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10 Reasons to Scuba Dive Roatan

By Patricia Wuest | Published On April 24, 2016
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10 Reasons to Scuba Dive Roatan

Roatan scuba diving site map

This western Caribbean island serves up a sense of adventure from the depths of shipwrecks to the heights of a swashbucklin’ zip-line excursion

Illustration by Antoine Corbineau/Folioart.co.uk

1. Odyssey

Roatan has a number of fun wrecks, including Prince Albert and El Aguila, but Odyssey is the largest. Sitting on the sand bottom in 110 feet of water, the center section has collapsed, but the bow is upright and intact. blueislanddiversroatan.com

2. Mary’s Place

There’s a reason visiting divers love the south-side site Mary’s Place. It’s a lovely cleft in the reef near the edge of the wall — you drop into the fissure and then swim to the “exit,” an opening into a deep expanse of blue water. The site is decorated with delicate black corals and sea fans. roatandivecenter.com

3. West End Wall

Just off West Bay Beach, this steep drop-off provides lots of drift-diving drama: The sponge-covered wall is a magnet for tarpon and sea turtles. All you have to do is relax and take in the show. bananarama.com

4. Barbareta Banks

Trips to this marine park off Roatan’s east end is offered as a “safari dive.” With luck, you’ll spot eagle rays, barracudas and nurse sharks as you explore the wall that runs along the entire 3-mile length of Barbareta Island. tranquilseas.com

5. Cara a Cara

Your dive operator can arrange this shark dive off the island’s south side. Wranglers feed the reef sharks while divers kneel on the seafloor at about 70 feet. The action includes black grouper and horse-eye jacks looking for scraps the sharks leave behind. sharkdiveroatan.net

6. Pirates of the Caribbean Canopy Zip-Line

With platforms bearing names such as Capt. Billy Bones Main Deck and Long John Silver Precipice Bridge, you’ll be shouting, “Ahoy, me hearties!” by the end of this rollicking, 2-mile canopy zip-line that offers breathtaking views of both sides of the island. roatanpiratescanopy.com

7. Pigeon Cay Eco Tour

You will forget cellphones, deadlines and the Kardashians on this giant sandbar that is surrounded by a Crayola array of alternating blues and turquoises. Enjoy snorkeling, lying on the beach, and picnicking on this sandy islet off Barbareta.

8. Carambola Gardens

Choose the rainforest trail and mountain hike, which winds its way through a dense tropical forest of cahoon palms and island hardwoods up to the summit of Carambola Mountain, on Roatan’s north side. Use your camera’s panoramic setting to capture the stunning vista of sea and jungle. carambolagardens.com

9. Stand-Up Paddleboarding

Take a two-hour round-trip paddle along the West End on the inside of the reef. Your companions will be turtles, eagle rays and tropical fish. roatanpaddleboards.com

10. Roatan Oasis

Tropical cocktails and fresh seafood — including oysters flown in from the Gulf of Fonseca — are highlights at Roatan Oasis on the island’s West End; you’ll be able to kick back and relive a day’s worth of diving while enjoing delicious, eco-friendly food and drinks. facebook.com/RoatanOasis

DIVER’S GUIDE

Average water temp: High 70s to low 80s

What to wear: Skin or shorty in summer; 3 mm wetsuit in winter

Average viz: 40 to 100 feet

When to go: Year-round

More info: sportdiver.com/roatan