Dive Site description of Roatan's best dives

Roatan features scuba diving at its best. Thousand-foot walls festooned with deepwater gorgonians, coral gardens and barrel sponges, pillar coral, 60-foot deep ledges crowded with blackcap basslets, mini-walls clustered with bluebell tunicates, pinnacles overgrown with azure vase sponges, and shy indigo hamlets peering from niches are all aspects of scuba diving in Roatan in the Bay Islands of Honduras. A short ride away on the dive boat, you will find spur/canyon configurations, coral gardens, ledges, overhangs, caverns, and vertical fissures. Miles of reef leave scuba diving in Roatan uncrowded and many areas have yet to be explored by visitors. Large groupers and moray eels are a common sight. On any given dive around Roatan, one might see a hawksbill turtle or spotted eagle ray gracefully gliding by.
Roatan's reefs are so extensive that it would take months of daily scuba diving to see each known segment.

Sound exciting? Come and dive Roatan's reefs yourself.
Our dive masters and scuba instructors are waiting to show you their favorite dive sites.
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Following described are only a few of Roatan’s most spectacular and most famous dive sites. There are many more. All the sites can be dived or snorkeled by beginners as well as experienced divers. In different ways of course. Inform the divemaster about your experience level prior to the dive.

North east side dive sites

North side dive sites

Underwater picture slide show

Roatan North East Side Dive Sites
dive them out of Turquoise Bay Resort or Palmetto Bay

Dolphin Den

Dolphin Den is a shallow cave like swim-through that takes you from the inside of the reef to the outside. The maze of tunnels and caverns is so extensive that you can spend your whole dive inside it, still it is simple enough not to get lost. There are plenty of openings in the ceiling to make this dive save, still one may want to stay close to his dive buddy.

Inside the cavern one may find thousands of silversides and other creatures like moray eels or a nurse shark. On the outside one can find many lettuce leave slugs and sea hares.

This dive site is located on the reef opposite Villas del Mar.

Depth range: 5 – 12 meter (15 – 40 feet)
Experience required: Intermediate

The site got its name because of several founds of Dolphin bones. The last one in the summer of 2007 where a pod of 13 bottlenose dolphins swam into the cavern, got trapped and drowned. The most common explanation of the tragic event is that the dolphins followed a school of silversides into the cavern and got disoriented in the thick cloud of baitfish.

The Sponges

At this amazing wall you can find many different sponges and corals including huge barrel sponges and spectacular pillar corals. The drop-off is at 60 feet and drops to 180 feet. Very often there are turtles, nurse-sharks and eagle rays passing by, as well as morays. During the dive it is common to find several cleaning stations, and the safety stop has some beautiful elk horn.

Depth range: 5 – 40 meter (15 – 130 feet)
Experience required: Beginner

Big Bight

A cool wall dive to the west of the mooring which sits in about 40ft of water and just under the buoy there are a few swim throughs which can be fun at the end of the dive. The wall starts at around 15ft and goes down to 60ft near the mooring further west it goes beyond 140ft the wall has a lot of sponges and look out for lobsters and crabs in the crevices. Large grouper are often spotted along with barracuda and some times the odd turtle or eagle ray can be seen. To the east of the buoy the wall is a little more sloping and in the sandy areas at around 90ft nurse sharks have been seen under the reef skirts.

Barracuda

A top site with many different route to explore each new dive master has developed their own route to this site, the mooring sits in around 26ft of water with a reef shelf underneath. To the east of the mooring there is a sandy area at around 44ft depth, this ideal for training, and also spotting the occasional southern sting ray, following the sand patch to the east look out for lobsters in the base of the reef, in the reef surrounding the sand porcupine fish are often seen, carrying on north-east from the end of the sand patch takes you to an area called shark garden. Here as the name suggests we often spot nurse sharks at around 100ft. heading straight north from the mooring you come to an area of sloping reef with some great swim throughs. The sandy areas stretch down to around 90ft and nurse sharks have been spotted in this area as well. From there head west and explore the swim throughs. To return to the mooring head south and you’ll find a shallow gravel canyon area that leads to the wall follow this shallow wall at 26ft with the wall to the right, therefore heading east again to return to the boy. As the name suggest there are barracudas around this site and its quite common for you to spot one at the beginning of a dive and then for the barracuda to follow you throughout your dive.

Andy’s Wall

A colourful wall with soft and hard corals, often visited by groupers, schools of chubs, creole wrasse, horse-eye jacks and black durgons among others. The wall starts at 60ft, dropping to 160.

Depth range: 5 – 40 meter (15 – 130 feet)
Experience required: Beginner

The Canyons

Pinnacles and striking formations make this a dramatic dive site to explore. Stingrays and eagle rays are commonly found cruising the sandy bottom. Look out for barracudas, midnight parrotfish and king crabs.

Sea star channel

This site is ideal as training site as we begin our dive in the sandy shallows at around 7ft, we weave our way through the shallow corral heads to the west and down into the channel. The channel has got its name from the abundance of cushioned sea stars that lye in the base of the channel, this is a good area for spotting southern sting rays which on murky days are many. Follow the channel out keeping to the slope in your right hand side the sand slope soon turns into coral heads which multiply until you reach a shallow wall at around 25ft, follow this till you reach an entrance between two coral heads which take you into a wide canyon bowl. Around the entrance we have seen eagle rays on numerous occasions. The middle of the bowl goes down to around 80ft and the topography inside changes into a rocky environment, look under the rocks for toadfish. After exploring inside the canyon bowl, take the same route back.

