CajunDiva
Contributor
Not if you're going to Anthony's Key...wrong side of the island :depressed: Maybe on your next trip...
The "Must do" Roatan dive sites are?
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Not if you're going to Anthony's Key...wrong side of the island :depressed: Maybe on your next trip...
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On point response and advice from ScubaSteve and CajunDiva, other's comments were also full of good general information.
AKR has a great muck dive, follow SS's entry point advice. AKR has a 1st rate muck dive with a very unique Roatan environment that features good water exchange from the open Ocean. Right under the boat docks is all the further you might need to go. Muck diving ain't for everyone, it's an acquired taste. Always wear at least a Lycra coverup, as such sheltered environs are ripe for stinging critters. This presents a great night dive location, but of the very few done from AKR (via once a week boat option), there are not many guests who flop-in off the dock for this Muck-o-Rama Feast. Highly recommended, venture further into the basin towards the Key on a night dive. Always ask for advice from the AKR DM as to minor boat traffic and choice spots.
Nudibranch and similar odd stuff? See CD's comments above. These macro critters inhabit a niche environment of shallow flat healthy & florid coral reef, not sloping, not deep. You find this specific shape of reef presented on the Southern shore, look in 20' and shallower. I think there's been maybe 7 different varieties commonly encountered, some are not exactly Nudibranchs per-se, but I get all giggly when I see whatever they are. I have no clue what I'm seeing, but we've noted all sorts of odd color variants of some, maybe not scientifically remarkable, but unexpected colors. The most common (and easily missed) is the Lettuce Leaf, and at night Spanish Dancers (not a Nudi, but cool), are in the water column 40' and shallower.
Just so we all understand, we're getting excited about Slugs, but divers who are seeing macro level stuff are demonstrably weird. Look in the shallow rocks in 1' (off any walkway) for the Sea Hare. Staying at AKR (or any non-South dive op) will not offer this super shallow dive profile, a venture South to Mary's Place presents a 45' - 95' profile, and as the top of the reef at the 45' mooring, it's slim pickings for micro.
Since Mary's Place inevitably comes up as a topic, I'll give you my impressions after having done it possibly 150+ times. Most of us, me too, see the geographic chasm, that's about it. We're pretty busy just diving. I dove this site many times when it was "closed", assisting in surveys with the "caretaker", Doc Radawski. I'll bet he has 1500 dives there. What he pointed out to this otherwise blithering idiot tourist diver was simply amazing.
Below is a "Sun Zoanthid" (no clue why I remember this name).
Hundreds of Mary's Place divers pass over it each day and never see it. It is just past "the underpass" where everybody is looking up and elsewhere. I took a shot of it and my little on-board flash made it retract. Got to stop and look, but by this time you usually have 12 other divers with their face masks on your flippers. Don't rush, spread out, go slow.
There is so much stuff hiding in plain sight at Mary's Place, I quickly switched from my standard air to nitrox for Radawski's lengthy survey dives. When I lead groups there, I use air, the standard tour thru the narrow chasm is a quick blip to 70, then 95, then a safe fast ascent to 45' along a vertical open wall. This is the the great moment to look off onto the deep blue for Sharks, we're pretty close here to the Cara-a-Cara Shark Rodeo dive site. Most Mary's Place tours are 45 minute total BTs, although some tarry under the boat if they have more air.
Lionfish? My anecdotal report, after 27hrs BT out of CocoView in May 2015 on the South shore, I saw 3 of them. CCV DMs believe something is eating the eggs or the juveniles, they're only seeing occasional adults. Nature seems to be finding it's equilibrium, even after the end of the world was noted on the internet.
AKR has a great muck dive, follow SS's entry point advice. AKR has a 1st rate muck dive with a very unique Roatan environment that features good water exchange from the open Ocean. Right under the boat docks is all the further you might need to go. Muck diving ain't for everyone, it's an acquired taste. Always wear at least a Lycra coverup, as such sheltered environs are ripe for stinging critters. This presents a great night dive location, but of the very few done from AKR (via once a week boat option), there are not many guests who flop-in off the dock for this Muck-o-Rama Feast. Highly recommended, venture further into the basin towards the Key on a night dive. Always ask for advice from the AKR DM as to minor boat traffic and choice spots.
Nudibranch and similar odd stuff? See CD's comments above. These macro critters inhabit a niche environment of shallow flat healthy & florid coral reef, not sloping, not deep. You find this specific shape of reef presented on the Southern shore, look in 20' and shallower. I think there's been maybe 7 different varieties commonly encountered, some are not exactly Nudibranchs per-se, but I get all giggly when I see whatever they are. I have no clue what I'm seeing, but we've noted all sorts of odd color variants of some, maybe not scientifically remarkable, but unexpected colors. The most common (and easily missed) is the Lettuce Leaf, and at night Spanish Dancers (not a Nudi, but cool), are in the water column 40' and shallower.
