Placencia dive sites

[MikeRiley]

due to the awesome input from this board, I'm thinking that Belize is going to be our honeymoon destination.
Placencia looks perfect for what will work for my wife and I.. one main question is how far are the closest dive sites?

ive read that a lot of the big sites are 1-3 hours away. that might be fun for a day or two but i dont want to spend all day diving every day and leave my wife. i love being able to dive a quick boat ride from the resort and then be back by lunch time.

anyone whos been there, can you give me an idea of what the options are? Im a novice diver so I dont mind if some of the closer sites arent as cool

 

[Augustus]

I think the dive sites are a bit out. My feeling from one trip there is its very popular when the whale sharks are there (spring) but once they move on its so so diving. It was about an hour or two to the elbow for the whale sharks and I did not hear anybody talking about dive sites closer in.

 

[diversteve]

With all due respect Elbow is near the south tip of Turneffe Atoll which is the opposite way (north) from Gladden Spit. Which is the only place you'll find Whale Sharks to dive with. Turneffe is quite far NE of Placencia. Gladden Spit is due east of Placencia along the barrier reef. http://www.slickrock.com/Maps/detailedbelizemap.jpg

Got all this from - Splash Dive Center|Diving Packages and Sites Quoted text is theirs - comments are mine. They're the go-to dive operator in that area unless your resort has it's own.

The Inner Reef:

One of the Splash Dive Center boats leaves Placencia almost every day at 9:00 am for the 30 to 40 minute ride to paradise. Laughing Bird Caye is 11 nautical miles east of Placencia. Enjoy a Belize style picnic lunch or a barbecue and relax on the beach after the first dive. You'll arrive back in Placencia at 3:00 pm after the second dive.

The Outer Reef:

The main barrier reef lies approximately 20 miles east of Placencia, a journey which normally takes 45 minutes to an hour and has some of the most spectacular diving in the entire Belize barrier reef. Silk or Queen Cayes are 20 nautical miles east of Placencia in Southern Belize. The boat ride to these beautiful cayes takes about one hour and then an additional 5-10 minutes to the dive sites.

Glovers is a little farther east:

Glovers Reef is the southernmost of three atolls off Belize's coast. The southern part of Glovers is approximately 30 nautical miles from Placencia, a journey which takes a little more than an hour and a half.

Gladden Spit:

Location: 26 nautical miles east of Placencia
Depth: 60 Feet/18mt
Access: One hour and thirty minute boat ride from Placencia
Expertise Rating: Advanced

I disagree but ask about it later in the week after they've seen you dive. It's an 80' blue water dive. Your wife can snorkel above also - she may see more sharks than you do. Whale Sharks are kind of clumsy and if they hit you with their tail it can break bones. And surprisingly they're faster than you are. Even the big ones...

The Blue Hole:

Location: 65 nautical miles northeast of Placencia
Depth: 130 feet
Access: Boat
Expertise rating: Advanced

This can be done as a day trip or as an overnight trip.

As a new diver don't do it. It's a clear 130' drop and very much a trust me dive as they do it on single tank. Cousteau popularized it but the dive itself isn't that great unless you drop to 150' or so and get under the stalagtites. I've done similar dives in the Bahamas and they're often murky - there's sand falls around a blue hole.

 

[MikeRiley]

Awesome info, Blue Hole wasn't on my list. Diving with the whale sharks would be cool; I'd be comfortable doing it if I was able to stick with my instructor or DM. The sites are farther out than I'd like, but closer than I worried about. It's cool that they don't leave at 6 am everyday. At least we can have breakfast together. She's more than happy to tan all day at the hotel. And I'm sure she can come on some of the trips to snorkel etc

 

[bradells]

Awesome info, Blue Hole wasn't on my list. Diving with the whale sharks would be cool; I'd be comfortable doing it if I was able to stick with my instructor or DM. The sites are farther out than I'd like, but closer than I worried about. It's cool that they don't leave at 6 am everyday. At least we can have breakfast together. She's more than happy to tan all day at the hotel. And I'm sure she can come on some of the trips to snorkel etc

Generally, unless your going to Glovers, it's roughly an hour boat ride each way.

Over the dozens of trips, we've seen dolphins on occasion heading in and out to sites.

Also, Silk Caye has great snorkelling as well.


BRad

 

[chillyinCanada]

Diversteve, have you been in the Blue Hole? You can dive around the stalactites and under the overhang at 130'. Most of the ridiculous information I read on this board about the Blue Hole is ftom never been there's but read about and those that have done it once and don't remember it clearly. Gah!! Makes me fricken crazy. I'll report back in a few days when I've done my 15th or some dive in there. But I'll guarantee you this, I'll not be dropping deeper than 130' even though I'd love to go down to the sandy ledge BELOW the stalactites at 150'. (mutter mutter mutter)

 

[Downing]

Isn't the sandy ledge supposed to be at 150'? I once dropped down to 142' while swimming around one of the stalactites (oops, my bad) but didn't see the ledge.