The Labyrinth

There’s something for everyone at the Labyrinth, it starts with a shallow area of 40ft perfect for beginners and slowly slopes down to 60 feet. Hidden in a big hole in the rock, a spotted drum patrols his territory among schools of glassy sweepers. The sandy canyons winding through towering rock formations provide thrilling swim-throughs.

Depth range: 5 – 18 meter (15 – 60 feet)
Experience required: Beginner, intermediate for swim-throughs.

Mongoose

Mongoose is a site that like Dolphins Den takes you from the inside of the reef to the outside, the mooring sits in about 10ft of water. This dive site is an impressive canyon, and the cracks and crevices provide hiding places for many different sea creatures look out for eels and spotted drums. Also keep an eye out for rays around the entrance to mongoose as they have been frequently spotted. The site goes down to between 70 and 80ft.

The Underground

Located alongside one of the channels through the reef, this dive site turns into a tunnel at 20ft with numerous cracks letting sunlight stream in, opening out into the deep channel reaching 80ft, where you can find starfish, anemones & rays.

Depth range: 5 – 25 meter (15 – 80 feet)
Experience required: Beginner, intermediate for swim throughs.

Roatan North Side Dive Sites
dive them out of Palmetto Bay or Turquoise Bay

One Minute West

A bowl of sand at forty-feet surrounded by vertical walls of coral. OMW offers a great training site for new students or those who want to refresh their skills. For experienced divers, the wall is just a short swim from the mooring.

Canyonlands

A series of natural cracks in the reef plunge from the reef fringe down to the reef wall. These canyons and slots provide unique access to the reef wall. The maze of canyons offers the chance to make multiple dives at this site. For intermediate to experienced divers.

Magic Bobby

This site has unique topography that allows for multiple dives to this location without seeing the same thing twice! Tunnels, large cracks, and overhangs offer something for both novice and experienced divers alike.

Milk Jug

Named for the buoy that once marked this location, Milk Jug is visited by a small number of divers and offers the chance to see a wide variety of fish and corals. For divers traveling with non-divers, this site also offers excellent snorkeling. Make your dive while your companion spends time snorkeling with our experienced boat captain!

Caity’s Corner

This site has a series of large sand patches broken by vibrant ridges of coral. Watch for the large nurse shark and Moray eels that inhabit this area. This dive offers excellent opportunities for photography. A great site for all levels of experience.

Keyhole

This slot canyon is one of our most popular sites. The canyon heads from the mooring up through the reef fringe and ends inside the lagoon. The canyon narrows at the top as you near the reef creating a cathedral like feeling. Watch for green starfish and large snappers throughout the dive. Be sure to swim upside-down for a spectacular view of sunlight streaming through the narrowing overhangs! Recommended for experienced divers.

Palmetto Channel

Located right in front of the resort, the channel is a natural canyon running from the lagoon to the reef wall. A great, twisting, turning dive where many snappers, grouper, and barracuda tend to congregate. This dive offers a little of everything that makes diving Roatan great; sand patch in the lagoon, a canyon, and the reef wall.

Moray Lagoon

As the name implies, keep your eye out for free swimming Moray eels. This dive site has some great drift diving with a generally mild current. A great dive for divers of all levels of experience.

Devil’s Cauldron

This is a great dive for experienced divers with good buoyancy control or those divers who take the Peak Performance Buoyancy class. A narrow slot leads through the reef wall and opens into a large circular opening in the reef with interesting side slots and overhangs.

Mickey’s Place

Another of our sites that offers great diving for you and snorkeling for your non-diving companion. Sand chutes lead to the reef wall that has a wide variety of sponges and corals. Watch the holes and cracks for the Caribbean King crabs that inhabit this area. An excellent dive site for divers of all experience levels.

Shipwreck

Named for the remains of an old steamer that sits atop the reef fringe. This dive offers great wall diving with a wide variety of fish, corals, and sponges. Underwater photographers will find a great deal of subjects between fifteen feet and forty feet. Watch for Spotted Eagle Rays and Southern Sting Rays in the sand at the base of the wall.

Julian’s Wall

A great dive near shipwreck for experienced divers interested in the corals, sponges, and other unique creatures that inhabit the reef wall.

Often we encounter a strong current going east.

Ask Julian what makes this dive special when you arrive at the dive shop.

Odyssey Wreck

Roatan's biggest wreck lies at 110 ft in a big sand patch next to a beautiful reef wall. The bow of the wreck is sitting upright while the superstructure of the stern is sitting at a 30 degree angle which makes swimming through it quite interesting. The midsection has collapsed from the powerful surge of several cold fronts.

Learn more about Roatan's Wrecks

Shark Dive

Or “Face to Face” as the dive site name comes right to the point. Not for the faint hearted but a must for those seeking the ultimate adventure and adrenaline rush. Sit down in the sandy patch at 70 feet and admire the play of up to 15 elegant gray reef sharks as they are being fed by an experienced shark divemaster. At the site you will also see an abundance of large schools of Horse Eye Jacks, Queen Triggerfish, Atlantic Spade Fish and Groupers.