Roatan Diving - Bluewater Dive Travel

Roatan Diving

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(9 REVIEWS)
Scuba diving in Roatan with healthy coral reefs.
A nurse shark on a healthy coral reef in Honduras.
A shark swims above a reef in Honduras.
A fish swims next to a sea fan.

Scuba diving in Roatan

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Roatan Diving Highlights 

Experience Roatan diving - described as the last undiscovered dive destination in the Caribbean. With Roatan and nearby Utila and Guanaja situated on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, expect pristine beaches, clear warm waters, and rich and diverse marine life with plentiful dive options. Dive sites in Roatan, Utila, and Guanaja offer a wide variety including wrecks, caves, walls, shark dives, and dolphin dives. Conditions are easy with minimal currents and plenty of shore dives perfect for beginners and snorkelers. The Bay Islands are not only a fantastic dive destination but also offer many activities on land for non-divers or snorkelers and water sport enthusiasts. 

A scuba diver explores a reef in Honduras. A diver explores a dive site in Honduras.

 

 

intro to roatan, utila & guanaja, honduras

Roatan, Utila and Guanaja (also known as Bonacca) are the main islands of the island collective known as The Bay Islands of Honduras. They lie west to east approximately 30 miles (50 km) off the Caribbean coast of Honduras and are conveniently accessed from the US with direct flights to Roatan's Juan Manuel Galvez airport (RTB) in Coxen Hole. Due to its British history and influence, many islanders speak English or Creole English in addition to Spanish, making it an ideal spot for English speakers to travel with ease. 

 Scuba diving in Roatan with sharks and coral reefs. A seahorse clings to a reef in Honduras

ROATAN DIVE RESORTS & LIVEABOARDS 

A mecca for divers heading to the Caribbean, Roatan's dive scene is the most well-known and popular of the three islands. Roatan dive resorts are plentiful and suit a range of budgets and traveler preferences, from backpackers to those seeking a higher level of luxury. With its popularity and modern airport, Roatan attracts more tourists and families and will be more crowded than Utila and Guanaja, especially during peak holiday periods. 

Divers heading to Utila can expect a laid-back attitude and budget-style accommodation options, making this a popular destination for backpackers and independent travelers. It is the perfect place to escape the crowds and explore some of Honduras' best dive sites, including Black Coral Wall. 

Visitors to Guanaja will usually stay at one of the island's several luxury all-inclusive resorts. Getting to Guanaja is a bit more complicated than traveling to Roatan or Utila, but this tropical paradise is worth the journey. Guanaja is perfect for those looking to experience some of the Caribbean's most exceptional diving while enjoying a highre level of luxury and a quieter atmosphere.

Divers visiting the Bay Islands will often stay at land-based resorts, which offer day trips to the best dive sites on Roatan and Utila. Those wishing to maximize their time underwater and explore a greater area underwater can join a liveaboard trip with the Roatan Aggressor, which embarks off the port in Roatan and combines the best dive sites of Roatan, Utila, and Cayos Cochinos. Make the most of your trip by staying at a Roatan dive resort before or after the liveaboard.

intro to diving ROATAN, UTILA, & GUANAJA 

Diving in The Bay Islands offers a great variety of hard and soft corals combined with beautiful tropical fish, macro life, and turtles. Roatan’s shark dives are not to be missed on any stay. Nor is Utila’s most famous dive site, Black Coral Wall, with its spectacular shallows and dramatic drop. Between February and April and October to December, it is whale shark season on Utila - however, you still need some luck to encounter them. 


A shark swims along a reef in Honduras

Just to the west of Roatan, Utila is the smallest of the major Bay Islands and is less developed than Roatan. The scuba diving in Utila is fantastic, in particular the chance to dive with migrating whale sharks. The majority of the island's 100 dive sites are on the sheltered southern coast, with a range of walls, caves, and caverns, as well as the wreck of the Halliburton.

Furthest east, Guanaja is lush, green, and home to only three small settlements. Ringed by a fringing reef and encircled by dive sites, visitors will discover sheltered reefs and a myriad of reef fish, and intriguing critters.

