Belize boasts the largest coral reefs in the world, second only to those of the Australian Great Barrier Reefs. Home to some of the most colorful and unique sea life imaginable, Belize’s coral reefs glisten with vivatious hues. The beautiful coral, fish, eel, and other aquatic residents that call these reefs home make Belize a Mecca for snorkelers, divers and other vacationers from around the world.

Warm and Clear Pools of Pristine Beauty

With nearly 174 miles of coastline, Belize’s reefs run nearly parallel to the coastline and make up almost 350 miles of gorgeous views. With the coral reefs forming a protective barrier along the coastline, Belize’s coastal waters remain warm nearly year-round, at almost 80 degrees Fahrenheit. These temperatures, which are pleasing to bathers, swimmers, snorkelers and divers alike, are also the reason for the exotic sea life present in the area, as the coral and other aquatic life require this type of environment for their very survival.

The Dry and Rainy Seasons

Belize’s dry season, between the months of January and March each year, allows beach-goers a clear view of the coral reefs without ever leaving dry land. The patch reefs are visible to the naked eye, resting only a few feet below the ocean’s surface, and for those who do venture into the water, in some areas if you walk through the water, you will have reef underfoot. These reefs are found scattered along most of Belize’s coast; however, they are most prevalent along the southern coast of the marine wonderland.

For the more adventuresome snorkelers and divers, the dry season is perfect for taking in the astounding sights of the reefs from under the surface. During the rainy season in Belize (between December and April), storms can cause sand and debris from the ocean floor to disrupt snorkelers’ and divers’ ability to truly appreciate the crystalline vision that is the Belize reefs. However, even in the rainy season, some snorkeling and divers is still possible, and other aquatic adventures may still be had as well.

The Open Water and Scuba Diving

Leaving the coast and patch reefs behind, headed for more open water, divers will find sea walls which descend hundreds of feet in some cases, providing some of the most desirable diving venues in the world. These sea walls are often aligned with the present at the continental shelf, or where the tectonic plates of the Earth’s crust meet on the sea floor.

Additional clustered reefs are scattered throughout the ocean off the coastline of Belize, giving those who dive in the open sea innumerable sites to explore. Belize’s coral atolls, believed by many to be the most astounding diving location in the Caribbean, include the Turneffe Islands. These islands consist of Glover’s, Lighthouse and the Turneffe Reefs.

Faroe, or masses of reef formed into shelves below the surface of the sea, create lagoons at their center, giving enjoyment to swimmers and divers alike. Perhaps the best known and most well reviewed of the world’s faroe is located at Laughing Bird Caye.

With the majority of Belize’s reef diving occurring off the northern coastline, many scuba divers enjoy exploring the caverns formed by The Blue Hole, a dormant volcano, which when active, formed caves stretching nearly 400 feet below the surface of the sea. Accessible at about 90 feet below the surface, The Blue Hole’s main shaft opens to a series of intricate caverns which are purported in local legends to be the home of sea monsters.

Snorkeling and the Coastline

Snorkelers are able to explore the shallow reef areas along Belize’s coastline without the cumbersome equipment required of more extreme depths, not even requiring an oxygen tank in many locations. There, snorkelers can easily spot coral in a number of varieties including lettuce, fan, star, elk horn and the more exotic black tree coral.

Just off the southern tip of Ambergris Caye rests the Hol Chan Marine Reserve. At the reserve, snorkelers will find a perfect location to see some of the more exotic sea life that call the reefs home, including manatee, eel, sharks, and various dish and rays.

At Rocky Point, along the northern section of Ambergris Caye, adventurers will find Belize’s only fringe reef which rises above the surface of the ocean, allowing visitors to walk among the skeletons of coral.

Equipment, Training and Safety Precautions

Belize’s shops include those that cater to training snorkelers and divers. Safety in aquatic adventures is important and proper training is the first step. Proper equipment in good working condition is also essential, and the shops in any destination will have that equipment available. Those looking to purchase their own equipment for long-term use will find fantastic deals in Belize’s shops during rainy weather or the off-season, making the trip extra attractive for the skilled or repeat aquatic adventurer.

