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Roatan

Introduction

Roatan (Roatán, Ruatan or Rattan) is the biggest of the islands located off Honduras, and called Bay Islands. It is located between Útila and Guanaja, and is approximately 60 kilometers long and up to 8 kilometers wide. The Bay Islands are located on the largest barrier reef in the Caribbean Sea (the second largest worldwide), and have therefore become a famous spot for scuba divers. While the island is not (yet) overdived, and visitors can enjoy calm natural spots and relaxing horse riding, development of the last decade had significant negative impact on the ecosystem of the island. Efforts are now made to limit those effects - for example, importation of plastic containers is banned.

Travel facts

Calendar

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best period
acceptable period
not recommend
air temperature
water temperature

Diving type

Destination
easily accessible
easily accessible
bargain destination
bargain destination
Diving level & type
for beginners
for beginners
for advanced divers
for advanced divers
shore diving
shore diving
liveaboard
liveaboard
Diving Characteristics
pelagics
pelagics
lots of fish
lots of fish
lots of corals
lots of corals
interesting underwater scenery
interesting underwater scenery
Other activities
attractive natural spots
attractive natural spots
gastronomy
gastronomy
night life
night life
beach
beach
snorkeling
snorkeling

Map

map

Infrastructures

  • hotel and diving center
    Anthony's Key Resort (AKR)
    Anthony's Key Resort (AKR) (hotel and diving center)
    internet : www.anthonyskey.com (a nice brochure from the hotel can be downloaded)
    rerservation : Reservations can be carried out by the Bahia Tour's agency in Florida:
    105 S. Federal Highway
    Dania, Fl 33004
    Tel.: 954 929 0090
    fax: 954 922 7478
    email: Bahia Tour
    rating : 4 / 4 starsrating : 4 / 4 stars
    comments :
    In two words: the paradise! 
    Whereas the reception and the restaurant are on the main island, on the heights, most of the rooms are located on a small key in front of it, which can be reached by a taxi-boat making the shuttle all the time (duration of the journey: less than one minute). All these rooms are located very close to the sea (some are on piles), and have a shared terrace (for 2 or 3 rooms) with hammocks. The slogan of the hotel is the resort the Nature designed: the rooms are simple (no air-conditioning nor window-panes), but are entirely built with wood and have a smart system of ventilation.
    The meals are simple, although always excellent: choice of dishes with choice or mini-buffet, always accompanied by the tasty the soup of the day!
    The diving is extremely comfortable: a boat is assigned to each diver at his arrival. One can dive between 3 and 4 times a day, and always on different diving sites. The divemasters are as qualified as nice.
    The only problems encountered were due to the reception, whose service is not always effective. Note that the hotel charges additional 5% for customers paying with credit cards!

    On these photographs, one can see the key where are located the rooms, the moored boats, a group of three rooms and this same group seen from the hammock...
      picture  picture  picture  picture
  • hotel and diving center
    Fantasy Island
    Fantasy Island (hotel and diving center)
    telephone : 011 504 455 5222   (from USA: 985 726 9188 or 1800 676 2826)
    fax : 011 504 455 5191   (from US: 985 726 9169)
    address : Box 100, French Harbor, Roatan
    Bay Islands, Honduras
    rating : 3 / 4 starsrating : 3 / 4 stars
    comments :
    Considered as one of the most comfortable hotel of the island, each room has a sight on the sea, air-conditioning and refrigerator. All meals are served as buffet.
    The diving is organized by a center in the hotel: all these dives are boat dives (even for the shore diving on the two wrecks which were sunk in front of the hotel).

