Laguna Beach Resort, Utila: Trip Report, March 15 - 22nd

[Utila_ecology]

The sad state of the deterioration of Honduran reefs over the past 15 or so years was also described in last June's 'Diver' magazine. Unfortunately this is becoming a familiar pattern, repeated on coral reefs across the region, with an estimated two thirds of reefs in the Caribbean directly under threat.

Whilst many divers may now be resigning themselves to seeing less life underwater and feel powerless to help, the Utila Centre for Marine Ecology (UCME), established in 2006, is dedicated to try to contain and improve the situation. They are undertaking wide ranging research in partnership with universities and NGOs, on coral health, fisheries, cetaceans and terrestrial ecology. Their findings are being used directly to work with the community towards sustainable livelihoods, and to inform local, national and regional government strategies.

Don't just despair: get involved! Look at UCME's website - www.utilaecology.org. Volunteers are always needed to gather data for an ongoing database of conditions and populations. You will be given the ID skills you need and if you have 2 or more weeks to spare, UCME can use you. You would work side by side with marine biologists, graduate students and conservation professionals and contribute directly to the research being undertaken on the coral reefs around the island. The volunteer programme is not a ‘dive holiday with a difference’- project involvement requires commitment and hard work – but if divers want to actively participate to further our understanding of coral reef degradation and help identify viable solutions, then here is their opportunity.

 

[UTLgirl]

Yes, I met Greg & Robin through Terry Evans @ Roatan Charters several years ago when I was still living in Roatan.

 

[diver 85]

Yes, I met Greg & Robin through Terry Evans @ Roatan Charters several years ago when I was still living in Roatan.

Our son, Matthew, lived on Roatan DM'ing/Instructor'ing from about '97 thru '01, the last year and a half there he worked @ the Photoshop @ AKR...Any chance you knew him??(he left out from there on the Wind Star as a water sports director....)

 

[CODMAN]

Ecology, in my books, Volunteers work for free and get their expenses paid for (food, lodging, training, etc...). You guys are selling a "science vacation". Not recruting real volunteers for scientific research. i'm sorry, but there is a big difference between the two. You should try to be clear on that when recruting. I'm not saying you don't do quality work (honnestly, I have no idea if you do or don't), just that the "volunteer" prices are the price of a full blown vacation on Utila, and I don't call that volunteer...

Sorry, but it had to come out!:14:

The sad state of the deterioration of Honduran reefs over the past 15 or so years was also described in last June's 'Diver' magazine. Unfortunately this is becoming a familiar pattern, repeated on coral reefs across the region, with an estimated two thirds of reefs in the Caribbean directly under threat.

Whilst many divers may now be resigning themselves to seeing less life underwater and feel powerless to help, the Utila Centre for Marine Ecology (UCME), established in 2006, is dedicated to try to contain and improve the situation. They are undertaking wide ranging research in partnership with universities and NGOs, on coral health, fisheries, cetaceans and terrestrial ecology. Their findings are being used directly to work with the community towards sustainable livelihoods, and to inform local, national and regional government strategies.

Don't just despair: get involved! Look at UCME's website - www.utilaecology.org. Volunteers are always needed to gather data for an ongoing database of conditions and populations. You will be given the ID skills you need and if you have 2 or more weeks to spare, UCME can use you. You would work side by side with marine biologists, graduate students and conservation professionals and contribute directly to the research being undertaken on the coral reefs around the island. The volunteer programme is not a ‘dive holiday with a difference’- project involvement requires commitment and hard work – but if divers want to actively participate to further our understanding of coral reef degradation and help identify viable solutions, then here is their opportunity.

