Roatan, located about 30 miles off the coast of Honduras, has a reputation as
being one of the world's top dive destinations. Roatan also has more budget
boutique dive operators than you can shake a bang-stick at. Water visibility is
consistently a hundred feet year round although it can dip to about 80 feet at
times in the rainy season. Water temperature averages in the low eighties but
can dip into the high seventies in January and February.
The island, nearly forty miles long and about three miles wide, is actually the top of an underwater mountain range know as the Bonacca Ridge.
Roatan is surrounded on all sides by a living coral reef containing nearly every species of coral growing in the Caribbean Sea, including several
species of rare black coral, and sponges of all colors and shapes. The reef, home to such beauties as seahorses, queen angel fish, stoplight parrot fish,
blue tangs, and fairy basslets, slopes gently from shore providing excellent snorkeling and diving.