The Editor says: The Great Blue Hole is one of the world's top ten dive sites and one of Belize's most iconic attractions. Beyond diving down to see the submerged stalactite formations, there's another wildly popular way to experience it: chartering a flight over the Great Blue Hole! Looking down at its full shape from above is a completely different experience and sensation. Come along with BlueTrend for a look! <Full article reprinted from: 海島瘋 2018 >
After wrapping up a seven-day liveaboard trip, it was finally time for the most anticipated and exciting activity of the entire journey.
Flying over the Great Blue Hole is simply something you must do when visiting Belize. Without seeing it from the air, there's no way to truly appreciate the grandeur of the Great Blue Hole — much like viewing the Nazca Lines in Peru, where the full picture 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 — Airline Options
Several airlines in Belize operate tours that fly passengers over the Great Blue Hole. Tropic Air and Maya Island Air are fixed-wing carriers — and also the two main airlines running domestic and regional routes within Belize and to neighbouring countries. Astrum Helicopters is a rotary-wing operator offering short-haul flights for small groups.
For our flight over the Great Blue Hole, we chose Tropic Air — the same airline we'd taken to San Pedro island. There are 3 operators offering this experience, including helicopters and small two-seater planes. We'd contacted them in advance by email and phone to ask about pricing. Tropic Air is one of the larger airlines in Belize, with a counter right inside Belize's airport, and their response time was faster than the others. We hadn't done a ton of research beforehand — we just knew we wanted to fly over the Great Blue Hole — so we reached out directly, confirmed the time and price, and booked it on the spot. After all, we'd come all the way to Central America, and who knows when we'd make it back. So if you're interested, you'll still need to call or email the airline to confirm arrangements and pricing.
photo credit：海島瘋
The photo below shows the small plane we flew in over the Great Blue Hole. It seats a maximum of 3 people including the pilot. My seat was in the co-pilot's position, which meant I could see both the instrument panel and the pilot's controls — pretty cool, actually.
photo credit：海島瘋
After taking off from Belize City airport, we reached the skies above the Great Blue Hole in about 15–20 minutes. The pilot circled twice, looping around the entire Blue Hole so we could take as many photos as we wanted, before heading back to Belize City. Total flight time was approximately 50–60 minutes, and the stunning marine scenery of Belize was visible throughout the journey.
photo credit：海島瘋
Flying Over the Belize Great Blue Hole — Tour Costs
None of the airline websites listed above show pricing for the Great Blue Hole flight tour — it's not published anywhere. Our tour cost US$300 per person, for two people total. The websites do mention that there are scheduled daily departures available for individual travellers to join, and I'd imagine those group rates are more affordable — though you'd certainly need enough passengers to fill the plane before it can depart. We didn't look into it too deeply at the time; we just really wanted to fly over the Great Blue Hole, so we went straight to the airline, confirmed the time and price, and signed up. If you're interested in joining, you'll still need to contact the airline directly by phone or email to confirm the arrangements and pricing.
What's the Best Season to Fly Over the Great Blue Hole?
Belize generally has two seasons: dry and wet. The dry season runs from December to May, while the wet season spans June to November. During the dry season, rain is less frequent, skies are clear, weather-related disruptions are less likely, lighting conditions are better, and the scenery is all the more spectacular. In the rainier, windier wet season, there's a higher chance of flights being affected or tours being cancelled.
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
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