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With huge leisure benefits, snorkeling diving is a brilliant recreational pastime. It’s the same sensation as floating on top of crystal blue water while glancing at beautiful ocean wonders. In snorkeling, major skills are not much required which makes it so likable. Right equipment, minor training and desire are all you need to enjoy the activity.

If you find the right spot, you could literally spend hours viewing all of the many inhabitants of the ocean. It is a favorite form of recreation for many vacationers. The average vacationer can make reservations for snorkeling tours before they leave home. But on the other hand, you can also make snorkeling arrangements when you actually arrive at your favorite vacation destination.

Spending your snorkeling diving holiday, few guidelines are for you to follow. The atmosphere is usually stress-free and laidback during most vacations, but failure to abide on few basic guidelines might live you a living nightmare. No one would want this to happen certainly.

Buddy system is for you to use. Avoid going into the ocean alone. Make sure that at all times you have a buddy with you. As a matter of fact, you should take this step further and let others know whenever you and your buddy are going out on the water. Thus, someone onshore would be able to get the attention of authorities if anything were to ever go wrong.

Get the right snorkeling equipment. This equipment includes a mask, snorkel and flippers. If you don’t know what to look for when purchasing this equipment, ask for assistance from your dive shop. However, brush up on a few prices before you leave. Dive shops have been known to sell unsuspecting buyers the newest and greatest fads that are also the most expensive.

Expensive does not mean the best. Always opt for the most basic of equipment that you can, however, you don’t want to purchase cheap equipment. For example, a mask that has glass is better than a mask with plastic. It is true that plastic masks are much cheaper than glass masks, but plastic is easy to scratch. This causes your mask to fog up while you are snorkeling diving.

In addition, one could say that just as long as you have a mask and snorkel, you are snorkeling. But on the other hand, many would say that you need a vest in order to make the picture complete. For the more experienced swimmer, a vest is probably not needed, but for the inexperienced swimmer it is a necessity. A vest helps with your buoyancy. Follow all safety guidelines. Don’t go any further than 150 ft from the shoreline unless you use the services of a charter boat. You don’t want to go beyond your limitations. If you are not accustomed to swimming in deep water, don’t try to snorkel in it. Use your common sense.

Snorkeling divingg is a lot of fun for most vacationers. It is an easy way to pass the time away on a relaxing vacation by the ocean. If you follow these few tips, your snorkeling experience should be wonderful.

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Scuba diving and snorkeling are always a popular vacation activity. Snorkeling is particularly easy and fun for every family member, including the children. Scuba diving and snorkeling allows people to view a beautiful under world not often seen. When planning a scuba diving and snorkeling vacation, it is important to be aware of such considerations as what to bring and safety measures.

1. When you are booking your flight, it is important to tell the airline that you are a diver and you may require a larger baggage allowance. As well, find out if there are any additional fees for extra baggage and what preparations have to be made to ensure there are no issues when checking in. Remember, you will likely be bringing a tank, air regulator, supply regulator, pressure gauge, tank harness, pair of diving fins, snorkel, and face mask and fins. If you book your flight through a travel site, you may be able to get a cheaper price if you pay ahead instead of paying when you check-in.

2. If you are going to a warm destination via flight, it will be easier to make sure you do not exceed the maximum baggage weight allowance. Just try to pack as light as possible. If you do exceed your baggage allowance, you will have to pay extra baggage fees. Airlines differ in their baggage weight policies. For instance, Air Transat will allow up to 20kg (44lbs) of scuba-diving equipment without charging any extra fees. Air Canada will count one piece of equipment as one piece of baggage.

3. You have to consider the financial loss if your equipment was lost or stolen. You can protect yourself if you acquire travel insurance. As well, your travel insurance should have enough medical coverage if you require medical attention. Read over your policy to make sure you have the right amount of coverage.

