For divers who have ticked off the northern atolls, Belize's southern reef system remains one of the Caribbean's best-kept secrets. The Belize Aggressor V liveaboard changes that with a dedicated southern route that unlocks the pristine waters of Placencia and Glover's Reef. This isn't a rehash of existing routes. The Belize Aggressor V now offers a week-long exploration of a region that sees far fewer liveaboard divers than the more-travelled north, making it one of the most unspoiled diving experiences in the Caribbean. It's the kind of trip that feels genuinely exploratory, even for seasoned divers.
The cruise is built around Glover's Reef Atoll, one of only 4 true coral atolls in the Caribbean. This oval-shaped wonder, roughly 18 miles long and 6 miles wide, lies 27 miles off the mainland. Its brilliant turquoise lagoon holds more than 800 patch reefs and pinnacles, many rising to the surface. The week onboard the Belize Aggressor V liveaboard builds progressively: a check-out dive at South Water Caye within the Belize Barrier Reef UNESCO World Heritage Site, followed by 3 full days exploring Glover's Reef. Here, dramatic eastern wall dives transition into gentle sloping reefs to the west, with a maze of swim-throughs and pinnacles. The marine life is abundant and varied: Caribbean reef sharks, eagle rays, green morays, batfish, seahorses, and the endemic white-spotted toadfish, found only in Belize.
Thursday brings a visit to Gladden Spit & Silk Cayes Marine Reserve, a site famous for whale shark aggregations that occur seasonally from March through June when snapper spawn draws these gentle giants to the surface. Even outside whale shark season, the site delivers exceptional pelagic encounters: large schools of horse-eye jacks, bull sharks, and spawning groupers. Visibility often exceeds 30 metres. It's the kind of week where a single dive site, like the coral thickets of Split Reefs, can redefine your expectations of Caribbean diving.
On board the vessel itself, the experience is defined by space and comfort. At 100 feet (30.5m) with a 22-foot beam, the aluminium-hulled Belize Aggressor V carries just 14 guests in 6 staterooms. Accommodations include 5 deluxe staterooms with a double and single berth, and 1 quad stateroom with two sets of twin beds. All cabins have private bathrooms, individual climate control, a monitor with media player, and a hair dryer. The yacht features a roomy, air-conditioned saloon, a sun deck complete with a hot tub, lounge chairs, and an outdoor stereo system. There's a dedicated photo editing computer for those who like to review their day's captures, and individual dive lockers with a camera table and low-pressure air hoses keep gear organised and ready. After a day on the reef, 2 hot, fresh-water showers await. It's a setup that balances the practical needs of serious diving with the genuine comfort of a small, private yacht.
The all-inclusive nature of the cruise removes the usual holiday friction. The price covers all meals, snacks, and beverages including juices, soft drinks, iced water, tea, coffee, and a limited selection of local beer and wine. Meals are a blend of American favourites, barbecues, and local Belizean cuisine. The crew, part of the Aggressor fleet that has been operating in Belize since 1987, know these southern waters intimately. Belize has been an Aggressor destination for nearly 4 decades, and that depth of experience translates directly into smoother logistics, better site selection, and a palpable sense of confidence underwater.
For the diver looking to escape the well-trodden paths of the Caribbean, the Belize Aggressor V liveaboard offers something rare: genuine discovery. It combines a pioneering dive cruise with the operational reliability of a world-respected liveaboard company. The south is waiting, largely as it has always been. The only question is whether you'll be one of the few to see it.
There are 5 Deluxe double/twin bed staterooms (with a lower double bed and upper single bed) and 1 Quad 4-share stateroom with 2 sets of twin bunk beds. All staterooms on the Bahamas Aggressor I liveaboard have en-suite bathrooms and are on the lower deck.
All the staterooms have:
- Individually controlled air conditioning
- Portholes
- Private bathroom with toilet and hot water shower
- Hand basin, towels, toiletries and hair dryer
- Reading lights
- TV/DVD player
- Daily housekeeping
- Bedside cabinet, wardrobe and mirror
- Mains outlet 110 volts (US standard) - 24 hours per day
- Fire detector and fire extinguisher
- Bedding, storage space for luggage
No. of bathrooms / showers - 6 / 6 - hot water
Glover's Reef & Placencia (8 Days / 7 Nights - 27 Dives)
Trip highlights: whale sharks, shark action, turtles, schooling fish & big pelagics
Diving environment: advanced divers, beginner divers, drift diving, healthy reefs, wall diving
Dive sites and activities: South Water Caye, Glover's Reef, Gladden Spit & Silk Cayes Marine Reserve, Laughing Bird Caye National Park
Day 1
Boarding the Belize Aggressor V liveaboard takes place at Placencia Municipal Dock on Saturday. Once luggage is stowed and cabins are found, guests gather in the saloon for the welcome briefing and safety orientation. Dinner is served as the vessel departs, heading south through the placid waters of the Caribbean. By nightfall, the yacht is under way toward the first anchorage, and the week ahead begins to take shape.
