By Rick Stratton

Honduras has a great advantage when it comes to scuba diving destinations; it is, after all, in the western Caribbean Sea sitting on top of the second largest barrier reef in the world.  It meets all the requirements for a great dive destination, exotic, full of life and extraordinary underwater landscapes.  Whether you aim to wall dive, go wreck diving, look for Whale sharks, dive with dolphins or just shore dive, The Bay Islands of Honduras (specifically Utila and Roatan) should definitely make your bucket list.

Many diver guests come to see the Whale sharks. Whale Sharks are protected in Honduras because Utila and Roatan are on their main migratory path. Ernie Arellano CEO and Founder of EGA Group, a consulting firm for some of the world’s top dive resorts, knows all too well that the Whale sharks are a huge draw; it was one of the things that brought customers to his dive center when he owned it in Roatan. “I have been in the dive industry over 20 years and it all started out with owning a dive shop in Roatan,” Arellano says. “I personally think Roatan offers the single best value for dive travel in the world. What you get dollar for dollar beats anywhere else on the planet. The diving is spectacular, there is tremendous wall diving and don’t get me started on all the sea life, it is just amazing.”

Arellano says for divers the area provides a triangle of dive amenities; great diving, great places to stay and wonderful hospitality. “Turquoise Bay Resort and Mayan Princess Resort are two great examples of where divers can stay and be catered to as a diver,” Arellano says. Turquoise Bay Resort is a newer resort and is owned and operated by a family who has been in Roatan for a long time. The resort has all the amenities a diver could ask for; secluded beaches, a dive shop on site…all the things to make your dive trip worthwhile.” Turquoise Bay Resort is located on the secluded northeast side of Roatan setting it apart from a lot of other resorts on the island by giving divers the chance to dive pristine sites with no other dive boats around.
The Mayan Princess is another of Arellano’s favorites because it is unique. “It sits on West Bay beach, one of the prettiest in Roatan,” says Arellano. “It is also a condo style resort and plays host to some amazing dive sites protected by the Roatan Marine Park. But one of the major draws for divers is the abundance of sea turtles.”

Larry Conner of the Aggressor Fleet says diving Utila is one of  the most exciting dive experiences most people will have. The  brand new 18-passenger Utila Aggressor II is the newest addition to the  Aggressor Fleet and Conner says that they are seeing divers from all  over the world. “She boasts the finest LiveAboard amenities like, hot  tub, wet bar, deluxe staterooms with flat-screen DVD players and in  suite bath,” Connor says. “We take divers on a diverse cache of dives  like pristine walls, fascinating wrecks and remote sea mounts, as well  as Whale Shark snorkels.” As Business Development Manager, Connor sees  all types of divers come through. “One of the great things about diving  Utila is it can appeal to every level of diver,” Conner says. “It’s  easy to get to, there are a lot of dive programs and with the Aggressor  we see divers who want adventure.”

One of the benefits of diving on the Utila Aggressor II is the  opportunity to work with Utila Dive Ventures. They are the franchise  owner in Utila and also owners of the Laguna Beach Resort - a world  class dive resort on Utila. The elegantly designed property is set on a  palm fringed peninsula dividing a tranquil mangrove lagoon and the warm  Caribbean Sea. “The resort consists of 15 A/C bungalow style cabins  right on the edge of the lagoon,” Says Shara Chawkin, Manager for Utila  Dive Ventures. “The sunset’s there are amazing, and you can watch them  right from your balcony while enjoying a tropical cocktail.” This  remote, intimate property’s natural wood design portrays a rustically  elegant setting for the perfect island getaway. But it’s not just about  the resort. “Utila sits on top of the second largest fringing coral reef  in the world making Laguna Beach a diver’s paradise,” Shara explains.

 “The outer banks are home to dolphin and more than the occasional Whale  Shark. As well as the conditions that make for great diving--warm,  translucent water, good weather, and tropical landscapes --which also  make for a terrific Caribbean vacation.”

 Roatan itself, situated between the islands of Útila and Guanaja, is the largest of the Bay Islands. The reef on which the Bay Islands sit are home to seahorses, queen angel fish, stoplight parrot fish, blue tangs, and fairy basslets. Divers will discover how the reef meanders gently from the shore which makes for excellent snorkeling and diving from any place on the island. The reef drops off as it heads to sea making Roatan famous for its wall dives.

Rich Henry of GoRoatan.com is an experienced dive professional with over 30 years of experience and he loves Roatan so much he built a website just for those visiting the area. “The website was built out of necessity,” says Henry. “After going to Roatan twice a year for 12-13 years I realized there wasn’t a central place to go to in order to discover a lot about Roatan. Other places in the area had sites to go to but not this incredible place. The Roatan people and diving were the reasons I loved it so much and I wanted to do my part in promoting it. The people are amazing. They go out of their way to help visitors and the diving is world class.”

Henry says the diving offers vis which is typically 150 ft. +. “Calvin’s Crack is a great place to dive,” says Henry. “There are not a lot of dive charters who go there so it is naturally beautiful, sort of undisturbed by a lot of divers. You will see everything from drum fish to hammerheads. The Valley of the Kings runs along a wall dive into a shallow reef area. All of the fish come up to the area to feed. You can get a nice long dive in because it is 20-25 ft. It is on the west of Calvin’s Crack on the south side of the island between Coco View and Luna.” Henry also offers up Inside Out where he says divers will find some of the best chimneys out there. “Being able to dive up through the crevices is amazing,” Henry says. It is on the southern side of the island too very close to Coco View.

Many seasoned divers understand what it means to dive in Honduras and especially off Utila. The Whale sharks, something most divers who come to check off their to-do list, is easy because of the many dive charters who are willing to take divers out. The Whale sharks are abundant in March, April and early May and then again in August and September. Many live-a-boards cheat a bit and use planes to fly over and spot the Whale sharks for divers.

Live-a-board cheats are of course divers’ gains, just ask photojournalist Scott Johnson of Nashville Tenn. Johnson recently went to the Bay Islands for the very first time and he can’t say enough about how impressed he was with the experience. “I have been diving since the mid-1980’s,” Johnson says. “I have been a lot of places but I have to admit I was very impressed with Honduras.” Johnson says the Bay Islands were more than he expected. “I spent time in both Utila and Roatan. The diving was incredible. I was very impressed with the amount of fish life there. It was above what I thought it would be. These two places had not been at the top of my to-do list but I am so glad I went.” 

Johnson adds the trip also held some other surprises for him personally. “I have taken photos underwater all over the world, some for National Geographic but I was taken by surprise at some of the things I saw in Honduras. For instance,” Johnson says, “I actually saw a Star Gazer during the day. I’ve never been in a place where that has ever happened. The mackerel was amazing also. From large creatures to smaller ones to the health of the local corals, the entire experience was one I won’t soon forget.” ■

Find out more:

Turquoise Bay Resort
www.turquoisebayresort.com

Mayan Princess Resort
www.mayanprincess.com

Aggressor II Liveaboard 
www.utiladiveventures.com

Laguna Beach Resort
www.utiladiveventures.com

Coco View
www.cocoviewresort.com