Honduras – Roatán

Roatán is the largest of Honduras' Bay Islands and sits on the southern end of the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, with fringing reef and walls close to shore on both coasts. The Roatán Marine Park, a non-profit formed in 2005 by dive operators and local businesses, maintains hundreds of mooring buoys around the island (its public map lists more than 370 dive and snorkel moorings) and asks divers for a user fee. West End and West Bay offer short boat rides to walls, canyons and swim-throughs such as Hole in the Wall, Fish Den and West End Wall; Sandy Bay has the El Aguila and Odyssey wrecks; the south shore around CoCo View has Mary's Place, the Prince Albert and Mr. Bud wrecks and a provisioned shark dive; the East End is quieter with tunnels and caverns. Diving runs all year, with the main rainy period from about mid-October to February.

Facts

• Marine park: Roatán Marine Park (RMP), a non-profit formed in January 2005; it began with patrols in the Sandy Bay-West End Marine Reserve and added an East End chapter in late 2017. It maintains the mooring buoys (public map of more than 370 dive and snorkel moorings, Sept 2026 list) and sells a US$10 'voluntary' user fee bracelet at its EcoStore in West End and at partner shops.
• Wrecks: Artificial-reef wrecks El Aguila and Odyssey off Sandy Bay (both 30 m or so; Hurricane Mitch broke up El Aguila in 1998), the shallower Prince Albert (about 20 m, sunk 1985 off CoCo View) and Mr. Bud on the south shore.
• Sharks: Provisioned shark dives with around a dozen Caribbean reef sharks run at Cara Cara and with Anthony's Key on the south side; these are advanced dives run by specific operators.

Season

• Best months: Apr, May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep
• Acceptable: Feb, Mar, Oct
• Poor: Nov, Dec, Jan
• Water temperature: 26–31 °C

Diving is possible all year. Operators call summer calm, clear and low-wind; the main rainy period runs from about mid-October to late February (wettest November to January). Water is typically 27-31 C (26-27 C reported in February).

Dive sites (22)

Sandy Bay & north shore

• Bear's Den – 8–15 m, intermediate
• El Aguila Wreck – 24–34 m, advanced
• Odyssey Wreck – 12–36 m, advanced
• Overheat Reef – 6–20 m, intermediate
• Pillar Coral – 2–11 m, beginner
• Spooky Channel – 10–27 m, intermediate
• White Hole – 5–30 m, intermediate

West End & West Bay

• Butcher's Bank – 6–14 m, beginner
• Fish Den – 3–25 m, intermediate
• Hole in the Wall – 6–34 m, intermediate
• Mandy's Eel Garden – 6–20 m, beginner
• Seaquest (Shallow) – 6–15 m, beginner
• Texas – 15–35 m, advanced
• West End Wall – 6–30 m, intermediate

East End (Oak Ridge – Camp Bay)

• Calvin's Crack – 9–24 m, intermediate
• Dolphin's Den – 4–9 m, intermediate

South shore (CoCo View – French Harbour – airport)

• Cara Cara (Shark Dive) – 18–21 m, advanced
• Mary's Place – 9–37 m, intermediate
• Mr. Bud Wreck – 13–18 m, intermediate
• Newman's Wall – 5–30 m, intermediate
• Prince Albert Wreck – 10–20 m, intermediate
• Valley of the Kings – 8–15 m, intermediate

Operators (4)

• Anthony's Key Resort – resort, Sandy Bay (north shore)
• CoCo View Resort – resort, CoCo View, south shore
• Sun Divers Roatan – dive centre, Half Moon Bay, West End
• Roatan Divers – dive centre, West End

Routes (1)

• Cayos Cochinos seamounts day trip (2 dives)

Mooring-buoy positions come from the Roatán Marine Park's public map and are accurate for orientation; wreck and wall positions are of the buoys, not the structures. Depths are as listed by operators and the park and differ between sources. Dive within your training, check the user fee and conditions with the park or your operator, and follow the guide. Provisioned shark dives carry additional risk.