Snorkeling the Blue Hole with Amigos Del Mar: A Memorable, Gorgeous Day on the Water

Diving the Great Blue Hole of Belize is on most SCUBA bucket lists but this trip is also FANTASTIC for snorkellers. But let me start by saying this: it’s a long day. But don’t let that discourage you – if you love being out on the sea, snorkeling in gorgeous water, and seeing Belize’s most famous natural landmark up close – this is a day trip you’ll love. And it showcases Belize at her most beautiful, both above and below water.

The lunch stop at the most beautiful island I’ve ever ever seen is my favorite part – Half Moon Caye.

I recently joined Amigos Del Mar, one of the most established dive shops on the island, for their Blue Hole trip. It’s a full-day adventure that includes three dive and snorkel stops, breakfast, lunch and lots of snacks, and ride out to 2 of Belize’s 3 atolls – about 45 miles from San Pedro.

Here’s the full day – WE LOVED IT! My best friend of 25 years, Jamie, is visiting this summer (and every summer). And it was the perfect time to do this BIG trip.

AND…I’ve only done this trip ONCE in my 18 years in Belize – almost exactly 10 years ago.

5:30AM: Good Morning, San Pedro

Yes, it’s an early start. My alarm went off at about 4:10 am – but I was driving to town…Amigos picks up many of their guests.

We were meeting the group (a bit less than 20 in all – 6 snorkels and the rest divers) at 5:30 am at the big, beautiful Amigos Del Mar dock in the town center.

Coffee, fruits (this crew makes the MOST gorgeous tropical fruit platters – like 5-star hotel buffet grade) were spread out for us…

While we were rubbing our eyes, the crew was already moving about as if they have done this dive hundreds of times. (They have!)

Briefed, sized and set up with gear and as the sun was rising, we then headed east and through the reef into the open sea.

The Ride Out

It takes about 2-2.5 hours to get to the Blue Hole. We had the most beautiful day…light wind, light waves. Along the way, when Jamie and I were sitting on the front of the boat, Captain Andre shouted DOLPHINS!

Is there a better thing to hear on a boat? (Maybe better: look a chest of gold!) I saw about 10…small guys…maybe Spinner Dolphins? Leaping, playing, and then all moving in the water around the bow. So cool. And throughout the ride, small flying fish raced along the surface. Otherwise…it’s just the boat and the deep dark blue – most folks inside the boat hanging out and napping.

I LOVE that Amigos’ boat – the Papa Changa – it’s so large and comfortable (with a bathroom), and the crew constantly checked in on us to make sure we were ok. Though we had a calm day, I’d be SO happy to have a large boat on one not so calm.

Stop #1: The Great Blue Hole

You hear about it, if you are an avid SCUBA-fan, a bucket list dive, you see it on the $100 Belize bill, and here it is: the Great Blue Hole in person. For divers, it’s a deep sinkhole. (Read the how, when, size, all the deets on the Blue Hole here on Wikipedia) It’s especially cool that you can see it from space. It’s pretty incredible that this sinkhole – and even these atolls – rise up from the deep dark ocean.

For snorkelers, the area is more about the perimeter – stalactites poking from below, deep blue walls, and sometimes sharks cruising in and out of the shadows. It’s the least dramatic and exciting snorkel of the three. It’s very cool swimming to the edge of the hole – where the reef drops straight down from turquoise to cold, ink-like navy. We saw a few small reef sharks but not too much else.

It’s really for the divers – to go deep into the hole – to see the cave formations. To say you did it. And what you see above – if you take a plane tour of the Great Blue Hole, is not what you see from boat level. The sink hole is 1000 feet across!

The Tropic Air tour is incredible – when you see it in person…it’s…it made me cry, it’s so beautiful out there.

And then by sea.

Stop #2: Half Moon Caye

After the Blue Hole, we head to Half Moon Caye, a tiny island and the oldest marine reserve in all of Central America. It’s just a few minutes away.

Before you get on the island – it’s a GORGEOUS snorkel stop a few hundred feet of shore. Eldo, our guide, was the exactly right blend of charming and informative. Popping his head out of the water constantly to take a headcount.

We saw beautiful coral, tiny, wildly colorful fish like the neon purple and orange Royal Gramma (who are you hiding from in that outfit? NO ONE)

I found a new favorite fish: the black durgon. About a foot long and kinda…blimpy. They are deep black triggerfish with glowing white lines on either side with a full mouth of teeth and a face of make-up.

