‘The Great Blue Hole’ is a ridiculously massive sink hole off the coast of Belize, near to Caye Caulker. The hole is a perfect circle that looks completely otherworldly, as it’s surrounded by crystal clear Caribbean waters.
When I started to research ‘things to do in San Pedro’, and ‘things to do in Caye Caulker’, The Great Blue Hole kept appearing and reappearing every where I looked. Then once arriving to each of the locations every other tour agencies was selling some kind of Great Blue Hole experience.
SNORKEL THE GREAT BLUE HOLE!
SCUBA DIVE IN THE GREAT BLUE HOLE!
What an experience it would be to dive in a huge sinkhole way out in the ocean? But it seemed to me that the only real way to fully grasp the wonder and scale of this thing, was to see it from above.
And that’s where the scenic flight from Tropic Air comes in.
But first…
What Exactly IS The Great Blue Hole?
The Great Blue Hole is situated amongst Lighthouse Reef. It’s 70km from the mainland and Belize City, and not much further from Caye Caulker and San Pedro. This UNESCO World Heritage site is part of the Belize Barrier Reef, which is a 300km section of the greater 900km Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System – the second largest in the world. The sinkhole is a whopping 318 m (1,043 ft) across and 124 m (407 ft) deep. Like most caves, The Great Blue Hole is formed from karst limestone. At one point this cave was above sea level. However, as the oceans rise the cave has been long flooded.
The Great Blue Hole Scenic Flight
There really is no better way to experience such a spectacle that from the skies. The size, the depth and the absurdity of it can only be felt from above. That’s why I was absolutely thrilled to get a seat on a Tropic Air flight from Caye Caulker to go and check it out.
The bush planes have 11 seats and everybody gets a window. Just the flight its self is an experience. Taking off from Caye Caulker, we did a quick fly over of The Split then set course for The Great Blue Hole. The flight is truly breathtaking. The stillness of the Caribbean Sea, with its deep turquoise colours. The water is so clear that it is not uncommon to see rays, dolphins and manatees from the plane.
Once arriving at The Hole, the captain does multiple flybys on each side to allow everyone to get a view. The amount of time was long enough for me to take approx. 178 photos of the same hole, but from slightly different perspectives. There is also a wrecked tanker along the reef which is cool to see.
Where and When Do The Flights Depart?
You can catch a Great Blue Hole Scenic Flight from San Pedro, Caye Caulker, Belize City or Placencia.
There are tours departing at 11am or 1pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Sundays or just Wednesday from Placencia. Private charters can be booked on any day.
What Should I Bring?
Your camera and your ticket. That is all.
How Long Is the Flight?
The total flight time is approximately 1 hour. This is ample time to circle the Blue Hole itself for about 15minutes.
Where Do I Sign Up?!
You can book your place directly through the Tropic Air website right here!
If you’re as big of a fan of Belize as I am, then maybe you’d enjoy checking out some of these Belize art prints.