Diving Sites

  • rating : 4.0
    Deep Eel Garden - Anguila Wreck
    rating : 4.0
    type of diving : wreck
    depth : 35 m
    visibility : 15 m
    description :
    The wreck of the Aguila is a very young wreck, since it was sunk in July 1997. In September 1989, this cargo liner (the photograph below was taken by Rick Frehsee, Skin Diver December 1997) ran aground on Utila after a damage, before being repurchased by the owners of the AKR, who sunk it in perfect position (the ship rests on its skittle on a sandy bottom: not a single coral was killed during this operation). This ship is 67 meters long and 11 wide. The holds are wide open, and the cabins easily accessible. Only the machinery, under the level of the sand, is not accessible. It should be noted that at 35 meters, very next to the wreck, one finds an eel garden particularly impressive.
    This diving will be even more interesting in a few years, when the corals will colonize the wreck. Be careful, at such a depth, you quickly have to do decompression stops: fortunately, some coral at up to 3 meters allows an easy decompression, during which we saw an octopus and a lobster.
        
  • rating : 4.0
    Dive Master Choice
    rating : 4.0
    depth : 20 m
    visibility : 5-10 m
    description :
    A great dive, in presence of many soft and hard corals (no wall), amongst other things beautiful and large vases, as well as anemones. Fish are of course present: a barracuda, a tuna-fish, three lobsters and... two turtles which were pet by the divers. A drift dive, because there is some current which lowers the visibility the end of the dive.
      
  • rating : 4.0
    Half Moon Bay Wall
    rating : 4.0
    depth : 20 m
    visibility : 15-20 m
    description :
    This dive is made on a bottom at 15-20 m, with a very close wall. Four huge groupers are awaiting the divers right under the boat, near a school of trevally... Although a turtle and a small grey moray were seen there, the particularity of this site is the presence of two long green morays (their hiding-place is known by the guide)! These morays swim easily in open water, and do not hesitate to be aggressive if they feel disturbed by divers. Using fins to push them away from you can be the last solution available... Strong current possible (drift dive).
            
  • rating : 4.0
    Light House Reef
    rating : 4.0
    depth : 20 m
    visibility : 15 m
    description :
    On a plateau at 10-15 meters, with a relief similar to the one found at Dive Master Choice... During this drift dive, it is necessary to swim from time to time to the edge of the wall... With some chance, you will see a spotted eagle ray flying in the big blue. If you prefer the plateau, perhaps a turtle, a small moray or a large grouper will approach you. One sees there also lots of butterfly fish... and the carcass of a lobster!
        
  • rating : 4.0
    Over Heat
    rating : 4.0
    depth : 10 m
    description :
    The name of this site, famous for night dives, comes from a history telling that one day, a boat whose engine had overheated stopped at this place. The passengers, not having anything to do except wait, decided to dive right there, and discovered a beautiful site...
    This diving is carried out between 5 and 10 meters, on a sandy bottom with corals. With lots of crabs (more than 10) and lobsters (also more than 10), this diving site is especially interesting. We also met a huge porcupine fish, a large sleeping parrot-fish, 2 octopuses and many soldiers-fish.
          
  • rating : 4.0
    Pillar Coral
    rating : 4.0
    depth : 10 m
    visibility : 10-15 m
    description :
    This dive can be especially interesting... if the depth is limited at a maximum of 10 meters: there is nothing to see deeper. At this shallow depth, you can observe a turtle, 3 schools of surgeons, lots of parrot-fish and 2 lobsters. This diving is not only characterized by the quantity of small fish found there, but also by its relief, tunnels and canyons forming a very dense network just bellow the surface.
      
  • rating : 4.0
    West End Wall
    rating : 4.0
    depth : 20-30 m
    visibility : 15 m
    description :
    In the extreme west of the island, at 30 minutes of navigation of the AKR, is located one of the most beautiful dive site of the Caribbean... Great location for drift diving, this site has a soft slope to 25 meters, and then a sandy bottom. There are lots of small fish, but also much larger one: bigeye trevally (which follow the divers), tuna-fish, two turtles and ten barracudas. Lobsters and trumpet-fish are also found there.
    A fascinating dive site, since there is always some fish to observe!
        
