The country of Belize lies south of the yucatan peninsula on the caribbean sea. Belize is a true tropical paradise and has many attractions for all holiday makers, including Mayan ruins, 4000 species of flowering plant, 250 species of native orchids, 700 species of native trees, and 550 species of birds. Nearly one third of belize is a conservation area and Belize is also the last refuge of the jaguar. But, for scuba divers the main attractions are the barrier reef (the second largets in the world), and the offshore atolls of Glovers Reef, Lighthouse Reef and Turneffe atoll.

The official language of Belize is english and the belize dollar is the offical currency, although US dollars are also in wide use throughout the country. The largest city is Belize city, although no longer the capital.

Ambergris Caye laying only 1km west of the barrier reef is the normal destination for divers wishing to dive the barrier reef. The main tourist center on Amgergris Caye is the town of San Pedro. The barrier reef consists of a spur and groove reef structure with caverns, caves, cuts and tunnels through the reef. Many of the dive sites are part of a protected marine park and marine life is more prolific because of this protection. Typical marine life to be seen includes, spotted eagle rays, groupers, snappers, jacks, hard and soft corals and sponges.

Light House Reef is an atoll that lies east of the barrier reef. Diving accommodation can be found on the atoll itself and the reef provides some remarkable diving. The dive sites are mainly scattered around the edge of the reef and while offering differing highlights most sites have a shallow reef section that sits above the main reef wall which is also a dive feature. (the wall dropping into the depths of the ocean). The specials of the diving include coral caves and caverns (from the spur and groove reef structure), hard and soft corals, sponges, as well as large pelagics, such as turtles, eagle rays, nurse sharks, etc... and a large variety of marine life.

In addition to the great reef/wall diving that light house reef offers, it also has a blue hole. In the middle of the atoll fringed by very shallow reef, the blue hole is a cenote/sink hole that drops down to a depth of 126 meters. The walls of the blue hole are overhung and stalagtites have grown from beneath the overhangs. The floor of the blue hole opens into a cave system.

Glovers Atoll named after the pirate John Glover is the least visited and most prestine of Belize's dive sites. The atoll contains an 80 square mile lagoon surrounded by fringing reef. The reefs, step down to the outer walls which then drop off into the depths of the ocean. The wall diving is spectacular and commences as shallow as 40 feet. Typical marine life to be found on the atoll includes, nurse sharks, bone fish, grouper, moray eels, queen trigger fish, large parrot fish, manta rays, eagle rays and juvenille spotted drums.

Turneffe Atoll is the largest of the atolls, and the closest to Belize city, giving it the easiest access. The diving is concerntrated at the southern end of the atoll on both the east and west sides. The dive sites on the west side of the reef don't drop off into deep water as sharply as those on the east side of the island, thus allowing plenty of diving for new/returning divers to feel comfortable in. The western dive sites have plenty of sponges, crustasians, corals and marine life to explore and good night dives can be had in these safe conditions. The eastern dive sites are generally characterised by splits, tunnels, rifts running through the tops of the reef walls, with the walls then dropping into the deeper water. Schools of fish inhabit the rifts/splits with large corals and sponges living on the outer walls. The steepness of the wall drop off also provides the opportunities to see large pelagics such as nurse sharks, green turtles, barracuda, eagle rays, grouper along this side of the atoll.