 

[parrotman]

I found this thread to be quite interesting. It is a very good example of how peoples perceptions can be so vastly different about the same place. I have been diving on most of the Caribbean islands and several liveaboards, I feel that I have a fairly good perspective when it comes to comparisons. I was in the eastern Caribbean in Feb diving Saba, St Kitts and Statia. Of all the diving that I have done in the Caribbean this was in my opinion the second worst diving I have done and that would only be a step up for the worst which is the Caymans. I offer that point of view simply because so many people regard the Caymans and Saba as two of the best dive locations. I would not waste the airfare to go to either of them again. Cozumel ranks 3rd from the bottom of my list mostly due to lack of fish life. On the other hand I will be going to Utila again this year for my 6th time. I love Utila. I think the diving is some of the best in the Caribbean and I think the town is what the old Caribbean was all about. The people are very friendly and warm and if a person takes the time to get out and about it is a cool little island. Yes, I have been in the water with Whale sharks but that is not why I like to dive Utila. I am much more into getting down close and looking for all the little stuff. I have been to Roatan and would not go back. The comment about the sewage being dumped into the ocean is very reminiscent of my one and only trip to Roatan where we were watching the toilet waste at a bar dropping into the bay. That does not make it right, but it happens in many more places than one would think. I have done 150+ dives on Utila, I know the reefs well enough to be a guide on a lot of them and I have never seen a dive sight where 80% of the coral was dead. Unlike Cay Sal Banks where nearly every dive site was in very poor condition. Again, just my opinion.

So all in all, I guess the point of my response is to read up and research dive locations but keep in mind that everyone has an opinion based on their personal experiences and what they consider to be good, bad or otherwise. Just because one person thinks negatively about a location does not mean that the next person will and vis a versa about thinking that a particular location is the best.

 

[Utila_ecology]

Ecology, in my books, Volunteers work for free and get their expenses paid for (food, lodging, training, etc...). You guys are selling a "science vacation". Not recruting real volunteers for scientific research. i'm sorry, but there is a big difference between the two. You should try to be clear on that when recruting. I'm not saying you don't do quality work (honnestly, I have no idea if you do or don't), just that the "volunteer" prices are the price of a full blown vacation on Utila, and I don't call that volunteer...

Sorry, but it had to come out!:14:

Codman, I obviously did not make myself clear. Let me explain a bit more about the NGO on Utila (the one also mentioned in this thread by GoPro at UDC), the Utila Centre for Marine Ecology UCME) where volunteers work on data gathering alongside the research teams from 7 in the morning until around 5pm, 5 days a week- hardly a vacation in the usual sense! Maybe 'Sorrows' will also then get a clearer idea of what is going on on Utila.

Utila is struggling to balance development with sustainable resource management, as it moves from a fishing based economy to one largely reliant on tourism. Honduras as a whole and the Bay Islands and Utila in particular are severely hindered by a lack of knowledge about their natural resources and the technical and financial capacity to effectively control and manage this transition.
This is one reason why UCME was established as a non-governmental organisation which could link scientific results from applied research to national authorities and community based conservation and management initiatives (see Volunteer in the Honduran Caribbean with Utila Centre for Marine Ecology conservation, ecology & development projects: dolphins, whale sharks, coral reefs, fisheries, mangroves, seagrass, scuba diving)

Coral cover:
Utila was hit hard in 1998 by a bleaching event and hurricane Mitch. This combination was likely responsible for a large amount of dead shallower corals, <10m, dominated by Montastraea annularis (mainly on the south side of the island). Since Ma is struggling to recruit across the Caribbean the ability for this to recover seems limited. As the cover of this major reef builder declines the space is increasingly being taken up by algae, likely hindering coral recovery further. In Utila this is augmented by the decreasing population of herbivorous grazers through by catch and removal of top predators, grouper etc (see below).

Utila is a classic example of the necessity for ecological balance on reef systems and the limited capacity of reefs to recover from major disturbances if their fish populations (and other key species) are removed.
On the north side of the island and on the outer banks and deeper reefs, coral cover is far healthier but their resilience is also likely to be severely degraded, they just haven’t been as impacted by external influences yet.

There is also extensive fishing driven by two main factors: export of grouper and snapper to the US; and increasing local demand due to migration to the island from the mainland.