  • rating : 4.0
    Wreck of the Prince Albert - Airplane
    rating : 4.0
    type of diving : wreck
    depth : 20 m
    visibility : 5 m
    description :
    This diving is described wrongly as a shore diving, since it is necessary to take the boat to go there! But it is true that the journey lasts only a few minutes, and that these two wrecks are in a small lagoon. The visibility is rather limited: divers used to lake diving will appreciate the green coloration.
    Prince Albert is a rather large boat, which rests between 12 and 20 meters depth. The cabins can be visited (be however aware that many pipes are present. Furthermore, visibility might be very low. A cord leaves from the boat to the damaged wreck of a plane, at a distance of 15 meters. In this second wreck, the cockpit can even not be distinguished. The two wings and the fuselage are however visible. Finally, a chain posed at the bottom of the sea join the pontoon, approximately 100 meters away. The boat will then pick you up at this place, as the journey to the diving center is a little bit too long... with the tanks!

  • rating : 3.0
    Channel Dive
    rating : 3.0
    type of diving : wreck
    depth : 10 m
    description :
    This is the private AKR diving site... It is a wreck of a plane located in the bay in front of the hotel. This plane large enough, and therefore the fuselage is well worth visiting (be careful with the visibility). The cockpit is still in a very good shape. It is possible to reach from there one of the wings of the plane, located right in front of the pontoon: on this path, one can see 10 lobsters, 2 squids, 1 stonefish and also many small shrimps.
    But the wing itself is very interesting... due to the impressive amount of lobsters: more than 15! Usually, this site is dived during the night: a boat will drop the divers on the plane; after the dive, they will swim back to the shore.

  • rating : 3.0
    Charlette Choice
    rating : 3.0
    depth : 13 m
    visibility : 10 m
    description :
    Undoubtedly the most beautiful corals of Honduras... A soft coral forest - including several anemones - and many and varied hard corals. Some fish (barracuda, lizard-fish, trumpet-fish, a school of surgeons) and many sea urchins. Unfortunately not as much as on certain sites of Roatan...
        
  • rating : 3.0
    Gibson Bight
    rating : 3.0
    depth : 20 m
    visibility : 10 m
    description :
    After 15 minutes along a rather shallow wall, we reach a very interesting area with great landscape: many pinnacles stand on a sandy bottom, at a depth of 20-25 meters, with numerous cavities. The corals are rather beautiful, but there is not an abundant sea life (a large tuna was however seen). Under the boat, at the mooring (which was cut by the divemaster at the end of the diving because it was damaging the reef), we can observe a long tunnel of 15 meters, which unfortunately is difficult to reach.

  • rating : 3.0
    Green Out House Wall
    rating : 3.0
    depth : 20 m
    visibility : 5-10 m
    description :
    Again canyons under the boat... No wall, but a soft slope with interesting geological features. A turtle was seen from a distance, a lobster, a small moray, a school of surgeon and a large grouper under the boat... Rather strong current.

  • rating : 3.0
    Iron Shore
    rating : 3.0
    depth : 25 m
    visibility : 15 m
    description :
    Wall from 10 to 30 meters, with interesting relief. Many corals, some of which are very large. Schools of yellow and blue fishes, and also a huge green moray (about 1.5 meter long), a barracuda, some groupers and a brown triggerfish.
      
  • rating : 3.0
    Lion Head
    rating : 3.0
    depth : 10 m
    visibility : 5-10 m
    description :
    On a sandy bottom with many pinnacles of all dimensions. Lots of swim-through, breaks or tunnels, including one at least 6 meters long! Unfortunately, the visibility can be very made if sand is present in suspension. One box-fish and barracuda. It is interesting to note the presence of a thermocline at a depth of approximately 2 meters: thus, close to the surface, the water is particularly hot...
      
  • rating : 3.0
    Melissa's Reef
    rating : 3.0
    depth : 15 m
    visibility : 10-15 m
    description :
    Should you be attracted by torturous landscape, this is the dive site for you! No real wall, but a slope with a many deep canyons (up to 5 meters), more or less broad. Some are longer than 50 meters, and others are partially covered - giving the impression to swim in a long tunnel. Even if we saw one stingray, there is not so much life.