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when to go 

There is no 'best' time to dive Roatan, Utila, and Guanaja; they are fantastic year-round dive destinations. You can expect calm conditions, and the predictably clear Caribbean waters offer excellent visibility. Peak holiday periods draw larger crowds, so for quieter dive sites and fewer tourists on the islands, avoid visiting during school holidays. If you are looking for whale sharks, your chances will be better from February to April and October to December.

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Roatan Diving Information 

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DIVE RESORT AREAS IN ROATAN, UTILA AND GUANAJA

ROATAN 

Located on the northern coast of the western tip, West Bay Beach is Roatan's most famous area. It is also one of the island's most famous diving and snorkeling spots. Protected from wind and weather, the West Bay Beach coral reef is a terrific year-round dive destination. West Bay Beach is known for its lively area, with many resorts, restaurants, and shops to choose from. 

Do not get confused by Roatan's second most famous area, West End. Just a little further up the coast, this vibrant neighborhood is a phenomenal spot to be. With shops, dive outfitters, bars and restaurants, and smaller hotels, it is the perfect place to dive, dine and drink. Even if you are staying in West Bay Beach, it is worth visiting West End because it's only a 30-minute walk or a 5-minute taxi ride away. 

UTILA

Just a one-hour ferry ride or 15-minute flight away, the small island of Utila has a lot to offer. All resorts, restaurants, and dive shops are located on the main strip of the south shore. The southeast side of the south shore (the point) is only a 30-minute walk from the southwest side. Being well-known for its high concentration of dive schools along a short strip, you are where the diving is no matter where you stay. If you are looking for big resorts with big pools, Utila might not be the right choice for you. Typically, resorts in Utila consist of a dive shop with an extra building for accommodation. You can literally get up and jump on the boat in the morning or get off from the night dive just a step away from the dive bar. 

GUANAJA

Guanaja is definitely not as easy to reach as Roatan, but it is well known for its natural beauty. This small jewel in the Caribbean is less than 16 miles (25 km) long and has an amazing coral reef around it. Not only do divers get a lot of value out of their vacation time, but it is also outstanding for non-divers. With numerous hiking trails, it is easy to explore by foot. The main settlement is located on a key, with only a boat to travel to from the airport. With only one road connecting the area of Mangrove Bight (north) and Savanah Bight (south), it is a dive destination well off the beaten track. 

Let Bluewater Travel help you find the perfect Roatan, Utila, or Guanaja diving resort!

MARINE LIFE & PHOTOGRAPHY SUBJECTS

Roatan, Utila, and Gunaja boast a wide variety of Caribbean reef life along healthy reefs covered in encrusting, elkhorn, and pillar corals, impressive sea fans, sponges, and unique patches of black coral. Expect to spot trumpetfish, groupers, parrotfish, and triggerfish going about their business while grunts, tang, and wrasse add splashes of color in the foreground.

A vibrant coral reef in Honduras. A seahorse in Honduras.

Small schools of chromis mingle just above the coral heads, and spotted drum, octopus, and moray eels loiter in crevices and overhangs. Divers can also expect to see squid, porcupine fish, pufferfish, eagles rays, and turtles on a good number of dives. Rarer spots include barracuda and nurse sharks.

Scuba diving in Honduras with macro life. A parrotfish poses for an underwater photographer in Roatan.

There is also some interesting macro to be found, in particular around Guanaja. Lettuce slugs, arrow crabs, lobsters, flamingo tongue cowries, numerous crustaceans, and the occasional seahorse are waiting to be discovered. 

Whale Sharks, Reef Sharks & Dolphins

Whale sharks are occasionally seen around Utila, and if one is spotted, word quickly spreads through the Utila resorts. These huge filter feeders gather along the banks to the north of the island, and are most often spotted between March and May, and again between August and October.

A nurse shark seen while scuba diving in Roatan.

Many resorts in Roatan run shark dives on a weekly basis. As many as 15 Caribbean reef sharks are attracted to feed on buckets of fish, giving visitors the opportunity to photograph and interact with the sharks face to face.

Some resorts in Roatan also offer dolphin dives with semi-wild dolphins. The dolphins play and interact with divers on the ocean floor.   

Roatan diving Conditions

  • Water Temperatures: Warm throughout the year, around 81-88°F (27-31°C).
  • Diving Difficulty: Suitable for all levels.
  • Visibility: Averages at 66ft (20m).
  • Depth Range: 33 - 131 ft (10 - 40m).

