Trip Report-LONG-Ambergris Caye, Sunbreeze Hotel, Ambergris Divers, Blue Hole, Food

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This big guy swam between my legs, big turtles apparently expect you to move. They definately have the size advantage!
 
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It really happened, a friggin Manatee!!! My wife was babbling like a teenage girl after her first kiss afterwards. His name is Jimmy and he hung out with her on her safety stop. One person said Jimmy is actually a cow.... My wife stays down about 10 feet on th safety stop because the waves can make her a little sick. I may have some pics of the dolphins too.

This really was a special dive.

Jay
 
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Dolphins! You could hear them "talking" before they swam through us. I'm pretty sure they were saying that the fat one in the dive skin with blue stripes, red wing, and 1970's mask looks just like Jimmy the manatee. That kind of hurt....
 
Enjoyed your review. While Ambergris Caye is fairly often mentioned as a dive destination, I don't see a lot of detailed, practical 'what you need to know' trip reports on it. Good to see one now.

Richard.
 
This big guy swam between my legs, big turtles apparently expect you to move. They definately have the size advantage!
yep, we came across a big guy (supposedly 600 or 800 pounds) in Southern Belize like that - move or get bowled over. (In his defense, he was apparently blind in one eye.)
 
Awesome report Jay, We are headed to Placencia in July mainly for condo hunting trip but we are coming all the way from Maui so we have to get in a few dives. Any info on that area would be greatly appreciated. It appears we have to head up north a bit for diving. ????
 
Awesome report Jay, We are headed to Placencia in July mainly for condo hunting trip but we are coming all the way from Maui so we have to get in a few dives. Any info on that area would be greatly appreciated. It appears we have to head up north a bit for diving. ????
I wish I could help but I really know less than nothing about anything other than what I posted. Lots of people more up to date about Belize on this forum than me. I will add that we took a day trip to a zip line tour and inner tubed a river that ran over a mile through a cave. For not being diving....it was awesome. The cave tubing I would definately do again.

Good luck, safe travels.
Jay
 
scubahawk, your best resource here would probably be downing. As far as I know, he has a condo in or near Placencia. May I ask what first enticed you to condo hunt there?
 
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Awesome report Jay, We are headed to Placencia in July mainly for condo hunting trip but we are coming all the way from Maui so we have to get in a few dives. Any info on that area would be greatly appreciated. It appears we have to head up north a bit for diving. ????

scubahawk, your best resource here would probably be downing. As far as i kmiw he has a condo in or near Placencia. May I ask what first enticed you to condo hunt there?

Lol, I don't have a condo there but certainly hope to retire in the area in a few more years. I do go to Placencia a lot and love it there. My dream property in Hopkins was for sale last year, but I couldn't get my wife to see past the house that was on it that we would knock down. I would recommend Coco Plum as a good spot to check out for a condo. Right on the beach and fairly secluded. Guarded entrance. They also have property for sale on the lagoon side across the highway but as of last year no one had started building. I know there are condos in Maya Beach, but I don't know anything them. And maybe check out the village of Hopkins, which is just to the north of Placencia. Lots of condos there.

As far as diving, you certainly don't have to go north. Depending on where you stay in Placencia, like Roberts Grove or Turtle Inn, you may have an in-house dive op. I always use Splash Dive Center. It's the largest dive operator in southern Belize, but there are several other independent dive shops to choose from as well. Because it's the largest, Splash would give you the most options because they have the most boats as well as the nicest dive shop I've ever seen. It's here where I like to stick in the usual disclaimer, especially if Katz is around, that I've become very good friends with Ralph and Patty, the owner/operators of Splash. If you dive with them, you'll become friends, too. They're great people.

Expect warmer temperatures but not as many fish as the action-packed water around Maui. And the turtles will be smaller. And instead of volcanic boulders and formations you'll see reefs. Although the diving around Maui and the rest of Hawaii is pretty great, I prefer Placencia for a more Third World relaxed atmosphere, warmer water and reef biology.

If you're into jungle trekking at all, Placencia and Hopkins are both great jumping off points to do that sort of stuff.

I'll be in Placencia for three weeks starting June 1st, diving the first and third weeks and jungle trekking in the middle. If you're there during that time and dive with Splash, we're sure to bump into each other. If you dive with someone else, we may still see each other at lunch on one of the cayes.
 
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We stayed at Sunbreeze in Feb 2015 and used the on site shop but it was named something else then....somebody's name as I recall. Did it change hands?

This was the view from the dive shop. Same place?
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