All year

ABOUT DIVING:

Although each of the three main islands has its own personality on the surface, the seascapes are similar. Beyond the coastal shallows dominated by grasslands and reef patches, north shore sites often shift to walls that drop to great depths. Sites on the southern coasts feature moderate to steep slopes, ridge and furrow formations and mini-ridges at a depth of more than 130 feet, with offshore pinnacles rising from the sandy plateau that extends to the mainland. Many of these walls and slopes are cut by intricate crevices, swimming paths, and canyons.

TIPS FOR DIVING:

The walls and slopes surrounding the Bay Islands are ideal for multi-level dive profiles, both with air and Nitrox mixes. By starting deep and then working deep, divers can enjoy longer bottom times with a margin of safety and spend more time in the shallow waters looking for the many small creatures that lurk between the crevices and coral heads. .

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THE BEST PLACES TO DIVE:

Famous sites like Mary's Place offer narrow canyons filled with sea fans, black coral trees, and marine life. Half Moon Bay Wall adds giant orange elephant ear sponges. Toon Town is a favorite for macro life and the characteristic blue bell is tunic. At Jim's Silverlode, divers navigate tunnels filled with thousands of silverside sardines. High seas pinnacles, such as the Black Hills, exhibit dense coral covers. Favorite shipwrecks include the Odyssey, The Aquadilla, Haliburton, and Jado Trader. Face to Face puts you face to face with gray reef sharks. Water temperatures have moderate seasonal variations between 26 ° C and 29 ° C.

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WHAT TO PACK FOR DIVING?

A leather suit to a 3mm full suit. If visiting in winter, add a coat for days with north winds. Bring a light not only for night dives but also to illuminate crevasses during the day.

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DIVING IN HONDURAS

The three main members of the Bay Islands group, Guanaja, Roatán and Utila, run roughly in a line from east to west with deep waters from the continental shelf to the north and the coast of Honduras some 20 to 30 miles to the south. and west. . With over 300 named dive sites to choose from, divers have a seemingly overwhelming number of options. By looking at the big picture, it is possible to gain a basic understanding of what to expect. The three islands share similar underwater topographies, with minor variations in diversity. In general, its northern shores are flanked by walls that begin at depths of 30 to 40 feet and drop to depths of more than half a mile. This area marks the southern tip of the great Mesoamerican reef system. In Guanaja and Roatán, this drop begins a quarter or a half mile from shore, with shallow lagoons in between. In Utila, the walls get closer to the shore. These walls are often riddled with swamps, pinnacles, and caverns, perhaps carved out when sea levels were lowest during the last ice age. These formations become more pronounced as you move east, and Guanaja has some of the most spectacular underwater terrain. The Bay Islands are home to one of the greatest marine biodiversity in the Caribbean. Healthy hard and soft corals support a variety of marine life along the walls, while their proximity to open water means a greater chance of spotting passing pelagics such as sharks, dolphins and rays. Utila is also known for seasonal whale shark sightings, and dive operators sometimes use surface intervals to head to deeper waters in hopes of an extra encounter.

The southern coasts of the island are characterized by gentle to moderate slopes that start close to shore, then become steeper and sometimes vertical as they descend to depths of 100 to 150 feet to meet the coastal plain that extends to the mainland. Southern sites may be calmer as they are not exposed to seasonal northerly winds, but they do not always show the same star clarity. This is most noticeable in summer and fall, when the rains build up in continental rivers and push nutrient-dense waters off shore. One benefit of this seasonal flow is the prolific growth of soft corals and sponges that is characteristic of the southern coastal sites. In deeper sections of the slope, giant barrel sponges can grow to the size of a person and sea fans extend more than the width of your arms. These reefs are home to a wide range of Caribbean reef fish, from grunts to groupers, damsels, spotted drums, puffer fish, log fish, Creole parrotfish, and parrotfish, plus smaller finds such as seahorses, cleaner shrimp, and a variety of invertebrates. The coastal plateau beyond the islands contains a series of pinnacles and seamounts that rise to host coral and sponge colonies. Day trips from Roatán also take divers to the small islands of Cayos Cochinos, which are within a marine park and offer some of the most pristine dive sites in the region.

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