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The Editor says: The Great Blue Hole, one of the world's top ten dive sites and one of Belize's most iconic attractions, offers more than just a dive to see ancient underwater stalactite formations. There's another wildly popular way to experience it: chartering a flight over the Great Blue Hole! Looking down at its complete form from above is an entirely different experience and feeling. Come along with BlueTrend and find out what it's like! <Full article reprinted from: 海島瘋 2018 >
After wrapping up a seven-day liveaboard diving itinerary, it was finally time for the most eagerly anticipated and exciting activity of the entire trip.
Taking a flight over the Great Blue Hole is something you simply must do when visiting Belize. Without looking down from the air, you can never truly appreciate the magnificent beauty of the Great Blue Hole with your own eyes — much like visiting the Nazca Lines in Peru, where the full scope of these UNESCO World Natural Heritage sites simply cannot be taken in from sea level.
photo credit：海島瘋
Flying Over the Belize Great Blue Hole — Choosing an Airline
Several airlines in Belize operate tours carrying passengers over the Great Blue Hole. Tropic Air and Maya Island Air are fixed-wing carriers, and both also serve as Belize's principal airlines for domestic and regional routes. Astrum Helicopters is a rotary-wing operator offering short-haul, small-group flights.
For this trip, we chose Tropic Air — the same airline we had taken to San Pedro island — to fly over the Great Blue Hole. There are 3 airlines offering this type of tour, some with helicopters and some with 2-seater light aircraft. We had emailed and called ahead to enquire about pricing, and Tropic Air, being one of the larger airlines in Belize, has a counter right inside the Belize airport and responds to enquiries more efficiently than the others.
photo credit：海島瘋
The photo below shows the small plane we took on our Great Blue Hole flyover. Including the pilot, it seats a maximum of 3 passengers, and my seat was in the co-pilot's position — I could see the instrument panel and watch the pilot's every move, which was pretty fascinating.
photo credit：海島瘋
After taking off from Belize City airport, we reached the airspace above the Great Blue Hole in about 15–20 minutes. The pilot circled twice, looping around the entire Blue Hole to give us plenty of time to take photos, before heading back to Belize City. The total flight time was approximately 50–60 minutes, and throughout the journey we were treated to stunning views of Belize's rich marine scenery.
photo credit：海島瘋
Flying Over the Belize Great Blue Hole — Tour Costs
The websites of the airlines listed above do not display pricing for the Great Blue Hole flyover tour — none of them list it openly. For our trip, the cost was US$300 per person, with two of us participating. The airlines' websites also mention fixed daily departure times for group tours that travellers can join, and I imagine those shared-tour prices would be more budget-friendly, though a minimum number of passengers would certainly be required before the flight can depart. At the time, we didn't research too much into it — we were dead set on flying over the Great Blue Hole, so we contacted the airline directly. Once they replied with the available times and pricing, we just went ahead and booked. After all, we'd made it all the way to Central America, and who knows when we'd be back if we didn't go for it this time. So for anyone interested in joining a flyover tour, you'll still need to call or email the airline in advance to confirm arrangements and pricing.
What Season Is Best for the Great Blue Hole Flyover Tour?
Belize's climate is generally divided into a dry season and a wet season. The dry season runs from December to May, while the wet season spans June to November. During the dry season, rain is less frequent and skies are clearer, meaning flights are less likely to be affected by weather, the light is better, and the scenery is even more spectacular. In rainier seasons with stronger winds, flight operations may be disrupted and the chance of tour cancellations is significantly higher.
Full article reprinted from: 海島瘋 — Charter a Flight Over the Belize Great Blue Hole: Anyone Can Live Like a High Roller — Belize Great Blue Hole
Editor: Jenny Tsai
Further Reading:
Frequently Asked Questions
How is a BlueTrend dive trip different from an unknown, no-name dive group?
Choosing us means full peace-of-mind protection and a smooth experience from start to finish. Every trip we run holds to three things.
First, full legal protection and a professional dive leader: we strictly follow Taiwan's travel regulations and provide complete travel-agency liability insurance, travel insurance, trip-inconvenience insurance and dive insurance. Every group is accompanied by a certified, foreign-language dive leader who joins you on both the dives and the land itinerary, liaising seamlessly with local dive shops and operators on your behalf to keep things running smoothly — the person our travellers trust most.
Second, fully licensed with secure payments: every payment goes into a licensed travel agency's account, with multiple safe payment channels (bank transfer, credit card and more) and a legal collect-and-remit receipt, so every transaction is open, transparent and protected, avoiding the fraud and dispute risks of transferring money privately to an individual.
Third, hand-picked quality we vet in person: every trip, dive site and partner shop is scouted on the ground by our own team, from the guides' professionalism and safety standards to the food, lodging, environment and service details on land, all vetted by us so you don't get caught out.
I want to sign up for a dive trip. Are there certification-level or logged-dive requirements?
Each dive site is different, so the entry bar varies. 'Bali Tulamben', for instance, is relatively beginner-friendly. 'Malapascua in the Philippines' is also beginner-friendly, but since thresher sharks tend to cruise between 20 and 30 metres, we recommend AOW certification with 20+ logged dives to enjoy this trip comfortably. For 'the Maldives' or 'Palau', we suggest AOW with 50+ logged dives for a more relaxed experience. If you're not sure whether your experience fits the trip you want, message us and our dive editors will assess it and help you find the trip you'll feel safest on.
Can I join if I'm signing up alone? How are rooms arranged?
Plenty of our travellers sign up solo! For rooms and beds, we prioritise pairing you with a same-gender traveller, and if you'd rather have your own space you can pay the difference to upgrade to a single room. For the diving, our professional leader will pair you with a suitable buddy, and with the happy vibe on our trips you'll quickly make a great group of dive friends. Many people sign up alone, make new friends, and end up organising the next trip together!
Does the trip fee include dive insurance, gear rental, taxes and instructor tips?
It depends on the trip, the destination's regulations and the local operators. Every BlueTrend dive trip has a detailed web page with a clear 'included / not included' list, transparent and with no hidden charges. All payments are collected by a licensed travel agency, with a standard-form contract for your protection.
I'm a new diver / haven't dived in a long time — will I fall behind the group?
Before you complete your booking, our team assesses a suitable trip based on your certification level and experience. Before departure, we strongly recommend taking time to refresh in Taiwan with an instructor, or a fun dive to get your feel back. On the trip itself, our professional dive leader groups and pairs everyone by experience, keeps a close eye underwater on travellers who need extra care, and steps in to help right away.
Will the photos and videos taken during the trip be shared with us?
During the dives, 'safety' is always the leader's top priority, so whenever it's suitable and safe the leader will capture great shots and record the best moments. During or after the trip, we compile a cloud album for all travellers to download, so you go home loaded with memories!
Besides your scheduled trips, can you arrange a private group charter or independent travel for me and my friends?
Absolutely! Besides group trips, we also arrange private group charters and independent travel. We can communicate, enquire and coordinate services with local operators based on your needs, saving you time and effort and taking the language barrier off your plate, to tailor the smoothest, most reassuring dive trip just for you. Contact our LINE support and our editors will arrange it for you!
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