COCONUT TREE DIVERS
Roatan, Honduras
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Sandy Bay and West End Marine Reserve Dive Sites
Seagrape Ironshore sites: Hole in the Wall | Grape Escape | Divemaster's Choice Coconut Tree Divers strongly supports the conservation and restoration efforts of the Roatan Marine Park, a volunteer organization that oversees the protection of the Sandy Bay - West End Marine Park. All snorkelers and divers are asked to contribute to this worthy cause through the purchase of a $10 marine park reef braclet. All proceeds from this tag go to the marine park to ensure that our beautiful reef can be enjoyed by future generations.
You'll always remember your first drop through the Hole. Starting on a sandy patch at 18m/60ft, you'll spy the aptly-named "Hole in the Wall," a sheer vertical swimthru formed by the merger of two massive coral heads. As you plummit through the hole towards your maximum depth of 40m/130ft, don't forget to look around you. Schools of horseeyed jacks dart through finger-like whip corals, nocturnal glassy sweepers desperately dodge piercing rays of light, and the occasional turtle will free dive past you to the Second Hole at 58m/190ft. While most divers will follow the monolithic wall on a gradual return to the shallows, more experienced divers may choose to take a quicker return via a steep sandchute immediately adjacent to the Hole that winds its way through narrow swimthrus before exiting at 6m/20ft. Once in the shallows, your Hole in the Wall adventure is far from over. Tucked away against the ironshore is a full cave system. While the inherent dangers of cave diving restrict all but the most experienced divers from penetrating the darker chambers, most divers will feel confortable in the expansive, naturally-lit cave mouth. Be on the lookout for the resident green moray eel and adult spotted drum near the back of this first chamber. Directly to the north lies the "Honeycomb Swimthrus," a twisting labyrinth of swimthrus home to spiny lobsters, squirrelfish, and black groupers. Marine life: horseeyed jacks, green moray eels, spotted drums, spiny lobsters, squirrelfish, black groupers, glassy sweepers, lettuce sea slugs Don't miss... the numerous but miniscule lettuce sea slugs in the shallows. Less than an inch long and resembling the green algae blooms lining the rocky bottom, these tiny nudibranchs are a true delight for aspiring Underwater Photographers.
As one of the newest sites in the West End and Sandy Bay Marine Reserve, Grape Escape offers unexplored terrain suitable for all experience levels. The site gets its name from the hull of an old Seagrape dive boat that rests on the edge of the wall. The wall, which begins at 12m/40ft and falls away to oblivion, is gradual enough for introductory Open Water dives while still satisfying the needs of more experienced divers. Barracudas, black groupers, oceanic triggerfish, and creole wrasse love the gentle currents that typically sweep to the south. The fore reef shallows are spotted with multiple sandy patches separated by undulating coral fingers. Take your time as you explore the sand and you may find some of the many Spanish lobsters, spotted moray eels, and conch that populate the area. Just don't get distracted by the large schools of yellow snapper; these curious fish love to follow you from start to finish, nibbling on algae, sponges, and even your bubble trail! Marine life: barracudas, black groupers, oceanic triggerfish, creole wrasse, Spanish lobsters, spiny lobsters, spotted moray eels, conch, yellow snappers Don't miss... exploring Grape Escape's "wreck," the fiberglass hull of an old Seagrape dive boat. While not exactly a wreck of the same scope as El Aguila or The Odyssey, it nonetheless makes for an interesting diversion along the wall. Rumors persist of a resident octopus- look for its eyes peeking out from beneath the engine block.
It's easy to see why so many Divemasters choose Divemaster's Choice: large wall, expansive shallows, and a cornucopia of fish. Ridges of coral stretch like fingers out from the ironshore, giving the wall an unique rippling contour. One minute you'll be wall diving at 18m/60ft, the next you'll be skimming the reef at 12m/40ft, and suddenly the bottom will fall out from beneath you and you'll be suspended over the blue again. Divemaster's Choice has been described as "an intermediate fish's playground." Juveniles exiting their nursery in Half Moon Bay make their transition into adulthood among the many pockets across the shallows. Look for French and grey angelfish still bearing the faint, vertical, yellow stripes of infancy, spotted drums just barely earning their white spots, and smooth trunkfish emerging from their "pea" stage by sprouting a tail. Of course, the "usual suspects" will be there as well: barracuda, lobsters, and scrawled filefish frequent this site. Marine life: French angelfish, grey angelfish, spotted drums, smooth trunkfish, scrawled filefish, barracudas, lobsters, creole wrasse Don't miss... bringing your camera! With such an abundance of intermediate fish, Divemaster's Choice is a great chance for Underwater Photographers to capture these rare creatures on film. Next: West End Walls -> |
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coconuttreedivers@gmail.com |
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