4. You should be able to fit some items in your carry-on bag. For instance, a face mask, scuba dive computer, certification documentation, and the log book can easily fit in a carry-on bag. It is important to remember that items deemed dangerous such as a diving knife will not be permitted on the plane. Other items such as snorkel, fins, wetsuit, etc, will go with the checked luggage.

5. It is important to have a medical kit that contains essential medical supplies. This can include: sunscreen, ear drops, band aids, decongestants, and sea sickness pills, etc.

Scuba diving and snorkeling are fun activities that will make a vacation extra special. Most resorts that are located directly on or near an ocean or gulf will offer some sort of snorkeling or scuba diving. Rent scuba gear from a rental company. When scuba diving, it is important to know your limits. It is important not to do anything that could cause you serious injury. When you are finished diving, make sure you take a day to relax before flying home as it is dangerous to fly right after scuba diving. You will need 12 to 24 hours to evade decompression illness. The most important tip for a snorkeling and diving vacation is to have lots of fun.

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Unless you are very familiar with each activity, you might not have an idea how scuba diving differs from snorkeling diving. Many people use the terms interchangeably. The activities are unlike for each diver. Scuba diving and snorkeling are very different, though they seem to be very much alike.

Skill Set

Some say that an ability to swim is not necessary for either snorkeling or scuba diving. Conversely, others say that it would be imprudence for a person who does not know how to swim to go in the ocean. It might be because of the snorkeling and scuba gears that others say that swimming ability is not needed. A wetsuit or vest can be bought by an inexperienced swimmer that could help him afloat. You should trust as well the wetsuit and vest for it may help with buoyancy to keep you safe in really deep water.

For most children, snorkeling is an uncomplicated activity to learn. It would be a good start practicing in a bathtub. Mask can be used while on practice for proper breathing. You should consider too that you are to stay in the water 30 minutes at a time when snorkeling. These steps are quite basic unlike the ones for scuba diving.

Basic Activity

Snorkeling is a laid back method of viewing underwater life. You wear a snorkel, fin and mask and float face down while looking at marine life. Some say that snorkeling is much easier to learn and do because of the ease of the activity.

Scuba diving is more advanced than snorkeling. You have to wear an air tank on your back that allows you to dive much deeper into the water. Although you can see more marine life on the bottom, you aren’t able to see as well because the sunlight doesn’t go to deep depths. Although you can carry lights with you on your dive, it hinders and weighs you down.

Breathing

Breathing is also much different for each diver. Scuba diving involves an oxygen tank to go down to deep levels where you are completely under water. Whereas in snorkeling, you only have to say under water for 30 minutes at a time. You are using real surface air via your snorkel.

Equipment

The equipment is also different for each diver. Scuba diving requires an oxygen tank, wet suit, and other items for a successful dive. Whereas, snorkeling only requires that you have a fin, snorkel and a mask. In addition, it has been argued that the simplest the equipment, the better it will be for you. However, there are many divers that still choose to have the best equipment available.

No matter what type of diving you choose to do, both snorkeling and scuba diving are loads of fun. Many people confuse the two activities and interchange the names in error. Because scuba diving is more generic, it is usually identified more than snorkeling. Although there are different tasks for each type of diver; scuba diving and snorkeling diving are very similar as well. Snorkeling is much easier, but you can always advance to scuba diving once you really feel confident in the water.

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Black Tip Shark Reef are easily recognizable by their black fins, mainly the its dorsal fin and caudal fin. You can also identify their skin being gray to gray-brown and its white belly, and nose is very snout and oval eyes, they also rarely grow to more than 1.8 meters. Their appearance is very streamlined , their mouth is also at the bottom of the head and is closed during swimming, which makes them very fast and slick.

The Black Tip Reef Shark are known to be docile and apparently presents little danger to humans unless they are provoked or feel threatened in their environment and habitat. Their diet consists mainly of small reef fish and small crustaceans and octopus, they have also been known to eat snakes, from ground-based mangrove areas as well.

The blacktip shark populations are not known, but are considered near threatened, declining due to fishing and the distribution of parts of their bodies in many countries. However, they remain one of the sharks most seen by divers, swimmers and snorkelers around reefs in tropical and subtropical climates throughout the Indian Ocean and Pacific Ocean.