I've dived with Splash in Placencia a bunch. It's funny how the dive sites, except for Gladden and Glovers, are actually pretty close together after you get out there. Typically we would dive one area with a nearby caye for lunch and SI, but occasionally we would zip from one to the other in just a few minutes.

Typically, the boats leave around 9 and are back around 3 unless you're doing Gladden or Glovers in which case they leave a little earlier and come back a little later. Splash has drivers to pick you up and drop you off at your hotel.

You might want to check out this handy little Placencia Dive Map & Reef Creatures Guide.

If you do a whale shark dive--looks like spots are selling out already!--the group stays together so you'll always be close to the dive guide. Splash likes to keep the ratio of guide to guests really low, like 1 to 3 or 4, so no issues there. The primary consideration in chasing whale sharks is that it's a "blue water" dive, meaning no points of reference for your depth so you have to monitor your computer closely for depth and air consumption. All the more so because you tend to go somewhat deep and fast while chasing those suckers.

Chilly, Godspeed and good luck! If you get clobbered by a sand fall and don't make it back, can I have your frequent flyer miles?

 

[diversteve]

Makes me fricken crazy. I'll report back in a few days when I've done my 15th or some dive in there. But I'll guarantee you this, I'll not be dropping deeper than 130' even though I'd love to go down to the sandy ledge BELOW the stalactites at 150'. (mutter mutter mutter)

We will go down fast to one hundred and thirty feet where stalactites come down from this overhang. We will stay there for a maximum of twelve minutes, starting from the time that the first pair gets there. We all need to keep together and watch each other.

Since we're agreed that the Stalagtites are at 130' - to get UNDER them requires going deeper. Since they appear to be pretty long - I'd estimate 10' or so - to get UNDER them requires going to a minimum of 140' or so. So sue me for a 8' exxaggeration...
To quote the next poster:

I once dropped down to 142' while swimming around one of the stalactites

How many Dives do you have Chilly? And do you hold a Solo Card? Do you disagree that it's bad advice for a NEW (0-24 dives) Diver?

We can split hairs all day if you'd like...As I mentioned, I've not been there. But I have dove deep Blue Holes elsewhere (Cay Sal). And watched several videos of it where divers - on single tank - showed their computers at depth. There's also anecdotal evidence here and elsewhere about air sharing at depth so all the divers can see it and occasional necessary deco being done by some operators. (NOT SPLASH)

Why would there be a Protocol being established especially for diving the Blue Hole if it's so SAFE? (we all know that's what this is about...) http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/belize/489055-draft-code-practice-belize.html

Is it really a good idea for a new diver to risk it?

Gah!! Makes me fricken crazy...

 

[MikeRiley]

no Blue Hole for me, it's not even something that I find all that interesting.
The Whale Shark dive does sound pretty cool... I think I'd be ok relying on the computer. I tend to be pretty aware and I err (sp?) on the side of caution when Im diving.
What's it like though? all the videos I've seen make it look like you just jump off the boat and hover around watching them swim? I haven't seen any videos of people having to 'chase' them... I HAVE seen a lot of videos of snorkerllers and the experience looks pretty crappy. One video (probably from the Maldives) must have had 20-30 people in the water. Typical snorkel tours... people who aren't aware of their fins.. kicking other people in the face etc. My main reason for wanting to dive instead of the snorkeling is at least I can likely space out a bit more? And maybe get a better (or different) view? On the other hand, I'll probably just snorkel it... I assume it's cheaper and with them being such a majestic animal I think it would be a special occasion. I'd rather snorkel with my wife so we can see them together instead of leaving her up at the top.

 

[diversteve]

The thing is they're huge. So that's a lot of the thrill. They're pretty slow moving so it's not like reef sharks. (which you should see on your other dives) I've only snorkeled with them off Utila but my friends dove with Splash and dove with 8 over two trips.

Since they're so slow moving there's a lot of abuse in un-regulated areas - even finning. For a while in the Phillipines there was one being held in a pen for the tourists. And there's an infamous picture of a local girl riding one that has a rope tied around it's tail. There's also people who think it's acceptable to grab their dorsal fins and go for a ride. Personally I subscribe to "take only pictures, leave only bubbles" when I dive.

In my experience you try to position yourself where you think the shark will be and let them come to you - or go past. If you chase them, they often dive deeper. I don't think there's such a thing as an aggressive whale shark although I did see one go after a researcher once - after he tried to take a cell sample (they use a sharp core stick so it must sting) Wasn't exactly a dangerous encounter for either party...

I think it's a good idea to do it as a snorkel with your wife. Unless you get lucky and one stops you're not going to be able to keep up with them at depth for very long.

We weren't expecting it but had a 30' WS go under the boat once. No one had snorkel gear ready so we just watched. It was like watching a bus go under - it took seconds. That's the biggest I've ever seen - most are were in the 16-18' range.