Ambergris Caye Diving

Dive Center is on the Dock Outside Our Hotel

Planning to do some Scuba Diving while staying on Ambergris Caye? It doesn’t get any easier than when you stay at Mayan Princess Hotel! The Amigos del Mar Dive Center is located on the dock, right in front of the hotel. Most of the dive spots are just a 10-minute boat ride away.

You can take your surface interval back at the dive shop and the staff will take care of your equipment between dives.

Belize Barrier Reef

Beyond convenience, the Belize Barrier Reef is one of the most spectacular reefs in the world. It is the largest reef in the Western Hemisphere and the third largest in the world.

Being at Ambergris Caye, you are steps away from the Belize Barrier Reef. From your sea side suite, you’ll be able to dream about the reef at night and explore this majestic underwater world during the day.

Belize Sea Life

There are over 500 species of fish found in the Caribbean coral reefs alone, and many of them are endangered. The Angelfish, Damselfish, Needlefish, Wrasses, Gobies, Groupers, Parrotfish, Bar Jack, Balloonfish, Cayman Seahorse, Cubera Snapper, Great Barracuda, Red Lionfish, and Silversides are just a few of the notable fish that make their home in the Caribbean Sea.

Popular sighting include sea turtles, eagle rays, stingrays, nurse sharks, jew fish, moray eels, dolphins, and humpback whales. The manta ray and spotted eagle ray are fairly common, and divers can reasonably expect to see many of these magnificent creatures. Hammerhead sharks, Caribbean reef sharks and even the oceanic white tip sharks are seen occasionally, but these lucky sightings are rare.

Dive Sites

  • The Blue Hole, Lighthouse Reef Atoll — The Blue Hole at 1,000 feet in diameter is the largest in the world, descending down 440 feet into blackness. Stalactites can be seen hanging from the indented caverns along the wall.
  • Half Moon Caye Wall, Lighthouse Reef Atoll — Totally different then the nearby Blue Hole. The reef and wall configuration is dressed with corals and sponges of every color. Sand chutes expose colonies of garden eels that seem to move in slow motion. There is a good blend of small tropical fish and some larger pelagics such as eagle rays, sea turtles, and groupers
  • Aquarium — A sheer drop-off begins around 30’, with an abundance of fish life at the top. About 40’-60’ deep along the wall are large baffel sponges, giant deep water sea fans, and the richest collection of deep water gorgonians found anywhere in the world. Groupings of spotted truck fish are often seen on top of the wall, and the very corner of this reef is a very good place to see reef sharks, big black groupers, swirling schools of horse eyed jacks and hawksbill or green sea turtles.
  • Angel Fish Wall — The many friendly grey angel fish give this site its name. The top of the wall teems with small fish. Eagle rays and an occasional shark cruise the wall.
  • Black Beauty — Known for sightings of turtles and eagle rays, this area features long mounds of coral with sandy bottom channels. A vertical wall begins around 50 feet.
  • Cathedral — Colorful formations resembling cathedral steeples with sandy cuts signify this site. This site is home to many black groupers and jacks, as well as three species of angel fish, scorpion fish, several varieties of eels and silver sides. Spanish dancers are sometimes sighted on the night dives.
  • Elbow — This advanced dive boasts one of the best opportunities to see large pelagics such as eagle rays and reef and hammerhead sharks. Strong currents are often present.
  • Elk Horn Forest — Located on the east side of Long Caye, the shallows grow large mounds of lettuce leaf coral that projects towards the depths. In the shallows are elk horn corals inhabited by numerous species of juvenile fish.
  • Long Caye Wall — Named for a protruding ridge of reefs and numerous swim throughs with grooves which cut the wall running directly to the open sea. Interesting soft corals and sponges are abundant and many eels are found here, as well.
  • Painted Wall –-There are many clusters of small painted tunicates, within the depths of 40 – 70’. These walls have shallows inhabited by species of parrot fish, black durgeon and queen trigger fish. The sheer walls begin around 25’ and are overhung in many places with black coral trees and rope sponges covered with light bulb tunicates.
  • QueBrada — Named for a cut in the reef (the wall and shallows), this is an extremely sheer and active stretch of wall. Because it projects out into the current, the extra flow of plankton around it supports an incredibly rich diversity of marine animals. Green moray eels, spotted drum, lobster, crabs, and tarpon on the night dives.