Core Days
The Belize Aggressor V spends Sunday at South Water Caye, part of the South Water Caye Marine Reserve within the Belize Barrier Reef UNESCO World Heritage Site. The check-out dive at Baking Swash Reef sets the tone: a narrow cut through the western edge of the atoll, where shallow coral reefs break the surface and 2 weathered tree limbs frame the channel. It is a gentle introduction to the clarity and health of these waters.
From Monday through Wednesday, the vessel anchors at Glover's Reef Atoll, one of only 4 true coral atolls in the Caribbean. This oval-shaped formation, roughly 18 miles long and 6 miles wide, sits 27 miles off the mainland. Its turquoise lagoon holds more than 800 patch reefs and pinnacles, many rising to the surface. Visibility often exceeds 100 feet, and the marine life is prolific: Caribbean reef sharks, nurse sharks, eagle rays, sea turtles, green moray eels, batfish, seahorses, and the endemic white-spotted toadfish, found only in Belize.
The dive sites at Glover's Reef offer remarkable variety. Split Reefs features a 40-foot reef that reaches the surface, with a deeper wall dropping to 100 feet. Endangered elkhorn coral, boulders of brain coral, and delicate staghorn corals form intricate thickets, while sea whips, sea rods, and Venus sea fans sway in the current. Shark Point, visited when weather permits, is a remote site where nurse, blacktip, hammerhead and tiger sharks cruise over white sand channels. Grouper Flats, on the northeastern reef tract, is home to Nassau, tiger, black, spotted and marble grouper resting amid the gorgonians. Long Caye Wall drops vertically, with overhangs draped in giant sponges, black coral and wire coral. Sea turtles, eagle rays and curious barracudas are regular visitors.
Thursday brings a change of pace at the Gladden Spit & Silk Cayes Marine Reserve. From March through June, whale sharks gather here to feed on snapper spawn. Outside that window, the site still delivers: large schools of horse-eye jacks, bull sharks and spawning groupers keep the pelagic action lively. Friday concludes the week at Laughing Bird Caye National Park, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. Faro-shaped reef structures, crystal-clear shallows and colourful coral gardens provide a fitting finale.
Throughout these core days, up to 5 dives are offered daily, including night dives most evenings. A small tender is available for optional shore excursions, though most guests find the underwater world more than enough to occupy their time. The Belize Aggressor V operates in a region that sees far fewer liveaboard divers than the more-travelled north, which keeps the reefs pristine and the encounters personal.
After a final morning dive or two, the Belize Aggressor V returns to Placencia Municipal Dock on Friday afternoon.
Day 8
Saturday morning brings a continental breakfast, followed by check-out and the journey home.
[Information is best estimate in ideal circumstances and subject to changes beyond our control. The itinerary is a guide only and may be adapted to best suit the weather, tides, currents, availability and other prevailing events. Price is for the cruise, not for an exact number of dives].
You wake early for a typical day aboard the Belize Aggressor V liveaboard, often to the smell of fresh coffee drifting from the main saloon. Breakfast is a lively affair in the dining area on the main deck, where divers gather to fuel up before the first splash. Mornings begin with a cooked-to-order hot breakfast. The chef works the grill, turning out eggs any style, pancakes, or French toast, while a spread of fresh tropical fruit, cereals, and juices waits on the counter. It is the sort of meal that sticks with you through a morning of wall dives and reef exploration. After breakfast, the crew briefs the first dive of the day, and within minutes you are kitted up and stepping off the dive deck.
Between dives, the Belize Aggressor V keeps you well-fed. Mid-morning snacks appear on the saloon counter - warm banana bread, fresh fruit platters, or savoury pastries. Lunch is served family-style, which means passing bowls and plates around a table of fellow divers, swapping stories from the morning dives. The menu includes homemade soups, fresh bread, salads, and sandwiches. The 'Cheese Burgers in Paradise' are a regular favourite, and the chicken kabobs marinated in Caribbean rum never last long on the platter. Alongside these come honey BBQ baked beans, coleslaw, and chilled watermelon to cool things down.
Afternoon diving follows a similar pattern. The dive deck hums with activity as divers swap tanks and brief for the next site. A second snack appears mid-afternoon, sometimes cookies, sometimes fresh fruit, always a welcome energy boost before the final dive of daylight. For those opting into the night dive, the evening meal sits between you and the last splash of the day.