The female Black Tip Reef Sharks can produce up to seven small pups with a gestation period of 12 months, the pups are born and range from 30-45 cm long. From the day they are born, they feed independently and after 3-4 years they will reach sexual maturity. The black tip reef shark generally lives until they are 12 years old.

Black Tip Reef sharks are generally not very social, they are usually seen more often alone than in group because of their shy nature. But they can be curious of divers and snorkelers however. The blacktip shark is one of the few sharks that can jump completely out of water, this behavior is known breaching and scientists believe they are doing this for two reasons to get rid of parasites and try to confuse their prey.

Throughout the world there are programs where you can see these sharks in action in their natural environment. Instructors inform you on how to behave in water in advance, and you learn more about their behaviour, allowing each to better understand and respect their habitat while you watch.

Shark watching is an amazing experience and provides a great up close and personal education on shark behaviour and nature. For shark watching in Thailand, then look no further then The Adventure Club based in Phi Phi Islands , they have an excellent programme available and you get to spent 90 mins to 2 hours watching these beautiful creatures.

If you enjoyed learning about The Black Tipped Reef Shark , You may be interested in a shark watching day, day trips are available around the world to snorkel alongside these awesome creatures, The Adventure Club offer shark watching trips in the beautiful surroundings of the Phi Phi islands, Thailand.

The Discover Scuba courses are aimed at people that have no experience in diving and want to learn a little about the basics of diving. It is also good at putting you at ease, knowing that it is only a few hours long and you are not committed to a longer term course as diving is not to everyone’s taste.

The course typically involves half theory and half practical learning. You will get to learn the basics you need to dive under the supervision of a qualified professional. You learn about diving equipment, how to wear it, feel what it is like to wear it and find out how to breathe underwater. As well as basic diving skills you will be taught about safety procedures and rules under water.

Diving can be physically demanding therefore you will be asked about medical history before you start, for your own safety, as there are health restrictions regarding diving. Generally age restrictions will also apply when diving and most schools will accept people over ten years old.

The Discover Scuba Course is a short course and fairly cheap to do. Prices range depending on venue so look around for the best price for you.

Many people love attending an experience day and get hooked to the sport. You can progress after the experience day with various dive courses depending on the dive school. The PADI open water course is a very popular choice to progress with after a discover scuba day, and leads to a diving qualification. If your Discover Scuba Diving program involves an actual open water dive, then this can give you credit towards your next course, so makes you a step ahead.

There are many dive schools worldwide to choose from, so take time to look around for the best one for you, whether it is local or further afield. All will provide different course options and programs so find out as much information before you book.

If you are interested in more details about diving whilst on holiday , then click on the link for a brilliant Diving School in Thailand. Diving in Phi Phi island is a world class venue, and one of the best when Diving in Thailand This and other unique content ” articles are available with free reprint rights.

Costa Rica truly is one of the top destinations to visit because of its amazing biodiversity and incredible sceneries ranging from beaches like Coyote and San Miguel to tropical forests. It offers countless options, you could surf through its tricky waves, feel like one with nature, hike through trails that go along volcanic sites and mountains or dare to raft the most brutal rapids.

It offers countless options, you could surf through its tricky waves, feel like one with nature, hike through trails that go along volcanic sites and mountains or dare to raft the most brutal rapids. Puerto Viejo is the perfect blend of beaches and amazing surfing options. Manzanillo located 12kms away from Puerto Viejo is the ideal spot to go snorkeling.

San Jose has an impressive amount of museums and colonial buildings. Here you can explore the eastern styled gardens, water ponds, fountains and streams of the Japanese Friendship Garden or go for a visit to the edge of the Poas Volcano’s crater located in the Poas Volcano National Park.

San Jose has an impressive amount of museums and colonial buildings. Here you can explore the eastern styled gardens, water ponds, fountains and streams of the Japanese Friendship Garden or go for a visit to the edge of the Poas Volcano’s crater located in the Poas Volcano National Park.