 

BEST Dive Sites in Roatan, utila, and guanaja

  • Coco View Wall, Roatan 
  • Just a short swim from Coco View Resort, this dramatic, coral-encrusted site features exciting overhangs and crevices full of crustaceans and other critters. At 82ft (25m) in the sand, garden eels and sand divers play hide-and-seek.
  • Mary's Place, Roatan 
  • One of the most popular sites on the island, Mary's Place, can get busy at peak times. This beautiful site features mazes and canyons covered in huge gorgonians, sea rods, and sea plumes, the perfect environment for abundant macro life.
  • Dolphin's Den, Roatan 
  • On the north side of Roatan, this site boasts a similar topography to Mary's Place but is far less crowded. A honeycomb of tunnels and swim-throughs is full of shrimps and other crustaceans, and the skull of a dolphin sits deep within one cave.
  • Fish Den, Roatan 
  • On the west side of the island, an 8-mile (13-km) protected marine park is home to an abundance of reef life. The shallow Fish Den site is perfect for photographers and teems with schools of jacks and grunts, angelfish, and feeding turtles.
  • El Aguila, Roatan 
  • At 108ft (33m), the wreck of El Aguila, or The Eagle, is relatively deep for recreational divers. However, she rests against a wall that allows divers to shallow up and enjoy a longer dive after the first few minutes at depth. This is one of the few sites featuring larger fish life, including black and goliath groupers, barracuda, and big moray eels.
  • Jack Neil Point, Utila 
  • On the sheltered southern coast of Utila, this long, shallow dive features hard and soft corals in a unique tongue and groove formation. A good number of Caribbean reef fish inhabit the reef, and green and hawksbill turtles often make an appearance.
  • CJ's Drop-Off, Utila 
  • The north coast of the island is exposed to the open ocean, and sites such as CJ's Drop-Off boast dramatic drifts along sheer walls. Unique rock formations, deep caverns, and huge sponges and corals make for exciting diving. 
  • Black Rock Canyon, Guanaja 
  • An intriguing trail of caverns, canyons, and tunnels created by ancient volcanic activity, this site is alive with silverside sardines, glassy sweepers, and barracuda. During exploration, it's not unusual to come across a sleeping nurse shark or moray eel.
  • Jim's Silverlode, Guanaja 
  • At 70ft (21m), a long tunnel follows the wall down into an amphitheater-like bowl full of grouper and moray eels. Schools of yellowtails and silverside sardines flit in and out of the shadows, creating a dramatic dive. 

A scuba diver explores a shipwreck in Honduras.

best time to dive ROATAN, UTILA & GUANAJA

All three islands can be dived year-round. If there is swell or wind on one side of the island, the opposite side coast is usually calm. The rainy season is from mid-October to late February, and during this time, November, December, and January get the most rain. However, these are also the coolest months, and May through to September can be quite hot.

Scuba diving in Roatan on a coral reef.

How much does it cost to dive in Roatan?

Roatan is a popular scuba diving destination and offers resorts and liveaboard options to suit all budgets. Juan Manuel Gálvez Roatán International Airport (RTB) is easily accessible from many major US cities and attracts a large number of tourists every year because of this. 

For a customized quote, please get in touch and let us know the details of your trip. Through our network of partners, we can put together custom packages and offer a low-price guarantee. You’ll never pay more when booking through Bluewater Travel, but you will get a dedicated travel expert with local knowledge to help with advice and booking the trip of a lifetime. 

A fish next to a sea fan in Honduras.

Roatan dive packages

There are some amazing dive packages available in Roatan, so you can enjoy an adventure vacation knowing that everything is taken care of. We can provide you with full-board options, including daily dives in a number of great resorts. We also run frequent specials, so don’t forget to check them out on our specials page or ask one of our travel experts about our latest offers. 

How Deep are the Dives in Roatan?

One of the great things about Roatan diving is the fact you are surrounded by coral reefs. This means there is a wide range of depths at different dive sites, sometimes even on the same dive site. Dives can range in depth from just a few feet to well over 150 feet and beyond. 

Some resorts allow you to shore dive, which will be shallower than boat dives at sites such as Big Bight, which can, in places, be easily deeper than 150 feet. So, all in all, there are a variety of dive sites with different depths to cater to all experience and certification levels.

