It's not all about the Great Blue Hole — The Atolls' reefs and walls offer thrills just as epic.

On my way to Caye Caulker, a small island about 20 miles from Belize City, I’m inundated with images of the Great Blue Hole. Videos play on TVs in the airport terminal, posters lure visitors into signing up for a helicopter tour or dive, and even some of the staff at Belize Diving Services sport shirts that read: “I Dived the Great Blue Hole.”

But I get some unexpected intel from co-owner and general manager C.J. Graham.

“On every Blue Hole trip, divers spend the boat ride back debating whether the second or third dive was the best. Not the Blue Hole,” he says.

It’s quite the experience to descend into the dark blue at the World Heritage Site, knowing that you’re exploring the same waters as Jacques Cousteau. But the real excitement is reserved for what comes next.

We climb back on board and head to the southernmost portion of Lighthouse Reef — one of Belize’s three major atolls — to hop in at Half Moon Caye Wall.

Descending to 65 feet, we fin along the wall, soaking in the beauty of the gorgonian fans waving to and fro, queen angelfish buzzing about, and longspine squirrelfish lurking around with their giant eyes.

Bringing up the rear, I’m distracted by the wall when I see a diver turn around, her eyes growing big as she points behind me. Swimming cool, calm and collected is the king of this neighborhood: a 7-foot Caribbean reef shark. I slow down to really appreciate its graceful power as it moves past. Little did I know, this moment is common around these parts. On our hourlong dive, we see about 10 solitary Caribbean reef sharks, with one cruising half a foot beneath me. Another maneuvers through the group and swims off into the distance, gliding over a sandy patch where garden eels poke out their heads and inspect this busy underwater world.

After a brief detour to the caye for lunch, we’re back in the water for more hits at Long Caye Aquarium, where four eye butterfly fish, fairy basslets and princess parrotfish paint the thriving reef with color.

Interesting Facts About Belize's Great Blue Hole

Heading back to Caye Caulker, I furiously scribble notes, trying to keep track of everything we experienced, and pause a moment to think. Maybe all of this is what draws so many people to that big blue hole: the utter mystery of being in the ocean and all the surprises that it holds in store. They just need to wait for the next dives to see it.

Belize Dive Guide

AVERAGE WATER CONDITIONS
Temps stay in the low to mid-80s year-round. Around the atolls, visibility averages 60 to 80 feet.

WHAT TO WEAR
A 3 mm wetsuit will keep you plenty warm. If the sun is shining, you might be fine with a rash guard or dive skin.

TRAVEL TIP
If flights into Belize City are too pricey or inconvenient, look for cheaper options into Cancun, Mexico, and take an overnight bus ride down to your destination.

WHEN TO GO
Year-round; whale shark season in southern Belize is March through June.

DIVE OPERATORS IN BELIZE

1 / BELIZE DIVING SERVICES
This first-class operation on Caye Caulker offers knowledgeable and fun dive guides — a big plus when you have hours to kill on the boat rides to and from the site. BDS also offers guided technical diving for deep wall treks and journeys into the caye’s Giant Cave.

2 / SPLASH DIVE CENTER
If you’re looking to explore ancient Maya sites and venture into the Belizean jungle on off-days, then you might want to make Placencia your base camp. Splash Dive Center can still get you out to the atolls; it makes weekly Great Blue Hole trips that include dives off Half Moon Caye. Here, farther south than Caye Caulker and Belize City, you can also dive with whale sharks when they aggregate during the full moon from March through June.

3 / BELIZE AGGRESSOR
If you have more than a weekend, the Belize Aggressor III and IV depart from Belize City for seven- and 10-day itineraries through Lighthouse Reef and Turneffe Atoll. The liveaboard allows you to explore the atolls thoroughly before returning to port, when tours for exploring Belize’s Maya ruins, like nearby gem Altun Ha, and cave tubing in the jungle are offered.

PLAY
Between dives off Half Moon Caye, make sure you explore the island and see its resident iguanas, hermit crabs and red-footed boobies.

EAT
The menu at the Maya Beach Hotel Bistro on the Placencia Peninsula is packed with fresh seafood options and local flavors. The duck-sausage hash is a must.

SLEEP On Caye Caulker, gear-laden divers will love the spacious rooms at Iguana Reef Inn. Plus, the hotel is a stone’s throw from Belize Diving Services and its dock.