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Dive Review of Blackbird Resort in
Belize/Turneffe Island

Blackbird Resort: "Healthy reef. Good food. Lovely room.", Aug, 2021,

by JE Anderson, AR, US ( 1 report). Report 11589.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 5 stars Food 5 stars
Service and Attitude 5 stars Environmental Sensitivity 5 stars
Dive Operation 5 stars Shore Diving N/A
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ 5 stars
Beginners 5 stars
Advanced 5 stars
Comments This is a small, friendly resort, owned by Belizeans. The carefully prepared native recipes are based on Belizean meats, fruits and vegetables. My travelling companion is vegan and they accommodated her wishes with grace and inventiveness. I stayed at nearby Turneffe Island Resort in 2008 but felt chafed by their rules so decided to try out Blackbird.
The Villa rooms are nearly new, having been recently rebuilt after a hurricane. They were large, spotlessly clean and had coffee in the morning. The showers were enormous and had a clothes line inside. The beds were so comfortable that I am kicking myself for not figuring out their manufacturer so I could buy one for home. Wall sized drapes open to a view of the sea. I have never stayed in a nicer room on a dive trip. AC available but often breezes were sufficient.
After 10 days, I decided to stay on - the Covid-era policy of no penalty change to air flights allowed for this. The management offered a discounted room rate that was just too good to pass up. I moved to a room in one of the older cabins which was fine but I had been spoiled by the new villa rooms.
The Divemasters were a jolly engaging bunch full of stories. We saw pipefish, toadfish, squid, sharks, tiny newborn flounders, free swimming morays, hamlets, turtles etc. Lionfish were culled by the DMs and some guests. The reef is in good shape and the diversity is high. Three dives a day with surface interval back at the resort. Often the trip to the dive site was only a few minutes. There is also a 2 tank dive at the Elbow. I was glad I brought my bigger fins because some dives had current. The weekly trip to the Blue Hole is on Tuesdays. Not having Advanced Open Water certification, we were not allowed to dive the Blue Hole because the resort follows the PADI recommendations. So we snorkled. The Blue Hole is one of those "bucket list" activities that I dove in 2008 and saw no need to do again. Even so, this is the first time we have ever been limited by our PADI certification and our group has been diving for 18 years all over the world and more often than not below 60 feet.
The dive staff helped us re-enter the boat by taking our gear in the water. And they did most of the gear/tank/nitrox testing management as well.
Blackbird includes transfers to/from the airport on Wednesdays and Saturdays by boat at present. A short flight is also available for additional cost. Covid protocols were straightforward. Since everyone must be vaxxed and proven disease free, it was a relief to not worry.
Websites Blackbird Resort   

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 251-500 dives
Where else diving Little Cayman, Bahamas, Mexico, Solomon Islands Salt Cay
Closest Airport BZE Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather sunny, windy, rainy Seas calm, choppy
Water Temp 83-°F / 28-°C Wetsuit Thickness
Water Visibility 60-120 Ft/ 18-37 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile yes
Enforced diving restrictions Open Water certified divers were supposed to stay at 60 feet or above.
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? yes

What I Saw

Sharks Lots Mantas None
Dolphins 1 or 2 Whale Sharks None
Turtles > 2 Whales None
Corals 4 stars Tropical Fish 4 stars
Small Critters 4 stars Large Fish 4 stars
Large Pelagics 4 stars

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter N/A Boat Facilities N/A
Overall rating for UWP's N/A Shore Facilities N/A
UW Photo Comments [None]
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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