  • rating : 3.0
    Wayne's Reef
    rating : 3.0
    depth : 15 m
    visibility : 10 m
    description :
    Beautiful underwater scenery (one canyon after the other, pinnacles on the sand and deep wall) but neither pelagic nor crustacean. Only some small groupers approached the divers.

  • rating : 3.0
    White Hole
    rating : 3.0
    depth : 12 m
    description :
    The usual underwater scenery: canyons, walls. This night dive allowed to meet 3 lobsters, 2 crabs, 2 octopuses, lots of sea urchins and soldier-fish, and especially a stingray in the blue (or rather in the black, considering it was a night dive)... Unfortunately, not so many crustaceans... but too much people underwater!

  • rating : 2.0
    Barry's Reef
    rating : 2.0
    depth : 10 m
    visibility : 10-15 m
    description :
    At 15 minutes by boat of the AKR, this dive offers an interesting landscape: a vertical wall going down to around 30 meters and perpendicular canyons which are 2-3 meters deep. There is nothing below 10 meters, and the undertow is significant when close to the surface, which makes this site unattractive. We saw there 2 barracudas, 2 lobsters and 4 giant groupers which followed the divers when they enter into the water.

  • rating : 2.0
    Butcher's Bank
    rating : 2.0
    depth : 15 m
    visibility : 10 m
    description :
    Close to West End Wall, this diving is not very spectacular. The bottom is flat, with an uninteresting relief, very few fish and lots of dead corals (on the other hand, the flora is quite varied). But 3 turtles were seen on this site, as well as 2 porcupinefish and 2 crabs. Drift dive.

  • rating : 2.0
    Cheminies
    rating : 2.0
    depth : 25 m
    visibility : 10-15 m
    description :
    On this wall, which goes from 10 to 30 meters, is located a chimney that runs from 23 to 10 meters, and can be swim through by divers from the bottom to the top. But be aware that the exit is rather tight, and that the visibility inside can be extremely limited if the divers behind you stirred up the sand! An enormous lobster is usually present in the middle of this chimney...
    The rest of the diving is rather monotonous, with only few fishes but a lot of... undertow.

  • rating : 2.0
    Four Sponges
    rating : 2.0
    depth : 25 m
    visibility : 10 m
    description :
    One of the methods used to attract fish closer to the divers consists in feeding the fish just before the dive. This method, although not ecological at all, allowed us to observe 4 large groupers which were waiting for the divers right under the boat. Unfortunately, the coral is in bad condition.
    This diving is rather disappointing, but if the relief presents some narrow canyons. It is also possible to observe some corals which looks like long tubes, and a couple of vases.

  • rating : 2.0
    Pelican Point
    rating : 2.0
    depth : 20 m
    visibility : 5-10 m
    description :
    Rather monotonous diving, on a wall without any particular relief. The limited visibility found below 12 meters during the dive did not allowed us to observe blue, where pelagic animals (sharks, rays, etc.) are often seen. 1 barracuda and 2 porcupinefish.

  • rating : 2.0
    Wrasse Hole
    rating : 2.0
    depth : 20 m
    visibility : 15 m
    description :
    Just under the boat, a very impressive landscape awaits the divers: many canyons, some of them being very deep (up to 7-8 meters!) and narrow, and some pinnacles. There is not really a wall, but rather a flat area covered with soft corals, which give the impression of dancing under the effect of a significant undertow.
    Not a lot of fish, only one barracuda was really noticed.
      

Links

Marin Institut

Located next to the AKR, the Marine Institute invites you to share a few moments with dolphins. Every days, free shows are organized. But the speciality of this institute is to give the opportunity to swim and dive with these dolphins!
 
Price details (for hotel guests)
 
swimming with approximately 6 dolphins (snorkeling in a huge basin in the sea, approximately 1 hour with the possibility to pet the dolphins on the beach!) 73 US$
45 minutes diving at a depth of 20 meters with dolphins, in the open ocean 84 US$

 
A must do! We strongly recommend to do the swimming with the dolphins, because the contact is a little easier. Here are two photographs of what is awaiting you...

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