.... What was teaming with incredible life just a few years ago is now pretty spare. (this is in regard to diving on the north side of the island, south side might be totally different)...
Yes, it is. Dramatically so.
This is an issue of perception and awareness. Maybe 80% of divers out there are still absolutely agog by schools of Sergeant Majors and still taking pictures of Squirrel Fish and being terrorized by Barracudas. They gawk at Parrotfish and are mesmerized by Lobsters and Crabs.
If they can see past their SPG to even glimpse them.
This creates the popularity of placed wrecks, Shark dives and Disney style Aquarium dives... they present something obvious to see, something no one can miss, something that we all know the names of, something we can talk about over the water cooler back home.
As most divers struggle against buoyancy while trying to gather in a "wreck", very very few recognize what is hidden right in plain view. Oh yes, a few might see some fish schooling around the superstructure, but how many take the time to look for the intricate, small stuff?
Not many see things, even when they are "right there".
Roatan is not a place for the "intermediate" diver.
Noob divers can do well almost anywhere, and Roatan presents no major challenges in terms of conditions.
Intermediate divers, those who may still feel compelled to do a canned Shark Dive Rodeo, they are somewhat lost for stimulus after they have grown tired of looking at the wrecks themselves (which are comparatively quite deep on the North side). These are the Roatan visitors in the group that clamor for the shape of "reef architecture", usually in the forms of things like Mary's Place, Calvin's Crack and Dolphin's Den... some are getting past "large fish" and looking at the shapes of the reef itself. (More pure geo-structural variation occurs on the North side which makes it very attractive to this group of divers) Since most traveling divers fit into the "intermediate" category, and because most visitors to Roatan go with North/West dive ops- it is really no wonder that Roatan doesn't hold much sway in terms of "schools of fish" on Trip Advisor reports. It is simply a matter of the volume of divers and their perceptions which are based on their attained skill sets.
Advanced divers, and I also refer to those who have seen all of the basic critters, they too can go flatline on Roatan if they aren't diving on the South side and possess
good observational skills and perfected buoyancy. This is a hard curve as most divers who are at this point of learning have been so jaded and burned by following DM's around- they are wont to do this and believe they have better dives all on their own.
Far from the case. It took me 100+ dives of following around good naturalist DMs on Roatan's South side before I could find anything on my own. I always tell divers- find a good DM, someone who can find you a SeaHorse on every dive, a Pipefish three times in a week- and stick with him.
The South is a different environment. Protected from storms, shallow vertical walls that drop from 3' to 90fsw, always drenched in Sunlight. It is the Nursery of Roatan.
There's a lot more to be seen than "bunches of fish", but only if you have the skills.
This is why I refer to Roatan's South side as "advanced diving". Not because of current, nor rough entry, no deep dives... the only "advanced skill" required is perfected buoyancy and observational skills- the ability to nose-in on something small, hold a flashlight, have a peek, then- take a breath and back away without crashing your head into the coral. Those make up advanced diving, not just the training modules to get the C-Card.
It's all about where you are "in the water column". If you are there or really desire to get there, the South side of Roatan is indeed
a different kettle of fish.