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Travel Information 


How to Get to roatan, Utila & guanaja

Roatan - Fly directly from the US to Juan Manuel Gálvez Roatán International Airport (RTB) from various cities, including Houston, Miami, New York, and Atlanta.

Utila - Fly to Utila Airport (UII) from Roatan or from Ramon Villeda Morales International Airport (SAP) in San Pedro Sula, Honduras. There are also ferry services from Roatan to Utila. 

Guanaja - Fly to Roatan and then take the Saturday flight to Guanaja Airport (GJA). Alternatively, from Roatan or San Pedro Sula, fly to La Ceiba and then on to Guanaja. This is longer but offers more flexibility. There are also several boat charters available from Roatan to Guanaja.

Check our guide for other great destinations near the US

How to Dive Roatan, Utila & Guanaja

A good number of resorts on all three islands include an on-site dive center and will offer shore and boat diving to guests and day visitors alike. There are also many stand-alone professional dive shops and operators.

The Roatan Aggressor runs 7 and 10-day trips around the Bay Islands, and this is a great way to discover all the best diving this area has to offer.

Where to Stay in Roatan for Diving

As one of the most popular destinations for scuba diving in the Caribbean, Roatan boasts tons of excellent options to choose from when it comes to accommodation. We recommend staying at a specialist dive resort with the facilities needed to give you the best diving experience possible. We’re partners with some great dive resorts in Roatan, ranging from more budget-friendly options to mid-range and luxury resorts. Get in touch with our team of expert travel advisors, and we’ll help you find the best resorts in Roatan to suit your needs. 

Alternatively, if you want to be as close to the diving action as possible at all times, we can arrange a liveaboard trip for your Roatan diving adventure. We regularly book guests onto the Roatan Aggressor, which is part of a family of very popular boats. Click here to see the Roatan Aggressor’s availability.

A close up of a fish seen while scuba diving in Roatan.

other things to do in ROATAN, UTILA HONDURAS

The Bay Islands are a great family destination, but also offer a variety of wildlife experiences. On Roatan, there is a nature refuge where you can see white-faced capuchins, howler monkeys, caimans, and various birds. Roatan also has a butterfly garden, an iguana farm, and botanical gardens. Visitors can explore the rainforest canopy with exciting jungle excursions or swim, snorkel, or dive with dolphins.

Utila offers a host of watersports, including stand-up paddleboarding, kayaking, and fishing. Visitors can also do some white-knuckle activities such as caving and horseback riding. Most visitors relax on tropical beaches and swim in turquoise waters.

On Guanaja, visitors can enjoy snorkeling and fishing around the coast or venture into the jungle interior on a hike to the island's only waterfall.

 

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DIVE RESORTS IN ROATAN

Bluewater Travel can help you book a dive resort and liveaboard in Roatan, Utila, or Guanaja and over 40 other destinations in the world at the same price or even lower than booking any other way. We are experts on boats, cabins, diving, and logistics in Roatan, Utila, and Guanaja. Email us today or leave us a message through the chat box to start planning your dream dive vacation in the Bay Islands of Honduras! 

Read all about Bluewater Trip Leader Ramona Robbins’ (Reynolds)  amazing 2022 trip to Roatan here

 

ROATAN LIVEABOARD AVAILABILITY

The Aggressor fleet of boats is well-known among divers for their excellent liveaboard trips, and the Roatan Aggressor is no different. Below, you’ll see its availability and the option to request a booking.  

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Other Useful Information 

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Practical Information

  • Currency: Honduran Lempira (HNL)
  • Electricity: Generally is 120V
  • Time Zone: Central Standard Time (GMT-6)
  • Language: The official language in Honduras is Spanish, but English is the primary language of local islanders.

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GOT QUESTIONS? READY TO BOOK?

Call us today at +1-310-915-6677 or email us info@bluewaterdivetravel.com

And let us book your dream vacation!

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Reviews (9)

  • Top Reviewer
Fountain Valley, CA
United States
5
5
4
4

I’ve traveled to Roatan many times and stayed on different parts of the island. West End is my favorite area and we’ve stayed at a hotel there and a couple of times in a private villa right on Half Moon Bay. We have also stayed in a villa near Gibson Bight, which is not too far from West End. There are many dive shops, bars, and restaurants in West End and this seems to be the place where most of the action takes place, other than at the resorts. I’ve also stayed several times at an all-inclusive resort on the north side.

