Roatan reef bleaching/ health?

[boulderjohn]

When I was there two years ago, some people were raving about how healthy the reefs were--so green! I opened a book and showed them the pictures of the green algae they were raving about.

 

[OMyMyOHellYes]

When I was there two years ago, some people were raving about how healthy the reefs were--so green! I opened a book and showed them the pictures of the green algae they were raving about.

So you had to edumacate them that corals are animals, not plants? Did you offer them the underwater naturalist course?

 

[also_anon_dc]

Can anyone chime in on whether the east side has experienced as much bleaching as is being described here and whether the north or south would be

The entire Caribbean is bleached due to extremely high water temperatures starting in Summer 2023 and have continued. If your goal is to see vibrant health reefs, I personally have written off diving in the Caribbean for the next few years at least.

 

[laurenceh]

There is plenty of healthy coral around Utila (and I assume Roatan and Guanaja as well), it's just all below 30'. All the bleaching I've seen is in the shallow water (it's bad there, all pillar coral is dead and so is most brain coral) but once you're at 35'-40' you're not aware of any issues. I'm in Utila 3-4 times a year and we've had summer water temps above 87f for 5 years in a row now. It's hard to imagine temps dropping anytime soon, so this is probably the new norm - soft coral above 30', hard corals in deeper water.

 

[boulderjohn]

This comment is not specific to Roatan but to the concept of bleaching in general.

Not too long ago I was in a different Caribbean area and made a comment about how disappointed I was in the state of the coral. The year before I made similar comments about the state of the coral I saw in Beqa Lagoon in Fiji. In response to both observations (both in SB and elsewhere), some people said they were in the same area and did not see any signs of bleaching.

What they should have said was that they did not see any signs of current bleaching in the coral that is still there. I was referring to the vast stretches of rock that used to be living coral before they were bleached in years past. I get the idea that for some people, if they look long enough and hard enough to find a single piece of coral and deem it healthy, they will say that the reef is doing fine--no sign of bleaching.

 

[wildernessdave]

I think this is a very important and interesting topic. I did about 20 dives in Roatan and Guanaja in late November/December 2024 and I am currently in Belize. I was also in Belize for 3 months last winter and in the Bahamas, Grand Cayman, and the Bay Islands for 4 months over the previous winter, we live on a sailboat. Anyway. I first started diving in the Caribbean in the 90s, mostly mostly Cayman Brac and Iittle Cayman, which has some really great diving, and the state of the coral reefs now compared to the 90's is live night and day. In many ways it makes me sad to think about how much coral has been lost and in the process how the numbers of fish and other life has been impacted.

That said, there is still so much life places like Roatan and so much to see. Like me, you will likely notice the dramatic loss of coral, but it is still an amazing ecosystem full of life and I would imagine your daughters will be blown away by what they see.

 

[CathyE]

I will be in Roatan diving in April, I will compare photos from 6, 7, 10 etc years ago.
I did notice some bleaching in Cayo Largo (Cuba) last month, but not as much as I had expected. Most recent diving has been in the DR, there was more bleaching in Bayahibe for sure.

 

[tiburonhombre]

Hello, all,

Newbie here. This is my first post! I spent a week diving in Roatan 22 years ago and it was wonderful. Crystal clear water, unbelievable colors in the corals, and so many beautiful fish. I've been dreaming of returning ever since then. I'm planning a trip back to Roatan (finally!) with my three daughters - ages 19, 17, and 13 to get them certified in March. I have read that the reef is now severely bleached and many of the hard corals are suffering from disease. This saddens me greatly. Has anyone been diving there recently? What can I expect? Does this mean most of the colors are gone from the corals? What about the number of colorful fish? Are some of the reefs in better shape than others? We will be staying in West Bay and will be limited to dives of 40 feet because of the 13yo.

Thank you everyone in advance for your responses.

I am finishing up a month long diving trip on Roatan. I have been diving on the North side around West End.

I have been diving here since 1994.

I would say that 90-95 % of the hard coral is dead from Stony coral tissue wasting disease.

The brain coral and pillar coral have all but disappeared.

The dead corals are covered in algae.

The disease was first noticed off Florida in 2014. It spread to Roatan about five years ago.

Soft corals and sponges are OK.

I understand that stag/elk horn corals are mostly immune. They are raising these corals in shallow water nurseries.

As a result there has been a decline in fish populations. There are still grouper, snapper, jacks, spade fish, permit, etc, just not as many. Eagle rays are plentiful.

In my opinion, the reef will never be what it was. It is undergoing a chance to something entirely different.

 

[scrane]

Underwater conditions in Roatan are not good. I was on Cozumel last October and found conditions much better.
I am going back to Roatan in May. I like to get wet, and the wreck and swim throughs are fun.
I enjoy the West End surface experience much more than San Miguel. The daily influx of tour boat people in San Miguel is like a tidal wave, and the locals are viewing visitors as purely a commodity. I find it easier to elicit a smile in West End.

I find it hard to let go of the Caribbean.

 

[Gdog]

Currently in Roatan, been here for 6 weeks. Reef conditions are pretty much unchanged from last year. Definitely some coral bleaching, but also some healthy coral. I have seen several healthy brain coral. But the pillar coral isnt good. The fish population is slowly going down yes. The south tip, as in the dive site Texas, the reef and fish are in much better shape. Lots of fish life there. Unfortunately our planet is taking a hit, not just here. Best dive it while you can, as it will never be better than it is now. Even at home in the Puget Sound we are seeing a decline. Several nudis that we used to see are no where to be found. The seastar wasting disease is affecting the entire ecosystem along the West Coast.
Get out and dive!