Sandy Bay and West End Marine Reserve Dive Sites

South Shore sites: Key Hole | Flowers Bay Wall

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.

Min. Depth: 12m/40ft Max. Depth: 40m/130ft Avg. Max: 30m/100ft Nitrox Mix: EANx32 Difficulty:

Key Hole

Named after a distinct notch in the south side ironshore, Key Hole is a sheer wall of epic size. A deep cut beneath the mooring line zigzags through the shallows before opening up on the wall at 30m/100ft. As with most south side walls, the Key Hole wall is almost completely vertical, even doubling over on itself in places to produce immense overhangs. Dangling sponges and black gorgonians mingle in wonderfully grotesque forms in these shady alcoves, concealing black groupers, Nassau groupers, and barracudas waiting in ambush. Your exhalated air spills out from under these ledges, cascading in an upsidedown waterfall of bubbles through schools of yellowfin snappers and black durgons.

The shallows take a sharp tumble into the abyss between 12m/40ft and 18m/60ft. Most noticable about the Key Hole shallows are the expansive beds of lettuce coral which hide juveniles of the spotted drum, smooth trunkfish, and honeycomb cowfish species. Sharptailed eels slither in crevices beside lobsters and king crabs. Scrawled filefish and turtles weave between bushels of sea rods to pick at the encrusting sponges. If you look closely enough, you may even spot a rare seahorse wrapped around a piece of soft coral.

Marine life: black groupers, Nassau groupers, yellowfin groupers, barracudas, spotted drums, smooth trunkfish, honeycomb cowfish, porcupinefish, scrawled filefish, turtles

Don't miss... grabbing your Nitrox tank! The current usually drifts towards Pablo's Place and the western tip of the island; under the right conditions, Key Hole becomes an incredible deep drift dive made even more memorable on Enriched Air Nitrox.

Min. Depth: 5m/15ft Max. Depth: 24m/80ft Avg. Max: 18m/60ft Nitrox Mix: EANx32 Difficulty:

Flowers Bay Wall

When the weather goes foul, the divers go to Flowers Bay Wall. The bay is protected from the wind and waves that occasionally hit the north side of Roatan, resulting in ideal shore diving conditions even when the weather isn't quite as nice. You'll traverse from the shore of this little fishing village into the 5m/15ft shallows where schools of blue tangs and sergeant majors will greet you upon descent. The abundance of sandy channels at reasonable depths make this site great for Open Water training; you can do your skills while Spanish hogfish, French angelfish, and scrawled filefish swim about the reef.

At the mouth of Flowers Bay, the wall makes a quick drop from 5m/15ft to 18m/60ft. The east side of the wall contains a cool sponge-lined swimthru that shoots you onto the deep sandy slope at 21m/70ft, while the western half is significantly more vertical with depth suitable for Advanced Open Water dives. Huge king crabs and lobsters can be found in dark niches, bearded fireworms crawl over vase sponges, and oceanic triggerfish and barracudas swim through the blue. Keep your eyes out for juvenile spotted drums circling back and forth in the crevices and shy porcupinefish hovering atop the wall.

Marine life: king crabs, scrawled filefish, Spanish hogfish, French angelfish, oceanic triggerfish, lobsters, barracudas, bearded fireworms, spotted drums, porcupinefish, seahorses

Don't miss... finding a seahorse! Diminutive, mostly immobile, and immaculately camouflaged, these rare critters can be found embracing soft corals with their tails. Bring your camera and take some underwater photographs as proof of your find.

Next: Shark Dive ->