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Here's a question for all you folks who have been to Roatan lately.
How is the fish life?
A few of us are thinking about going to Roatan in September and it's been a few years since I have been. I have heard a few people comment that the fish life is really sparse now, perhaps because of overfishing, but sparse none the less. I just returned from a week in Little Cayman and of course the fish life there is very healthy.
Just wanted an honest take from some of you folks. Our other choice is going to Bonaire in the fall but I was just there a few months ago.
We were just there at the beginning of April and found the number of fish on the reefs to be disappointing. It definitely didn't compare to Bonaire or even Maui for number and diversity of marine creatures, including fish.
That said, I'm not sure if it is a perception thing, an expectation thing, or time of year/life cycle thing, but other folks have told me they disagree and on their trips saw a lot of creatures and fish. We'll likely give Roatan another try at another time, just to know for sure.
Thanks. If we go we are going to book at Reef House Resort. From what I know, they are far enough away from the bigger resorts that the dive sites they visit are said to be more pristine so perhaps the fish life would be better.
Sometimes, we can only see what we have seen before, or can see only critters that are large or obvious enough to catch our attention. This is not a slam on newer divers, it's just a universal fact of life.
Certain zones of Roatan vary greatly from others. You can divide the Island into two such defined areas, The North/West and the Southern Shore.
In the North/West, the effect of the Marine Conservation Zone is becoming quite apparent. Larger critters are reappearing, such as bigger fish and crustaceans- but some divers leave with disappointment. It does not compare in fish population to Cozumel or many other more familiar areas. Why? The DM's aren't feeding the fish~ as well they shouldn't! What you are seeing is fairly natural. This area runs from the North from Sandy Bay, AKR, BIBR, IoLR, hooking South and West through Half Moon, West End and West Bay. It is deeper, darker and has stepped wall structures. I refer newer, less experienced divers here in particular. It has remnants of placed wrecks that are deep (their condition is a further testament to the battering this area takes during storms) and fulfills the expectations and desires of many. As a sidenote, it is also "party central" with many bars and restaurants. This is the area that "day-dive" ops dot the area.
The South Shore is a little different- it is entirely AI served. (BFK, FIBR, CCV, RHR) It has a shallow vertical wall that is exposed to Sunlight all day long. When storms come- this is the protected side- so Coral growth is unimpeded. This South Shore area runs from Mary's Place (French Harbour) to the East at Oak Ridge (Calvin's Crack). It is the home for many little and juvenile critters which hide in the walls. Many newer divers walk away with unfulfilled expectations because the DM doesn't take the time to show them Pipefish, tiny colorful Crustaceans, Seahorses and more. Treasures can be found every few feet, but it takes an experienced eye to see what's going on. Stick with your DM. This area is calm, gentle and shallow- ideal for beginners, but they may well be disappointed by the "lack of fish life", whereas older divers will be gawking every 3 feet. It all depends on what you are able to see~ many newer divers can only see the hull shapes of the shallow, intact wrecks... there is so much more, hidden in plain sight.
Reef House Resort, where you have selected, is way far East on the South Shore. It is outside of the shallow wall zone described above, but it has it's own draw. They have good access to Calvin's Crack and it's vertical walls, as well as the sloping walls more apparent nearer to the resort. It is one of three resorts that can legitimately claim a real shore dive (think Night Dive!), although access may be somewhat restricted by more prevalent wave action and surge in that area. The sales mantra team beats the drum in reference to being "further away and more pristine", and although that is true in theory, the area reef itself is geographically less protected, and thus less fragile, so there was inherently a smaller population of critters and florid growth to start with. The slogan really amounts to a shorthand way of saying something entirely different, but the net effect they are trying to convey is the same. After many years of diving there, I prefer the structures about 15 miles west, but RHR offers a distinct flavor advantage.....
More importantly, RHR, which you have chosen is regarded as an excellent choice- see the images at http://s221.photobucket.com/albums/dd106/Doc_Adelman/Reef House Resort Roatan/ The time is NOW to go to this secluded resort, a glimpse of Roatan's past. Stay with the DM's and take every opportunity to shore dive. Go slowly, look with care- don't be in a rush.
Don't get lost looking for what you're expecting... see something new~ and treasure what is there!
Hey BDSC,
I was on a couple spots on the south shore, east, last week where Reef House goes. Lots of fish but nothing real big. There was a good size grouper, Eagle Ray and a very big barracuda at Church Wall in Oakridge. Tons of those little button type jelly fish. Still schools of blue tank and small snapper. There are a lot fewer fish than there was before, but I don't think you'll be disappointed. The coral is in very nice shape and the walls east are interesting.
Unfortunately, the little tropicals are disappearing at an alarming rate - I blame the Lionfish - as I see more and more of them on the reef and even on coral clusters in shallow water. They have big appetites for those cute colorful guys. Too bad - so sad.
Thanks. I think in the end we are going to go and stay there. It will be my 4th trip to Roatan and I was pretty happy with the other trips but it's been a few years. I'd also like to do more video of macro stuff and maybe this would be a good oportunity to experiment around and try some of that. Maybe video my first seahorse.
It's true that the East End is considerably less visited by divers. Their biggest problem is likely to be Lionfish. In the RMP (Roatan Marine Park), the number of dive shops, and therefore divers, has managed to keep an active and positive control over the lionfish populations. They are by no means gone, but it's under steady control. In lesser dived areas of the island, we have heard reports of far bigger numbers of lionfish sightings, and by consequence, less of anything else. Either way, enjoy your dive vacation, I've had a plan on the back burner to a while for the ABCs (I want to see it for myself too!) (and yes, there is seasonal variation with what you are likely to see, or at least, what size the creatures you are likely to see will be)
We dove with and styaed at RHR in April. This was our first time there so I can't compare it to other places in Roatan. We were somewhat disappointed in the fish life. Now, I have developed a pretty good eye for small stuff since I like to photograph it. For example, I found an arrow blenny, some tunicates, and other tiny stuff so that works for me. And David does indeed find sea horses, among other critters, so it's helpful to stay near him.
But, we saw only one sting ray, no sharks and only a few small grouper. Even grunts and snappers were few and far between. We did see a couple schools of spadefish for the first time, and some large chub.
Really the best part was the very impressive sponges and coral and very large sea fans. Plus, the entire floor was covered with coral and sponges, all in great shape.
For the week, we saw about 5 or 6 lionfish, which David will happily spear.
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(and yes, there is seasonal variation with what you are likely to see, or at least, what size the creatures you are likely to see will be)