Utila is a fishing hub for the export of grouper and snapper to the United States. Whilst U.S legislation is protecting U.S fish stocks it seems to be putting increasing pressure on the stocks of neighbouring countries such as Honduras that have limited capacity to manage their fisheries. This is an ongoing problem and we are now working with the fish plant here to devise a local management plan and some fundamental fishing best practices to try and abate the current trends. Fishing is still an important sector of the local economy and since the demand for fish remains constant and price high (in relation to local living costs) the fish stocks will continue to be heavily exploited until a solution can be found or they run out of fish.

The migration to the island due to the economic growth is attracting mainly low skilled labour from the mainland to work in construction (housing, hotels etc) since this labour force is also poorly paid they will often supplement their income and diet by fishing on local reefs.

The economic migration is also causing mangroves to be felled to clear the way for cheap housing in the swamps. At the other end of the spectrum large developers are increasingly clearing mangroves to make way for expatriate holiday homes, marinas, canals etc. Mangroves in the Bay Islands are protected by national and local law (it is illegal to cut them) but without the capacity or will to enforce this law the cutting continues. However to put this into context, the actual percentage of the mangroves that have been removed in this manor is still relatively small since the majority of the island’s area (80%) is mangroves (see good images on google earth). But unless some effective enforcement of existing laws can be put in place I assume this proportion will increase steadily.

The original post mentioned the lack of sewage treatment. This is actually a little erroneous. Most houses currently have septic tanks, and the municipality are putting in a main sewage system and treatment plant which is due to come on line later in the year. However many of the buildings along the water front still discharge sewage in to the water. Once again however this needs a contextual reference since the likely quantity of effluent is fairly small given the current population of the island versus the volume of water it is discharged into (ie the dilution). I am not saying that the current situation should be condoned rather that the current scale of that problem is likely not the biggest issue that the reefs are facing and one issue which local government are actually tackling. We have a project planned in the summer to evaluate water quality within the mangroves and adjacent reefs to be able to quantify exactly how much of a problem this currently is and to use as a baseline for when the treatment plant comes on line.

To summarise, Utila is suffering the same issues that many locations around the region are but its reefs and mangroves comparative to other areas are still in fairly good shape. The island is a microcosm for the good the bad and the human of coral reef and tropical island ecology which is what makes it a fascinating place to work and to study. If through our work here we can identify potential solutions to some of these pertinent issues it may well provide a great model for how small communities lacking in institutional governance can solve their reef management issues at a local level

 

[CODMAN]

Ecology, I understand all that and believe me, I'm well aware of the need to study the reef ecosystems and Human impacts on it in order to help sustainable development for the future. The problem I have, and I appologise if I came off a bit harshly (it's because it gets to me), is the so-called volunteer program you are running! You are looking for and recruiting people to come help in a project to help advance science and the durable development of Utila. But the price of participating in such a program is the same as if the people were there on vacation! I don't call this Volunteering! I call it scientific tourism! I've seen this on a lots of other sites too.

A volunteer is someone who gives their time, abilities and hard work to a just cause, and usually, the organisations appreciate this and try to make this as easy as possible for them by paying for minimum expenses for the people to be there. In this case, not only are people giving their time, energy and hard work, but they are also paying full price to be there compared to a dive vacation! At least if the price was low, you could get the idea that there are minimum costs The organisation cannot afford to pay out and you are doing your best to minimise the cost for participants. But 600 english pounds for 2 weeks? Sorry, but these are paying clients, not volunteers! They are not helping out... They are financing you...

I'm a Marine Biologist and I'd gladly take my vacation time, maybe even pay for my plane ticket, to go help out such organisations. But pay big $$ to be there on top of that? I regularly deal with volunteers to help with my field work and I appreciate their help and make darned sure it won't cost them anything to be donating their time and energy to science. I have nothing against your cause (actually I think it's a good one), but the use of "Volunteer" in this context is abusive and misleading. Say it as it is! You are looking for people interested in learning to do science and willing to pay for it! These are clients, not volunteers...

