Roatan is world-renowned amongst the diving community. Part of that has to do with its proximity to the second largest barrier reef system in the world while some of it has to do with the fact that Roatan has some of the most economical diving rates in the world. What more could a diver want than cheap, scenic diving? In this post, we’ll get into specifics. Welcome to Roatan diving: How deep are the dives in Roatan?
Roatan Diving Overview
Roatan boasts over 150 marked dive sites. It’s famous for shallow reefs, mild current drift dives, vertiginous wall dives, deep canyons and swim throughs, an array of shipwrecks, the Roatan Marine Park, which has more than 80 dive moorings and swimmable access to the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef – second in size to only the Great Barrier Reef. Roatan diving is characterized by consistently warm waters, gentle currents and routine visibility of more than 15m (50 feet.) The world’s largest fish, the whale shark, also populates the area virtually year round.
How Deep Are The Dives In Roatan?
Because of its proximity to the reef, dives can take place in just a few feet of water or down to 33m (110 feet) and more. There are plenty of shallow reef dives available for novice divers, but there’s also a wide array of sites geared towards advanced divers. Listed below are a handful of the more popular dive sites and how deep they are.
Roatan Deep Dive Sites
Mandy’s Eel Garden
Located just off West Bay Beach, Mandy’s Eel Garden offers something for every level of diver. This site is named for the surface near the bottom of the wall where eels appear to grow out of the sand. The reef begins at about 7m (21 feet) with the wall dropping down to about 20m (65 feet.)
West End Wall
The West End Wall is one of the most popular dive sites in Roatan because of its location, its wealth of marine creatures and its suitability for snorkeling and diving. The massive wall reaches down to 30m (90 feet.)
Blue Channel
The Blue Channel is located just off the shore of the West End. It’s popular amongst both snorkelers and divers because of its gradually sloped wall that begins at 3m (9 feet) and drops down to 13m (45 feet.) As the name suggests, it’s a channel running parallel to the shore which also features some swim throughs and explorable caves.
Hole In The Wall
Hole In The Wall is a site for PADI Advanced Open Water Divers. It consists of a long chute that starts at 12m (40 feet) and spits divers out into open blue waters at 30m (98 feet.) The shallows around the area are known for their unique “Swiss cheese” rock formations.
The El Aguila Shipwreck
The El Aguila is a 75m (230 feet) long shipwreck that was broken into 3 pieces by stormy conditions. Its proximity to the coast makes it probably the most popular shipwreck around the island. It sits at 33m (110 feet.)
Pablo’s Place
Located near Flowers Bay, Pablo’s Place is a great spot to see plenty of marine life including trigger fish, trumpet fish, dog snapper, green moray eels and barracudas. The reef has a different look compared to many dive sites around the western tip of the island, like West Bay and West End. Pablo’s Place features many barrel sponges and large coral columns and a vertical reef about 50 ft below the surface that extends indefinitely. If you or your divemaster are certified to hunt for lionfish, this dive site is ideal – and you’ll have a tasty lunch for when you complete your dive.
Texas
Recommended for advanced divers, Texas is a wonderful dive site where you will often find triggerfish, angelfish, hog fish, barracuda, Atlantic spade fish and more. The barrel sponges are massive enough for divers to fit inside of! The maximum depth of the Texas dive site is 90 feet.