You see and feel the beauty of the Arenal Volcano as you hike along the tropical rain forest in front of it or you can visit the therapeutic Hot Springs. You can also unravel the underground world at the Venado Caves through rock passages filled with bats and stalagmites.

You can also see and feel the beauty of the Arenal Volcano as you hike along the tropical rain forest in front of it or you can visit the therapeutic Hot Springs.

You can also hike through Monteverde and the Santa Elena Cloud Forest Reserve as you see their beautiful flora and fauna. The Tamarindo, Manuel Antonio and Quepos are a great for fishing too.

Marina K. Villatoro, lives in Central America – Costa Rica and Guatemala for the past decade. She has traveled all over these areas with her family and now she loves to organize vacations to Costa Rica and Guatemala. Contact her for advice and to plan your perfect trip! Grab a totally unique version of this article from the Uber Article Directory

If you are traveling in Costa Rica and you are around Guanecaste, don’t forget to pay a visit to Playa Del Coco. This beautiful beach town is situated near the Daniel Oduber International Airport, Liberia.

As I’ve already said, Playa Del Coco is very eventful and it has all the things that you want for a fun time starting from Sports fishing (which is a famous thing out here)or you can watch exciting waves, the busy beach and of course, Scuba Dive! The beach is very popular among the locals as well as the tourists. The place has many good facilities such as shops, restaurants, bars, discos, casinos, hotels, resorts and markets.

Here are 5 things you can do in this fun place:

1) Nightlife in the Beach: This is the best part of Playa del Coco. The daytime is not even close to being as beautiful as it is at the nighttime. People from all over the world keep on coming here and it’s definitely a delightful sight. Even if you want a tour in the middle of the night, it is available.

2) Snorkeling in Playa Ocotal Walk to your left from the parking lot and make sure to bring your sneakers because you’re going to walk over some volcanic rock. Once you get around the corner, you’ll find a small beach with easy access to a vibrant reef. Here I’ve seen turtles, mantas, and dozens of bright tropical fish that I can’t identify.

3) A day at the Hilton: If you are not staying at Papagayo Hilton, it doesn’t matter, you can easily visit its cool pool and beautiful gardens. A bus service is always available when you need it and it will take you up and down around the hills. The gardens and hanging out places are awesome. Just make sure you tell the guards that you will be eating in their restaurants!

4) The LLano de Cortez Waterfall: About an hour away from Coco, you’ll find a 60 feet waterfall. To get there you have to drive towards Liberia and when you get to the “main” intersection (the one with the Burger King), make a right. Continue for about 30 minutes until you see an Aloe factory. Down the road to your right you’ll see a sign for the Llano de Cortez Catarata.

5) Dr. Will’s Nature Tour Dr. Will is a retired veterinarian who offers guided nature tours of Ocotal Beach. You can walk with Dr. Will for a couple of hours along the beach, up into the mountainside and back down to where you started. All of this for only $20 per person. You’ll see birds, lizards, monkeys, exotic flowers, and you’ll learn more about Costa Rican wildlife in 2 hours than you could have ever hoped to learn by watching the Discovery channel.

People who enjoy nightlife and of course, beauty will have a blast here. You are invited by the beautiful beach and the buzzing town.

Marina K. Villatoro, has lived in Central America – Costa Rica and Guatemala for over 10 years. She’s traveled these parts extensively and now loves to organize vacations to these amazing parts of the world. With her first hand experience, she can recommend the best options for you. Contact her for advice and to plan your perfect trip!

The Maldives is an small island nation consisting of over a 1,100 tiny coral islands strewn across the Indian Ocean. It’s a snorkeling and scuba diving heaven and one that’s popular all year round primarily due to its temperate climate. The Maldives averages thirty degrees Celsius all year long or 86 degrees F.

Simply put, the Maldives provide an ideal snorkeling and scuba diving location teeming with exotic schools of fish of many species. Just to name a few, there are black and white snappers, humpback snappers, barracuda, unicornfish, yellowback fusiliers, trevally jacks.

