Trip Report Guanaja, Bay Islands, Honduras-- February 6-16, 2023

[nwflyboy]

Thank you, very nice report. I'm off to Guanaja next weekend. We're staying at a different place (Clark's Cay) but very glad to hear all the details about your recent experience. 80 degree water with good viz sounds nice.

 

[PamInParadise]

The ferry is a 90 minute ride one way. Generally it is a nice ride. If you are highly susceptible to motion, I would suggest you talk to your doctorr about a preventative. The price for the ferry and transfers to/from the airport have been less than half of the charter prices we have been getting and with the ferry you can take up to 3 pieces of luggage weighing 50 pounds or less. We have had excellent service from the ferry and they are good about waiting as long as possible for you if your international flights run late.

 

[eelpout]

Back in the 80's through the 90's there was a resort on the island, Bayman Bay Resort. The big Hurricane in 1998, destroyed most of the resort, and most of the island. I was there in 1986 and it was a great place to dive and the resort was great too. It is good to see that divers can go back to the island to experience it again.

 

[morecowbells]

I just came across this trip report. I always enjoy your insights and breakdown of what options exist. It sounds like a wonderful vacation! It seems that getting through customs in Roatan takes an eternity. I would be too neurotic over making my connection. The charter from La Ceiba looks more viable for me. I wonder if the resort would link up a group of divers/guests with each other to charter a flight, as it us usually just my husband and myself. Thanks for giving us a view into a destination I rarely see on travel boards.

 

[Ukmc]

I just came across this trip report. I always enjoy your insights and breakdown of what options exist. It sounds like a wonderful vacation! It seems that getting through customs in Roatan takes an eternity. I would be too neurotic over making my connection. The charter from La Ceiba looks more viable for me. I wonder if the resort would link up a group of divers/guests with each other to charter a flight, as it us usually just my husband and myself. Thanks for giving us a view into a destination I rarely see on travel boards.

Diventures sends groups of divers there several times a year. If you call their travel department, they will hook you up. It is the easiest way to get to Guanaja, IMHO.

 

[Lucia]

Back in the 80's through the 90's there was a resort on the island, Bayman Bay Resort. The big Hurricane in 1998, destroyed most of the resort, and most of the island. I was there in 1986 and it was a great place to dive and the resort was great too. It is good to see that divers can go back to the island to experience it again.

In 2000 we went to Guanaja to a resort named Posada del Sol and I remember hearing of Bayman. The trip was amazing with the most unique diving we’ve seen and Posada del Sol was great. Unfortunately that resort is long gone. The hurricane damage to the trees was still very apparent in 2000 but it was also apparent that the island vegetation was recovering quickly. We said then that surely more people would “discover” the island and make it a more often visited destination. Kinda glad that has not really happened. I’d love to return sometime.

 

[PamelaH]

I got certified at G&G by George himself back in 2016 (I think).

I'm sorry to hear that Ginger passed away - she was such a fun person. I assume Witi and his wife are doing most of the heavy lifting these days. Witi is an amazing guide. We did the hike to the waterfall and he spotted a brown snake on a mud bank on the other side of the creek. He misses nothing. Thanks for the review!

 

[divenski]

I just got back from a week at Clearwater Paradise, based in large part on this trip report and Trip Advisor reviews. Two caveats - this was obviously a different time of year. Water temperatures were consistently 86 degrees. And I dive mostly in the western Pacific - Indonesia and Philippines. My recent Caribbean trips have been Cozumel and Bonaire.

I will keep this short. The topography here is spectacular - canyons, swim-throughs, towering reefs. However, the coral was not healthy at all. Anything below about 40 feet (sometimes shallower) is totally covered in algae. There are few fish below that depth as well. There are some fish in the shallower areas, but I would find it difficult to characterize it as "a lot." In some places, almost all the hard corals are in some stage of succumbing to SCTL disease.

We did see nurse sharks on many dives, though apparently someone is feeding them, so they just circle around you for most of the dive. Fun. I saw a variety of species, but very few schools of anything - some very small creole wrasse and a group or two of tangs. We did see one school of 40 jacks in the blue, but close - that was very nice. Visibility was often quite good.

Night dives were fun - some decent sized crabs, several lobsters and big-eyed toadfish.

Twenty or 30 years ago, this place would have been mind-blowingly beautiful - spectacular, amazing. Today, it's.... ok.

 

[Dive Every Puddle]

Thank you for the detailed and informed review. I just met the new owners of Clearwater at DEMA 2024. They appear to be very excited to carry on the traditions and experiences you shared. According to the new owners, a couple from Kansans City, just bought two new boats. We're excited to give them a try.