Dinner on the Belize Aggressor V liveaboard is the main event of the dining experience. The crew shifts from family-style service to elegant plated dinners, each course arriving with attention to detail. A typical dinner might begin with a warm carrot and pumpkin soup, followed by a marinated Italian garden salad. The main course could be filet mignon with red wine mushroom sauce, accompanied by oven-roasted potatoes with rosemary and garlic, steamed carrots and green beans, and Belizean Belikin Brew Bread. The blackened shrimp and eggplant penne pasta offers a lighter alternative, served with butter and cheddar cauliflower and sweet onion garlic bread. Desserts are homemade, with banoffee pie and very berry cheesecake often making an appearance.
From Sunday through Thursday, you can expect up to 5 dives per day, including night dives. Friday offers one or two morning dives before the vessel returns to port in the afternoon. The crew hosts a farewell cocktail party that evening, followed by dinner ashore at a local restaurant, a nice chance to experience Belizean hospitality on land.
Throughout the week, the Belize Aggressor V provides complimentary beverages including fruit juices, soft drinks, iced water, iced tea, coffee, and a limited selection of local beer and wine. If you prefer spirits or a specific brand of alcohol, bring it aboard or buy it locally before boarding.
Any special dietary requirements should be noted in your Guest Information System reservation and discussed with the chef upon boarding. The vessel operates in a remote environment, so access to specialty items is limited, but the culinary team does their best to accommodate.
The daily routine aboard the Belize Aggressor V is predictable in the best possible way: structured enough to maximise diving, relaxed enough to feel like a holiday. Meals punctuate the day, snacks appear like clockwork, and the dive deck is always ready for the next adventure. It is a rhythm that suits scuba divers who came for the reefs but stayed for the food, the company, and the easy comfort of life at sea.
MORE TRIP DETAILS
Notes: Child Policy: The minimum age limit on Belize Aggressor V is 10 years of age. Children ages 5 to 17 are eligible for a 25% discount (specials do not apply). Guests under 18 must travel with an adult parent. Children under the age of 18 must share a room with a parent or an immediate (adult) family member.
Dive experience: All Open Water-certified divers may join these Belize Aggressor V liveaboard tours. When guests compete their Cruise Application they self-certify that they are fit to dive at Glover's Reef and the surrounding region.
Cruise price per person includes: Cabin accommodation with air-conditioning, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, water, soft drinks, hot drinks, local wine and beer, dives (as detailed in the trips above), experienced English-speaking divemaster(s), 12 litre tanks (yoke, limited number of convertible DIN valves), weights and weightbelts, torches, sales tax.
Cruise price per person excludes (mandatory, unless customer provides own): Scuba equipment rental (includes BCD, regulator, computer, night dive light, mask, fins, snorkel: USD 225, per week), wetsuit (please bring your own), port and park fees (USD 130), diving insurance, restaurant meal on final evening. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival (cash - USD or BZD, or credit card).
Optional extras: Alcoholic drinks (outside of meals), 12 litre nitrox fills for enriched air certified divers (USD 100 per week), local airport/hotel transfers. Unless otherwise stated, all the listed items need to be paid on arrival. Note: prices of items purchased onboard are subject to change.
How to get there: The Belize Aggressor V departs every Saturday from the Placencia Municipal Dock. Boarding takes place between 4-6 pm. For guests arriving on charter day, it is essential to book a domestic flight to Placencia Airport (PLJ) that arrives before 3:30 pm to allow time for the short 5-10 minute transfer to the dock.
At the end of your dive week, the yacht returns to port on Friday afternoon after lunch. Disembarkation is scheduled for Saturday at 8 am. Taxis are readily available for the 5-10 minute ride back to Placencia Airport. For your return international journey from Belize City (BZE), please ensure you allow a minimum of 3 hours between your domestic flight arrival from PLJ and your international departure.
Please note that the final dive of the trip will take place around midday on Friday. As a safety precaution, we strongly recommend waiting at least 18 hours before flying after your last dive. For comprehensive details on travel requirements, including airlines, please visit our Belize travel information section.
Non-diver rate: USD 200 off the full published price (does not apply to specials).
Single supplement (if you do not want to share accommodation): This is optional - single travelers may choose to share a stateroom and pay the regular rate, or pay a supplement of 65% of the normal published price for a private solo-use cabin.
Dive clubs and group discounts: Pay for 6 guests and 1 additional person can join the cruise free of charge (total 7+ guests).
Whole boat charter rate (per night): Pay for 12 guests and 2 extra persons can join free of charge.
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