Maldives snorkeling and diving is unparalleled the world over. The sheer number and types of fish found here is awe inspiring. Divers and snorkelers will never experience a boring moment, nor will they ever experience the exact dive experience twice! There are too many species of aquatic life to discover on any single dive; one really needs to go several times to get an appreciation of the awe inspiring life residing in these waters.

Seasoned snorkelers and scuba divers suggest traveling to the Maldives when water visibility is at its peak; between January and March. Other times of the year, water visibility can be murky. Dive novices charter boats in Male, the capital city. However, experienced divers preferring remote locations can charter boats to take them to the outer reaches where its less inhabited.

Your resort’s concierge can make recommendations on a good scuba diving or snorkeling location. You’ll have limited access to only a small number of locations around your resort. If you’re a diving maniac, then consider booking a liveaboard. A liveaboard is a dive boat designed for people who love diving and want to live on a boat for a time as it travels to various places specifically for scuba diving and/ or snorkeling.

Liveaboards are able to access locations few people ever see like Baa Atoll; an amazing dive and snorkeling spot. Nearby Baa Atoll are deserted islands that are undeveloped and unspoiled. This is indeed a scuba divers paradise where beautiful diving can be done.

Other remote places include Felidhu and Ari Atolls. Here both sharks and manta rays live. Just keep in mind, most of these remote locations require scuba divers with intermediate to advanced experience and they are reserved for the ultimate in thrill-seekers only!

Ari Atoll measures 80 kilometers in length. It’s one of the biggest atolls in the Maldives. Its known for its well developed tourist area; however it does possess a really awesome scuba diving and snorkeling environ that should not be missed. Northern Ari Atoll is home to the whale shark. The best way to experience these creatures is by scuba diving.

I’ve mentioned just a few places available to scuba divers and snorkelers visiting the Maldives. Scuba diving and snorkeling in the Maldives can be a truly unforgettable experience. If you’re an accomplished snorkeler, the next time try scuba Maldives style! Once you’ve scuba dived or snorkeled in the Maldives, you’ll want to come back year after year.

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If you are new to scuba diving you will need to know a little bit about the gear that you will need to make a successful dive. There are many essential types of scuba diving gear that you will have to have and I will go over all of these with you very briefly.

Let me start off with the scuba mask, they come in many different styles but they all serve the same purpose. Do not sell yourself short when purchasing a scuba mask, especially if you plan on doing some deep dives, your eyes wont take kind to the water pressure if the mask happens to crack or break.

Next piece of gear that you must have is a BC, to divers known as a buoyancy compensator. A BC provides many essentials when it comes to diving and there are many types. They help the diver go the direction he or she wants to go, meaning up, down, or neutral. Bouyancy compensators also interact with the dive gauges and regulators.

Dive suits are also a necessity no matter where you are diving at, because even if you are scuba diving in Florida the water will get colder as you get deeper. Scuba diving suits also provide protection from sharp objects as you do not want to get a cut while diving in the water as it could attract sharks.

Unless you can hold your breath for a very long time a diver will need a scuba diving tank. Scuba diving tanks supply the oxygen to the regulator hose so that you can breathe under water. You can rent them from dive shops if you are certified or if you have the money you can purchase your own and get it refilled with oxygen at dive shops.

Every diver will need a pair of scuba diving flippers also so that they can swim easily through the water. The human feet alone will not provide good thrust when kicking with your legs, so this is why it is essential for a diver to be equipped with a pair of swim fins.

A must for the diver is a diving computer, often made into specialized watches that are made to withstand very high pressures. Diving computers will tell you everything that you need to know such as ascending rates, temperature of water, water pressure, oxygen left in tank, decompression, and how deep you are in the water along with many other things you will need to know.

Dive flags, reels and ropes, gloves, knives, weight belts, gauges, belts and bags are also necessities that the scuba diver will need. Along with all of these tools the diver will also need to be efficiently trained through either a diving school or accredited diving courses.

George Carlmon has been scuba diving his whole life. He also has found a great resource to purchase some cheap scuba diving gear. They have every neccessity you need from swim fins to cheap diving masks