Roatan - Utila Reef Question

[rleslie]

We are presently in Roatan. After diving 3 reefs, I'm extremely disappointed. The coral appears DEAD (all light brown - no color) and there are very few reef fish. I honestly see 10 x more fish and live coral diving off West Palm Beach and in the Keys.

My question is this: are the reefs off of Utila in better condition and if so, how much better? I'm not here for the night-life, I want to find heathly reefs and an abundance of reef fish. Furtunely, our hotel reservation is only for three nights and we have another 5 nights to spend elsewhere if necessary.

HELP!!!!

Roger

 

[ronrosa]

Who are you diving with and where ?

 

[Cudabait]

Quick.......get your diving gear together and your backpack or whatever and catch tomorrows ferry to Utila vis La Ceiba. When you get off the ferry at Utlia ignore all the dive shop hawkers. Go to the left at main St. ( about 50 mts from ferry.) About a block and half to Deep Blue Divers. Tell Shirley Fox (owner) or Phil Phalen (aka Blow Bubbles on SB) that you want to dive and see lots of coral and reef fish. You can stay at the Rose Hotel across the street for about $15-$18 night. Plenty places to eat and have a drink within three blocks. You're burning daylight.......what are you waiting for???? Get going! Maybe Phil will junp in here and get your head straightned out. Go! Or better yet, Roger.....if you are on your sailboat you can anchor real close to the pier that Deep Blue has their operation on. Ecomarine/Gunthers alos operaates from a pier.......if no one is tied up there now you could speak to Hans Grauer (manager) about the possibility. Now you have options. Good luck!!

Regards,

 

[rleslie]

Cubabait

Sound like you prefer Utila! I have heard the same from several other divers today. I'm finishing my Nitrox tomorrow AM and will do two more dives tomorrow afternoon. We are seriously considering Utila...just hate to burn a day getting there, but I sure that it is worth it.

Unfortunately, the boat is in North Carolina, we winged it over to Honduras via Miami.

I'm diving with Coconut Tree. Great bunch of people. Really enjoying them, it's just the coral that has surprised me. I was just expecting a lot better. We dove West End Wall and another site between W.E. Wall and Half Moon Bay, don't recall the name.

Thanks
Roger

 

[Doc]

We dove West End Wall and another site between W.E. Wall and Half Moon Bay

You're with a good operator, it's just that the South Side is why Roatan stands out and is different. The bulk of operators only service West and North West sites, with occasional "special" trips to Mary's Place, a magnificent chasm but largely devoid of life.

Look at the map on the South side. From Mary's Place (just E of the Airport) dive along the South shore heading East. Along the way you'll see Little French Key, The Mr. Bud Wreck (in 45fsw), Gold Chain, Managerie, 40 Foot Point, Newman's Wall, The Prince Albert Wreck and the DC3 Aircraft (35-65fsw), CoCoView Wall, Valley of the Kings, Doc's Dive, Two Tall Two Small, (the South Side's) Half Moon Bay, Iron Shore (and many more that escape me)... all the way out to the very cool dive site known as Clavin's Crack. And beyond- most never see "Hole in the Wall" or Cow & Calf.

It goes back to deciding which dive op/resort you select. Each operation will serve specific areas... areas that they are close to and have easy access. The North and west of Roatan are very similar to most diving that you will find throughout the Caribbean, The South side is unusual in that it has a close-in fringing reef that breaks (usually 250 feet from shore) in 5-10 feet of water and vertically drops to 90 feet of sand.

That wall profile is consisent throughout the dive sites along the South side moorings I mention above. With the right DM, you'll see the macro critters Roatan is best known for. If you aren't seeing a SeaHorse on every South side dive, change DM's. There is magic living in those walls!

Here's what was seen just this last week: http://www.docksidedivecenter.com/WeeklyLog.html

Judging Roatan by diving one particular side and not the other is the same as the seven blind men describing the elephant. You only know what you are shown.

 

[Cudabait]

Roger,

Catch the early ferry and arrive Utila about 10:30 or 11:00. You could make a 1PM afternoon dive with DB. You could send Blow Bubbles a private message.

Cubabait

Sound like you prefer Utila! I have heard the same from several other divers today. I'm finishing my Nitrox tomorrow AM and will do two more dives tomorrow afternoon. We are seriously considering Utila...just hate to burn a day getting there, but I sure that it is worth it.

Unfortunately, the boat is in North Carolina, we winged it over to Honduras via Miami.

I'm diving with Coconut Tree. Great bunch of people. Really enjoying them, it's just the coral that has surprised me. I was just expecting a lot better. We dove West End Wall and another site between W.E. Wall and Half Moon Bay, don't recall the name.

Thanks
Roger

 

[rleslie]

OK... I'll admit that I rushed to judgement. Having done Sea Quest Shllow and Deep Sea Quest and Dixie's, I'm sold. Fantastic diving, especially the Shallow....absolutely awesome!!!! It was worth the trip by it's self.

And as I said before, the folks at CoconutTree are all great. A real pleasure to dive with!!

Roger

 

[Chaseh]

Thank god you hung in there. It would have been too bad had you left with that impression of Roatan, because it's just not so (this might have been my problem with Jamaica although I'm still not convinced there's worthwhile diving there).