Roatan reef condition

[victorzamora]

A lot of people agree. They dive this South shore zone of Roatan and find it lacking.

What a diver must want and be prepared for is micro and macro. This involves carrying a glass lenses magnifier and flashlight, going very slowly, getting in close with perfect buoyancy, and having a good look.

As referenced earlier, the Roatan Marine Park (West End and West/North environs), that's the place for seeing larger Lobsters, Crabs, Parrot Fish, Baracudas and such larger pellagics.

Most newer divers have a camera in hand. They eventually get enough pix of those critters I mentioned above. Then they do the Shark Dive. They do the Shark Dive again. Then, if they're lucky, they discover the macro setting on their camera. If they don't, they might go drinking instead or just quit diving.

The macro world is fascinating, but you have to be shown where to look! It's a prime environment for this on the South side. Look at the pix in the dive mags, the shooters (Stan Waterman on down) all stay and work the South.

There's something for all divers and levels on Roatan. The reef is still in pretty fair shape on all points. Maybe try Henry Morgan on West Bay?

I had little to no love for the south side of Roatan and only dove it when the West End operators took us there due to weather. On my trip in ~2011, I had a guide show me a whole bunch of micro/macro life and she got SUPER excited about all the nudis and blennies. It's a very different type of diving, but very exciting and rewarding. Learning to see is incredibly important, and was a skill I didn't know I didn't have.

 

[dolesorchard]

Doc, I tell people all the time that when you start divng, you see all of the big fish, then after the first 10-30 dives you see the smaller fish. If you keep at it, you start to see all of the really interesting critters. With 500+ dives I don't need to be shown a critter more than once, usually by my wife! I am excited by every tiny critter I find. I found hundreds of newly hatched yellow head jawfish on Newman's wall on this trip. When we went to Cocoview the first time, we were shocked at how few bigger fish there were, but the macro critters are what I went back for.

 

[beluga2]

Like I said, look at a map.

Mahogany Bay, French Harbor and Coxen Hole lie to the West.

They are also "downstream". Currents flow to the West. Simple hydraulics.

I referred to French Key East to Oak Ridge. Upstream. To the East. No development.

(Fishing fleet? They only park on Roatan, and the preponderance of them are moored in French Harbor to Coxen Hole, same downstream zone)

Really? A region that has improved? Four words: Black Pearl Golf Course.

Look what lies West, downstream, of all of that chemical and soil run off.

Yep, vast improvements.

Even if you believe massive dredging of the reef 7.6km westward has no effect. Eastward, Oakridge and Jonesville are where the homes use the ocean for waste management.

 

[HalcyonDaze]

I personally think the north side of Roatan has improved over the years and so does NASA.

How Tourism Changed the Face of Roatán : Image of the Day

The south side is home to the airport, two cruise ship terminals, all the commercial fishing fleet, and the towns Coxen Hole, French Harbour, Los Fuertes, and Oakridge. The cruise terminals continually dredge the reef to make way for more and bigger cruise ships. The economic benefits trump the environmental impact.

Bay Islands Voice Magazine » Blog Archive » Widening the GapMore Dredging Expected in Dixon Cove to Create Easier Cruise Ship Access

Bay Islands Voice Magazine » Blog Archive » Permits in Hand Both of Roatan’s Cruise Ship Terminals Plan Major Work in 2012

Interesting info. About how often do they dredge those channels? On Google Earth Dixon Cove still looks like a pretty tight squeeze for a 1,000-ft cruise ship.

Perhaps the most disturbing thing I read in those articles was the mention that the Honduran government's fines for environmental violations max out at 1 million Lps, or $52,000 US. That's literal peanuts to a cruise line. I'd also be curious to know if there was any followup to the proposed "transplantation" of corals.

 

[Doc]

I'm unaware of any such moving of corals.

 

[scubafanatic]

I tried CCV for 2 weeks in 2015. I was terribly disappointed.

That was my exact same reaction when I visited CCV......way back in 2005.

 

[CajunDiva]

Blasphemy! CRUCIFY him!!!

Seriously...everybody doesn't agree. Divers actually have different likes and dislikes. Some divers are guys. Some divers are girls. Some divers are young. Some divers are old. Some divers are black. Some divers are white. Some divers are single. Some divers are married. Some divers like to party. Some divers like to dive...dive...dive...dive....dive.