Just so we all understand, we're getting excited about Slugs, but divers who are seeing macro level stuff are demonstrably weird. Look in the shallow rocks in 1' (off any walkway) for the Sea Hare. Staying at AKR (or any non-South dive op) will not offer this super shallow dive profile, a venture South to Mary's Place presents a 45' - 95' profile, and as the top of the reef at the 45' mooring, it's slim pickings for micro.
Since Mary's Place inevitably comes up as a topic, I'll give you my impressions after having done it possibly 150+ times. Most of us, me too, see the geographic chasm, that's about it. We're pretty busy just diving. I dove this site many times when it was "closed", assisting in surveys with the "caretaker", Doc Radawski. I'll bet he has 1500 dives there. What he pointed out to this otherwise blithering idiot tourist diver was simply amazing.
Below is a "Sun Zoanthid" (no clue why I remember this name).
Hundreds of Mary's Place divers pass over it each day and never see it. It is just past "the underpass" where everybody is looking up and elsewhere. I took a shot of it and my little on-board flash made it retract. Got to stop and look, but by this time you usually have 12 other divers with their face masks on your flippers. Don't rush, spread out, go slow.
There is so much stuff hiding in plain sight at Mary's Place, I quickly switched from my standard air to nitrox for Radawski's lengthy survey dives. When I lead groups there, I use air, the standard tour thru the narrow chasm is a quick blip to 70, then 95, then a safe fast ascent to 45' along a vertical open wall. This is the the great moment to look off onto the deep blue for Sharks, we're pretty close here to the Cara-a-Cara Shark Rodeo dive site. Most Mary's Place tours are 45 minute total BTs, although some tarry under the boat if they have more air.
Lionfish? My anecdotal report, after 27hrs BT out of CocoView in May 2015 on the South shore, I saw 3 of them. CCV DMs believe something is eating the eggs or the juveniles, they're only seeing occasional adults. Nature seems to be finding it's equilibrium, even after the end of the world was noted on the internet.
Last edited:
CajunDiva
Contributor
Below is a "Sun Zoanthid" (no clue why I remember this name).
Hundreds of Mary's Place divers pass over it each day and never see it. It is just past "the underpass" where everybody is looking up and elsewhere. I took a shot of it and my little on-board flash made it retract. Got to stop and look, but by this time you usually have 12 other divers with their face masks on your flippers. Don't rush, spread out, go slow.
Thank you! I have seen these and always wondered what they were! Then I'd get busy with something else and forget to look it up!
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Look it up, I'm likely incorrect.
CajunDiva
Contributor
- Zoantharia
Animal - Zoanthids are an order of cnidarians commonly found in coral reefs, the deep sea and many other marine environments around the world. These animals come in a variety of different colonizing formations and in numerous colors.
- Scientific name: Zoantharia
- Rank: Order
- Higher classification: Hexacorallia
OK - that's all I got
At least I've seen it, which in your book puts me ahead of hundreds of other divers 
mcohen1021
Contributor
I just went on the BOGO in May 2015
Must dos:
Spooky Channel by far hands down my favorite dive. They did however wait until the last day, with videographer. There were two wreck dives they are both amazing (and 100+ deep). El Aguila and The Odyssey. if youre into nudis, tell the guide, he will point them out. I do not remember the site, but the coolest thing we saw was a sharptail eel my GF had never seen one and about flipped out bc she thought it was a seasnake. I captured awesome close up footage of it on video for my youtube channel.
I did 19 dives in 6 days, and did not see a single shark (trust me, I was constantly looking out for them). I did not pay to do the dolphin or shark dives, as I would prefer to encounter any wildlife by chance not a fan of the canned experiences at all.
The trip to Maya Key was fun, try giving a spider monkey a piece of ice and watch him try to crack it to get the nut out =)
Other than that, just enjoy where they take you, I can promise youre in good hands and will love it.
MC
Must dos:
Spooky Channel by far hands down my favorite dive. They did however wait until the last day, with videographer. There were two wreck dives they are both amazing (and 100+ deep). El Aguila and The Odyssey. if youre into nudis, tell the guide, he will point them out. I do not remember the site, but the coolest thing we saw was a sharptail eel my GF had never seen one and about flipped out bc she thought it was a seasnake. I captured awesome close up footage of it on video for my youtube channel.
I did 19 dives in 6 days, and did not see a single shark (trust me, I was constantly looking out for them). I did not pay to do the dolphin or shark dives, as I would prefer to encounter any wildlife by chance not a fan of the canned experiences at all.
The trip to Maya Key was fun, try giving a spider monkey a piece of ice and watch him try to crack it to get the nut out =)
Other than that, just enjoy where they take you, I can promise youre in good hands and will love it.
MC
grantwiscour
Contributor
+1 for Hole in the Wall and the two wrecks.
christieball
Registered
Valley of the Kings, Marys Place, and Texas are all great sites.
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