Diving is done all around the island, but overall, I prefer diving on the west end. Some of my favorite sites here are: West End Wall, Hole In The Wall, Canyon Reef, and Spooky Channel. On the south side of the island, near French Harbor, you can dive one of Roatan's signature dive sights, Mary's Place. Valley of the Kings is another excellent dive in this area. On the north side, some of my favorites are Turquoise Bay Channel, Turquoise Bay Wall, Dolphin’s Den, and Rockstar. Every time I’ve been to Roatan the visibility has been exceptional. Typical sea life seen here: schools of tropical fish, groupers, turtles, lobsters, dolphins, sharks, eagle rays and octopuses. Occasionally, whale sharks can be seen here, but are most often seen off the sister island of Utila. This is also an excellent place to experience bioluminescence on night dives. We have seen the String of Pearls many times.

On a non-diving day, a great excursion is to hire a boat in Oak Ridge and explore the large patches of mangroves. We also visited a legendary restaurant/bar in this area, called Hole In The Wall. We enjoyed a couple of hours eating and drinking here.

Bottom line: Roatan is one of the most economical places in the Caribbean. Everything, including accommodations, food, and diving, is really cheap. The diving is world-class, the people are extremely friendly, and the vibe is really laid back. Two small downsides are that it can get crowded if a cruise ship is in port at West Bay, and the insects can be unbearable at times. Bring plenty of insect repellent and sunscreen.

Visited on 04/2017 - Submitted on 03/14/2020
  • Reviewer
Minneapolis, MN
United States
4
4
3
3

Want an additional dive certification? Roatan and Utila are great for dive training - warm water, easy conditions, close dive sites and very inexpensive diving on both islands. You can also take ferries between islands (not super simple, but doable). Whale sharks often frequent Utila waters in season. At ~$25USD/dive, I consider this a great value destination for diving but there is not much to do topside and the marine life is not comparable to other Caribbean destinations like Cozumel, Bonaire or Cayman. Inexpensive accommodations are widely available and Utila is well known as a backpacker paradise. Watch out for biting sand flies and sand fleas in the hot month of April unless you do not mind spots on an exposed regions though :) Also, wear exposure protection when the water is warm because the jellies coming out during this time, as expected.

Visited on 03/2013 - Submitted on 02/27/2018
  • Reviewer
Culver City, CA
United States
4
4
5
5

Roatan never disappoints. Except, maybe the 1st time I went there over Thanksgiving and the rains, but the topside activities, mainly having drinks with divers from allover the world at the bars, made up for for the storms. But fast forward to May, where conditions were superb. No rain for 5 days, calm waters, perfect temperatures (above and below) and low humidity.
The diving is close to perfect: Water temp. 82, visibility 80-100 ft., marine life has the usual players from large turtles, tons of spiny lobsters (many were in clusters), frequent groupers, large porcupine fish, etc. Of course there is the shark dive on the other side out of Coxen Hole featuring a dependable showing of at least 30 large reef sharks, and some large groupers attracted to the bait, then there are the night dives ( I took 2, one with just me and a guide that lasted and hour and 15 minutes) with gazillions of urchins, common octopus, crabs galore, banded shrimp, many spotted eels and then some. There is actually an excellent downloadable Roatan reef life book (written be a long term Roatan expert) that can also be downloaded for a few bucks and pretty much features everything that can be seen underwater. On the West End the scene is basically dive shop, bar, hotel, dive shop, bar, hotel and so on. Nice people, down to earth, cheaper than other Caribbean islands, no mega resorts, but many simple cheap and clean hotels.
Roatan has a multitude of excellent dive companies offering any type of certification. Overall, a great destination for beginners and advanced divers since one has a diverse choice of shallow sand bottom dives to deeper wall dives.