I also have to appologise to everyone about this rant and about hijacking this post. I'm going to leave it get back to it's original subject.

 

[Dale Forbes]

I adore Utila. The people are friendly and the Bohemian vibe is absolutely charming. The warm, tropical waters (up to 32degrees!) - mostly without any current - make for a wonderfully relaxed diving experience. I found the dive outfits on the island to be professional and dedicated to a high standard of dive education.

I spent much of 2006 and 2007 on Utila studying the reefs (and whale sharks) and believe I have a fine sense for ecology and natural ecosystems. Based on hundreds of hours underwater all around Utila (every dive site), my professional opinion is that "Sorrows" is mostly correct. I give the reef five years. If something drastic is not done soon then the reef will be irreversibly damaged. The reefs are not okay. They are not even close to being okay. And those of you who know me will know that I am an optimist and love the Utila reefs, so it really pained me to see the "head in the sand" philosophy that is generally being adopted on the island. I honestly feel that the people of Utila (both locals and expats) do not realize the extent of the trouble the reefs are in.
I believe that there are two major anthropogenic affects on the reef:

1. Nutrification from the town. The mangroves, harbour and soil are treated as a dumping ground for trash and dirty water. By way of example, we could hear when any of our neighbours was taking a shower for the dirty water was falling on the ground below the house. This would not be a major problem if one lived in a low-density area and lived a good distance from open water (rivers, lakes, the ocean). Unfortunately, most of the people in Utila live in high density "suburbs", which are often flooded during the rainy season / high tide. This means that the dirty water (and refuse discarded below the stilted houses) would move directly in to the mangroves (ooh, not good) and the ocean. The affect of this nutrification (and pollution) on the reefs is most evident at the sites closest to the harbour. My heart weeps seeing the beginnings of "unstoppable" damage on Black Coral wall - one of the most beautiful sites I have ever dived.
Remedying this incredibly complex problem will take the acknowledgement of the problem by ALL the people of Utila, and a concerted effort by the local government (and soon!). Not doing so is likely to spell the end of the south side reefs.

2. The second major problem is over fishing. The classic argument is that the fishermen need to feed their families and have a right to practice their traditional lifestyles. I agree. Who would not? But, by way of analogy, coal was traditionally used for heating in downtown London. People have a right to heat their homes and workplaces, and this is their tradition. but, unfortunately, that means (to the end of heating) is highly detrimental to the environment and to the other citizens of the area. If fishing continues as is, then we might as well prepare our farewells for the practically extinct sharks, and then to the groupers, then the snappers, then the parrotfish, then the tourists. for the ecosystem will crash. Unfortunately, these statements come across as the melodramatic rantings of "some foreigner" who does not appreciate the situation. I may not. But I understand ecology. And if reef fishing is not stopped soon (preferably outright) then we can kiss our beautiful reefs goodbye.
The marine reserves near Cayes Kalker and Ambergis (Belize) gave me a huge amount of hope for the Bay Islands. Near these cayes, the FISHERMEN established marine protected areas where they do not fish or catch lobster AT ALL. The reserves are large enough that they can provide a breeding sanctuary for the marine life that is strong enough to supply large numbers of big fish to the surrounding reefs. This has had a great impact on the catch success of the local fishermen and provides a wonderful diving experience - lots of big, tame groupers and real, live sharks! Something like this could easily be implemented in Utila. It just needs the support of the local fishermen who understand how important this is for them.

The issues facing the reefs of Utila are not small, and are certainly not simple. Remedying them will take the support and action of lots of people. I am not talking about a "pick up trash" day. It will require an entire shift in culture and the way the reefs are viewed. But all of this needs to happen fast. I give the reefs 5 years. My heart and hopes are with you, Utila!

Please feel free to comment on what I have said here, either directly in this forum or privately to me.