If you are a member of the last category, then CocoView is the dive resort for you. Honestly, it is the best run dive operation on the island of Roatan. Best boats, great staff, super implementation of business strategy. If you want to dive...dive...dive...dive...dive, then you probably can't go wrong with CocoView.

BUT, again...everybody is different. I continue to stress - when you are planning a dive trip, first and foremost set your dive priorities. (How often do you want to dive? Are you most interested in boat diving or shore diving? How many different dive sites do you want to visit? Which sites are you interested in seeing? What critters are you most interested in seeing on your dives? Are you looking for additional training? etc...etc...etc)

Once you understand what your DIVE trip is about, then you are able to better decide which dive resort can provide what you are seeking. If you find more than one dive resort that can provide what you're looking for, THEN you need to consider your next priority...what kind of accommodations are you looking for? (Do you want to be near town so you can dive little and party much? Do you want to roam the streets and try different restaurants and bars? Do you want to be at an all-inclusive resort that provides for your every need? Do you want to be at an all-inclusive resort right in the middle of the tourist zone? Do you want to be at an all-inclusive resort that is remote and away from the maddening crowds? etc...etc...etc)

SO - once you have your dive priorities settled, and your accommodation preferences settled, deciding where to spend your hard earned DIVE VACATION dollars is not so tough.

So even if your priorities do not lie in the realm of dive...dive..dive...dive...dive, it's OK. There are plenty of alternatives on the island of Roatan. But that doesn't make CocoView a bad choice for someone who has different priorities than you.

Whatever your priorities...go dive the Roatan reefs!

 

[HalcyonDaze]

I'm unaware of any such moving of corals.

I would not be the least bit surprised if it never happened.

 

[beluga2]

Bay Islands Voice Magazine » Blog Archive » Dredging in the Cove Entrance for Cruise Ships to Mahogany Bay has Gotten Easier

 

[scubafanatic]

Blasphemy! CRUCIFY him!!!

Seriously...everybody doesn't agree. Divers actually have different likes and dislikes. Some divers are guys. Some divers are girls. Some divers are young. Some divers are old. Some divers are black. Some divers are white. Some divers are single. Some divers are married. Some divers like to party. Some divers like to dive...dive...dive...dive....dive.

If you are a member of the last category, then CocoView is the dive resort for you. Honestly, it is the best run dive operation on the island of Roatan. Best boats, great staff, super implementation of business strategy. If you want to dive...dive...dive...dive...dive, then you probably can't go wrong with CocoView.

BUT, again...everybody is different. I continue to stress - when you are planning a dive trip, first and foremost set your dive priorities. (How often do you want to dive? Are you most interested in boat diving or shore diving? How many different dive sites do you want to visit? Which sites are you interested in seeing? What critters are you most interested in seeing on your dives? Are you looking for additional training? etc...etc...etc)

Once you understand what your DIVE trip is about, then you are able to better decide which dive resort can provide what you are seeking. If you find more than one dive resort that can provide what you're looking for, THEN you need to consider your next priority...what kind of accommodations are you looking for? (Do you want to be near town so you can dive little and party much? Do you want to roam the streets and try different restaurants and bars? Do you want to be at an all-inclusive resort that provides for your every need? Do you want to be at an all-inclusive resort right in the middle of the tourist zone? Do you want to be at an all-inclusive resort that is remote and away from the maddening crowds? etc...etc...etc)

SO - once you have your dive priorities settled, and your accommodation preferences settled, deciding where to spend your hard earned DIVE VACATION dollars is not so tough.

So even if your priorities do not lie in the realm of dive...dive..dive...dive...dive, it's OK. There are plenty of alternatives on the island of Roatan. But that doesn't make CocoView a bad choice for someone who has different priorities than you.

Whatever your priorities...go dive the Roatan reefs!

Actually, I liked the Co Co View dive 'machine', they had a nice land-based set up, and I enjoyed the condition of the reef that I saw when we did a day trip well away from the resort to do the 'shark dive'. That condition of reef/sea life was what I'd imagined I'd be spending my week at CCV exploring. Sadly, the dives I did at CCV were barren of any visible fish life, and the waters were surprisingly milky/silty. My hat is off to anyone who enjoys CCV, good for them, I don't plan to revisit it again.