the airport, they will pay
the driver.

I find that if you check their rates on the internet so you have an idea of
the going rate, you can usually get a more advantageous rate by emailing or
calling them directly. Last couple of times I was a walk-in and did quite
well. (Of course, in the off-season.)

"j b" <joledy@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:ggkDc.5054$a92.2162@twister.nyc.rr.com...
> Last few times at Maya Princess since it's so convenient to Amigos. (And
> Cholo's bar!) I like the central location and you can always use Ramon's
> beach for swimming. Also, if you take a cab from the airport, they will
pay
> the driver.
>
> I find that if you check their rates on the internet so you have an idea
of
> the going rate, you can usually get a more advantageous rate by emailing
or
> calling them directly. Last couple of times I was a walk-in and did quite
> well. (Of course, in the off-season.)
>

I really like the Mayan Princess too and you are certainly right about the
convenience. I loved being able to run up to my room during surface
intervals if I was so enclined.

True about the rates. And I too love hanging at Cholo's.

The only thing I didn't like about the Mayan was when my room was in front
of the ice machine in the hall. It went off every half hour or so and woke
me up. :^(

I like the Blue Tang too, especially the 3rd floor front suites.

My friend from Jambel's Jerk, tells me that the Coral Beach Hotel is all
redone and told me I should stay there next time. Since I love the guys at
JamBel's and eat there most often, it might be a good plan. It doesn't look
like they have kitchenette units though, which I prefer. Is there any
chance that you saw the hotel while you were there?

It's a bit of a jaunt over to Amigos from there, I'll grant that but since
I've more recently been staying in an apartment in Boca del Rio, I'm sure I
won't notice it much.

By the way, did you get to Rasta Pasta while you were there? How's Maralyn
doing?