Dale Forbes

 

[susan6868]

I'm no expert on Utila but I had to jump in and offer my two cents. We had a similar, yet not similar experience as the original poster two years ago.

Similarly, we stayed at Laguna Beach resort the last week in February. We chose Utila originally to see whale sharks and went on a week when the weather turned out to be very windy. We could not always dive the North Side, and never even saw the boil of a whale shark. Our first dive dive was always on the North when possible, and then we would head toward the resort for lunch, do a second dive which was not as great as the first, and then we would often skip the third, after lunch dive which was always on the South side and not as impressive as the first two. However, although the reefs were not as lively as other places we've been, they were still quite beautiful, and we managed to come back from every dive with stories to share and new fish to look up in our fish ID books.

We venture into town on bikes, and had so much fun. The streets were crowded at times and people were zipping around, at times you had to be careful where you walked. Most of the town looked weathered and somewhat run down but we saw it as charming and embraced it's laid back, funky personality. It was different from anywhere we'd ever been. The people were friendly and gracious, and although it was not new and shiny, it was far from filthy. It was a younger crowd than most places we'd been, and in our 40's we were feeling older than the general population.


With that said, we went to Grand Cayman later the same year. There was North wester causing havoc the entire week. The reefs were badly damaged by Ivan.and we were unable to dive the more popular sites due to the storm. I suspect the diving during good weather would have been much more beautiful than what we were privy to see that week, the vis was poor as well. Topside was very different, big hotels, better roads, more controlled traffic, conventional plumbing and the like. It was very expensive, at times very commercial, and seemed almost "snooty" in some places.
With that said, we had a good time, but wouldn't return to Grand Cayman.
It's personality didn't appeal to us. Sure, it's a great place, but I personally didn't find it all that interesting. Some folks rave about it. It all depends on what your looking for.

Different strokes for different folks. Had the weather been beautiful in Cayman, my impressions may have been quite different. The sites I dove certainly would have.
Had the original poster been on Utila when the weather was good, the influx of additional tourists celebrating that week were gone, and the elusive whale sharks had made their appearance, his opinion might have been quite different as well.

We're heading back to Utila in three weeks and will stay at the Mango Inn right in town. We chose "Whale Shark Research Week" to up our chances of seeing one of these babies. We may, we may not, but we intentionally chose to stay in town because we like the "feel" of it when we were there last. It's a cheap, laid back vacation. No cruise ships, nothing to do but rest and dive and have a few laughs around the bar. We will make other return trips this year to Little Cayman as well as Cozumel. We love those spots for entirely different reasons. And, of you look on these boards, you will find posts about those places as well that reflect someone's disappointment with their trips there. Different strokes, for different.
I can see how someone could dislike Utila, it may just not be for you. I have friends who would be miserable there. Me, I had fun and I'm heading back. I'm hoping to see whale sharks this time, but if not, we'll have a great time just the same.

I'll get back to you all in a few weeks when we return to report on the condition of the island two years after our first visit. In the meanwhile, thanks to the original poster for sharing his experience. It's not everyone's experience, but it will help those who are looking for something different to choose another destination.

 

[snorkymn]

Sorrows, nice TR. I liked you gave the good and the bad. I head to the Mango Inn the 1st-10th of May, and hopefully I'll be able to find all the small critters you did, with a little less of the dead coral. Here's to hoping the weather is nice enough to get up there frequently!

It's actually amazing that we don't see more TR's for Utila since there's divers there all the time! I hope I don't run into the cattle of students too much out diving, it sounds pretty bad. I guess they have to go where they can afford to train, but too bad it has to affect other's diving experience. I don't know what would be worse... going to an area with a lot of damaged coral, or having cattle calls of students diving all over.

I'll hope to get a TR up when I get back, but I'm a bit weary about posting any negatives in it, if there are any. It seems people on the board, who live in the area, and make their livings from divers coming to the area, always seem to attack you for giving your opinion if it might damage their business.