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Hotels, dive operators, gear, and how to get here are on the Great Blue Hole location page.
Overview
A narrow cut through the Belize Barrier Reef off the south tip of Ambergris Caye, Hol Chan (“little channel” in Maya) was declared Belize’s first marine reserve in 1987. The 9 m channel and the coral walls flanking it hold green and hawksbill turtles, Nassau and black groupers, green moray eels, schooling snapper and over 160 fish species. The adjoining Shark Ray Alley, added in 1999, gathers resident nurse sharks and southern stingrays in water shallow enough to stand in. Tidal flow funnels through the cut and can run hard at peak ebb and flood, sweeping nutrients—and divers—across the reef.
Briefing note
Protected marine reserve: a per-person entry fee applies and is collected by the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. No fishing, gloves, touching or feeding of wildlife; use mooring buoys, do not anchor on the reef. Tidal currents in the cut can be too strong to swim against at peak flow—dive with local guides who time the slack.
What you'll see
7 species curated- year-roundNurse sharkPeak: Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
- year-roundSouthern stingrayPeak: Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
- year-roundGreen sea turtlePeak: Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
- year-roundHawksbill turtlePeak: Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
- seasonalNassau grouperPeak: Dec · Jan · Feb
- year-roundGreen moray eelPeak: Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun · Jul · Aug · Sep · Oct · Nov · Dec
- seasonalSpotted eagle rayPeak: Jan · Feb · Mar · Apr · May · Jun
Conditions
| Month | Water | Visibility | Current |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 26–27 °C | 15–25 m | moderate |
| Feb | 26–27 °C | 18–28 m | mild |
| Mar | 26–28 °C | 20–30 m | mild |
| Apr | 27–28 °C | 20–30 m | mild |
| May | 27–29 °C | 18–28 m | mild |
| Jun | 28–29 °C | 15–22 m | moderate |
| Jul | 28–30 °C | 15–20 m | moderate |
| Aug | 28–30 °C | 15–22 m | moderate |
| Sep | 28–30 °C | 12–20 m | moderate |
| Oct | 28–29 °C | 12–20 m | moderate |
| Nov | 27–28 °C | 15–22 m | moderate |
| Dec | 26–27 °C | 15–25 m | moderate |
Season calendar
Peak season highlighted · current month outlined
Next step
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