San Pedro
San Pedro is located in the south of Ambergris Caye in Belize. It is a popular holiday destination a
Explore Ambergris Caye
Ambergris Caye, the largest of Belize's islands, serves as an exceptional gateway to some of the most mesmerizing diving experiences in the Caribbean. Surrounded by the pristine waters of the Caribbean Sea, this island is renowned for its stunning white sandy beaches and crystal-clear waters, making it a true paradise for divers. Among its most celebrated dive sites are the legendary Great Blue Hole and the expansive Belize Great Barrier Reef, which stretches an impressive 300 kilometers. While the reef fish may not be as abundant, divers are treated to encounters with larger pelagic species, offering a thrilling underwater adventure. Diving around Ambergris Caye is predominantly accessed via boat, as the reef is situated far offshore, precluding shore dives. This allows divers to explore diverse underwater environments, from colorful coral reefs and dramatic walls to intriguing wrecks. The Hol Chan Marine Reserve and Lighthouse Reef are must-visit spots, providing unforgettable experiences with their vibrant marine life and dynamic dive environments. The island's dive shops and resorts in San Pedro make it easy for adventurers to embark on scuba charters, whether opting for a day trip or a liveaboard experience. For those planning a visit, the ideal time to explore Ambergris Caye is from November to May, when the weather is warm and pleasant, perfect for diving. Travelers should note that the hurricane season, from May to October, can bring warmer water but is best avoided due to its unpredictability. Whether you're a seasoned diver or a beginner, Ambergris Caye offers a unique blend of adventure and tranquility, making it a standout destination in the world of diving.
Top Regions to Explore
Dive Activity
Diving in Ambergris Caye
The large coral reef here has a variety of topography throughout its 300 kilometers and will provide divers with a lot of versatility in their dives. Aside from multiple flourishing coral gardens, coral pinnacles and coral plateaus teaming with life, there are also canyons, caves, mangrove lagoons and seagrass beds.
The Great Blue Hole is the dream dive site more the more advanced divers and technical divers. Here technical divers can descend down to 100 metres in complete blue surroundings. For recreational divers, it is absolutely worth having a Deep Speciality certification as there are caves at just past 30 meters which are a really stunning site.
The large majority of the diving here is done from day trip boats from San Pedro mostly or liveaboards, and there are also many opportunities for dive courses here. It is also a perfect area for underwater photography, as the reef provides incredible colours and there are so many larger species to capture.
Top Wildlife Sightings in Ambergris Caye
With this much flourishing reef made up of a selection of Hard Corals, Gorgonians, Sea Fans and Soft Corals, there can only be as much flourishing marine life who are attracted to this reef. Even though the abundance of schooling reef fish is lower here than expected, it is made up for by the large amount of pelagic and other species here. The Nurse Sharks at Shark Ray Alley are known to be incredibly inquisitive and like to come up close to divers to inspect them, which is a unique experience. Aside from them, divers are also likely to spot Eagle Rays, Stingrays and Sea Turtles. On the luckiest days there may be Hammerhead Sharks, Whalesharks, schools of Barracuda and Trevally and Dugongs. Some of the species which live in the reef include lobsters, adorable Nudibranchs and Moray Eels.
Wildlife Sightings are Based on User Generated Content
Shutterstock-Shane Myers Photography
Green Turtle
1.8k Sightings
J
169
F
159
M
209
A
198
M
187
J
154
J
174
A
134
S
68
O
44
N
102
D
180
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 200
Alamy-WaterFrame
Moray Eel
1.4k Sightings
J
148
F
154
M
136
A
117
M
123
J
107
J
121
A
96
S
55
O
59
N
113
D
145
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 25
iStock/Juliosanjuan
Eagle Ray
1.2k Sightings
J
124
F
112
M
132
A
103
M
120
J
107
J
121
A
114
S
57
O
43
N
84
D
130
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 27
iStock-Global_Pics
Barracuda
1.1k Sightings
J
76
F
104
M
122
A
77
M
92
J
118
J
126
A
101
S
55
O
47
N
58
D
89
iStock-ShaneGross
Loggerhead Turtle
591 Sightings
J
19
F
28
M
138
A
164
M
103
J
41
J
65
A
2
S
9
O
10
N
10
D
2
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 2
AdobeStock-hakbak
Nurse Shark
6.1k Sightings
J
525
F
552
M
614
A
527
M
483
J
565
J
635
A
497
S
257
O
295
N
495
D
629
AdobeStock-Marc Henauer
Grey Reef Shark
2.6k Sightings
J
185
F
272
M
255
A
250
M
204
J
225
J
293
A
196
S
94
O
88
N
219
D
287
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 80
iStock/Extreme-Photographer
Stingrays
2k Sightings
J
153
F
185
M
215
A
172
M
175
J
211
J
218
A
162
S
69
O
97
N
131
D
189
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 100
iStock-burnsboxco
Parrotfish
1.8k Sightings
J
151
F
193
M
176
A
172
M
131
J
174
J
179
A
133
S
80
O
96
N
157
D
191
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 250
Shutterstock-Henry_and_Laura_Whittaker
Grouper/Basslets
1.6k Sightings
J
114
F
124
M
137
A
129
M
152
J
180
J
194
A
125
S
87
O
68
N
124
D
133
The best Months to Dive in Ambergris Caye
The Caribbean Sea has some of the most ideal diving conditions out there. The water temperatures range between 26°C–29°C/79°F–84°F with visibility ranging between 15 meters/49 feet and over 30 meters/98 feet. The climate in the Caribbean consists of a wet and a dry season, however, there are not extreme amounts of rain. The wind can pick up between November and July, but for the most part it will not hinder diving. The best time to dive here would be in April to June. There are a vast array of larger species to spot here, and luckily they are around throughout the year. The month of June is the best month to spot the most amount of species including Whale Sharks and the unique Dugongs.
