Imagine yourself face to face with a Caribbean reef shark, lurking along the depths of the Caribbean Sea hunting for its dinner. Picture the vibrancy of a passing school of butterfly fish showing off an array of bright hues, right within your reach. Can you see yourself swimming alongside a sea turtle, close enough for you to touch its shell? Visiting a popular scuba diving location called the Great Blue Hole in Belize is definitely something to add to your bucket list.

The Blue Hole, one of the world’s most stunning dive spots, is a breathtaking must-see submarine sinkhole off the coast of Belize. The Blue Hole, which looks like a colossal pupil staring up from the middle of the ocean, is a little more than forty miles away from Belize City, which makes for easy, nearby sightseeing. The Blue Hole is listed as a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage Site, which defines it as a location of great cultural and/or physical significance. It is easy to see that the Blue Hole’s beauty and uniqueness add to its candidacy for the list.

For those divers attracted by aquatic life, there are sea sponges, barracuda, a variety of corals, sharks and schools of many types of fish swimming around the edge of the hole. The seemingly bottomless pit is jam-packed with overhangs, cliffs and drop offs with coral budding all around. The water’s temperature at 130 feet below the surface generally stays around 76 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s like nature’s bathtub! The hole is over four hundred feet deep, which is much deeper than recreational divers should go. However, this location is only recommended for experienced divers.

Keriann O’Riordan can be reached for comment at [email protected].