Visited on 05/2014 - Submitted on 09/03/2014
5
5
5
5

When I think of Roatan and diving, I think of how this location is the destination that made me fall in love with my favorite thing to do in the world: diving. I got SCUBA certified on the island in 2007 and spent 15 days there exploring, meeting locals and exploring marine life as much as I possibly could. Marine life include beautiful coral, trumpet fish, huge grouper, a variety of rays, sea turtle, barracuda, parrotfish, puffer fish. When I dream of diving, this is the destination that I always think about returning to. I went in November and the year that I went, it was one of the stormiest seasons that they had seen in approximately 30 years. Initially, this prevented us from diving, but I was able to complete my PADI course top-side and when the storms cleared, visibility ranged from 15 feet (right after heavy storms and low visibility was only experiences once or twice) to approximately 95 feel. Even despite the stormy season, I still completed 14 dives while there-each as beautiful as the next.

Top-side, there are restaurants, bars, beach lounging opportunities and plenty of exploration to be done. Roatan is only about 30 miles long, so depending on how long your trip is, you have an opportunity to explore much of the island. From hiking, to renting a car and taking a day trip to loop the island and explore different communities, to just spending time lounging at the dive shop and meeting locals. In addition, if interested, you can also take some time and go to the mainland to explore other areas of Honduras.

On a side-note, Roatan is a cruise destination as well. On the days that cuise ships come in, locals raise their prices and are much more adamant about trying to get you to come into shops. The culture and community are a little different on these days and on non-cruise days, the culture and community are much more laid back, calm and inviting.

Diving Raotan stole my heart. For all of my friends are new divers, this is the destination that I ALWAYS say they must explore.

Visited on 11/2007 - Submitted on 03/02/2014
0
5
5
5

We visited Roatan twice last year and are going back in a few months. I chose Roatan because I like to do some freedive photography in addition to scuba, and research showed that many consider Roatan good for snorkeling/freediving since the reef is close to shore in many places. Using Google Earth is a pretty good way to see the reef location at various spots on the island.

West End and West Bay are on the northwestern end of the island, and this is the more tourist-oriented area, with lots of hotels, restaurants, and shops. West Bay seems to have the nicest beaches in the area, although there are various other spots around the island that also have great beaches. Most of the dive spots are just offshore along the whole north side, and it's pretty much a continuous reef with great diving anywhere along the north coast. We haven't explored many sites on the south side, but there are plenty there too. In case of rough seas, it is often possible to just switch to the opposite side of the island to get good conditions.

We chose to stay in Sandy Bay, which is on the north side just a few miles east of West End and West Bay. We've stayed at 3 different resorts here, each much different, but we loved all three. We like Sandy Bay since it is more tranquil than the tourist areas, but we did head over to West End and West Bay a couple times to check them out. If you want a more active nightlife, Sandy Bay might not be your top choice. Depending where you stay in Sandy Bay, the reef can be just feet away, or a 10 minute swim across a lagoon.

Dive spots are close, so each operator does one-tank dives, then you do shore intervals back at your resort. The water seemed about 80 degrees in February and a bit warmer in July. We always had excellent visibility, warm water, and zero to very little current. Fairly typical Caribbean sea life, though we saw lots more groupers than other destinations, 4 species. Two wrecks near Sandy Bay, swimming through 4 levels of the Odyssey was very cool. Lots of turtles, eagle rays, some eels...great variety and a few species I hadn't seen before like sharp tail eel, a couple grouper species, blue parrotfish, and a few more. In July/Aug we were able to locate and snorkel with whale sharks about 8 times, brief but cool encounters, as each one was solitary and moving. I had great freediving on each trip too. There is an operator on the south side who offers dives with Caribbean reef sharks. Whether or not you are a shark enthusiast, it would be a crime to miss this dive if you are on Roatan. We did it both times we were there, just a very cool (and safe) experience, and a must for photographers. If currents are light, after watching the sharks from a fixed position, you are allowed to swim amongst them.

We mostly just dived and stayed around our resorts. We did do a tour of a wildlife sanctuary, and my wife enjoyed horseback riding on the beach (and in the ocean). Next time we will probably have one of the taxi drivers give us an island tour.

Pretty easy to get here from the US...many flight fly to Roatan from Houston..also, TACA flies in from El Salvador, we did it both ways and it was a relatively short trip from SF.

If you like diving the Caribbean and Belize and Cozumel but haven't tried the Bay Islands, I think you will love it!

Visited on 08/2013 - Submitted on 03/01/2014

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