45 minutes that ended with visiting fields of turtle grass…that turned out to be a sea turtle ranch! We saw 8 or 9 good sized turtles munching down below. SUPER COOL. We also saw one of the biggest eagle rays I’ve ever seen…I’d say 6 feet across with a small family of large, creepy remora fish clinging to him.

To the island for lunch!

Yummy rice and beans, chicken, potato salad and dessert. Delicious coconut pie. (I like a pie you can pick up and eat like a candy bar) If you’ve been to Belize, your mouth is already watering…

I’m always happy to eat rice and beans even though I eat it…4-5 times a week?

Off to stretch our legs…

…walk the sand paths…

…and to check out the view from the birdwatching platform. Red-footed boobies and frigate birds nest here – and the lookout spot gives a beautiful view of the caye and reef.

There are bathrooms and picnic tables and some of the best views you’ll find anywhere in the world. I’ll share a handful of the 100 pics I took…

I coulda used another half hour – or hour – or week to lounge on this perfect island. But we had an hour – from the time that lunch came out to the boat leaving. We absolutely want to be back to Ambergris Caye before sunset…

It reminds me that ONE DAY I want to overnight-camp on Half Moon Caye. If anyone has done that, please let me know!

One More Snorkel/Dive Stop: The Aquarium

The last snorkel stop is called “The Aquarium” for reasons you can imagine- blue blue water, corals of every shape, and schools of colorful fish swirling around you. The water actually clouded up near the end of our snorkel because these big, fat, bug-eyed fish (I later found they are called “Bermuda Chubs”) are heavy-duty poopers. Like many feet of…

Enough said about that.

Poop aside, it was a perfect way to end the day…

The Ride Back

We head back to San Pedro in the mid-afternoon sun, salty, slightly sunburned, and sleepy. It was quiet on board – people napping, sipping sodas and later, rum punches, flipping through GoPros. A bunch of folks sat in the sun on the front of the boat – it was a gorgeous sunny smooth ride.

We arrived back at the dock just before 4:30pm – a solid 11-hour trip and you feel it. But in a great way. Happy and tired…and kinda a little bit proud of yourself.

We both LOVED this trip. Jamie asked me this morning if I would do it again…next week. And I would. It’s so fantastic to be in the water – to see all the new fish (like my black durgon and a ghost-like peacock flounder). We even loved the boat ride…to just race over the ocean with the wind blowing in your face…it’s so good.

Amigos staff was also perfect – Alex and George checking in constantly to see that we were ok on the boat, Captain Andre, pointing out the dolphins and getting us all upstairs to see the outline of the blue hole from above (especially when borrowing his polarized glasses) and Endo – a fantastic snorkel guide.

The way all the guys keep the equipment straight – for the divers and the snorkels is pretty amazing. You honestly don’t have to worry about it at all. The masks are soaped and rinsed ready to go. Eldo even helped take stubborn flippers off your feet if you were having trouble. Then it is all whisked away…ready for your next snorkel.

Go on this trip. Trying to use Windfinder.com to pick a day where it’ll be relatively calm. Here are some more tips!

A Few Tips If You Go:

• It’s open ocean for much of the traveling so take motion sickness medicine if you are prone. I took Bonine – Dramamine Less Drowsy – and felt completely fine the entire trip. No one got sick on our boat.
• Apply as much high SPF sunscreen (for bod, face and lips) as you can and bring long-sleeve shirt or rash guard and a hat. Even if you are trying to stay out of the sun – you are getting LOTS of sun. All the sun.
• Drink a TON of liquid during the trip. It’s easy to get dehyrdrated in this sun with this much activity. Do not worry about the boat bathroom – it’s pretty good – or peeing in the water (everyone does it) – and there is a decent composting bathroom on the island. DRINK WATER.
• I don’t think this trip is good for little kids. It’s just too much. But our trip had a girl maybe 10 and another 13-14 and everyone is fine. You know your kids 🙂
• This trip is for folks comfortable in the water. You don’t need to be an Olympic swimmer – quite a few folks did the first (or all of the) snorkels with a life jacket/belt. I’m a bit sore this morning – and I slept 11 hours last night – but I felt 100% fine in the water.

Get out there and have fun…it’s an amazing trip that I promise you will not forget.