Diving Bay Islands, Honduras
The Bay Islands have little current and very calm seas. Roatan boasts 85 species of coral and over 800 species of fish. Guanaja’s dive sites run the gamut from wrecks to underwater volcanoes, and the seamounts of Utila attract great pelagics. The reefs begin in as little as 20 to 40 feet of water with drop offs to 100+ feet. Underwater canyons, caves, caverns, walls and reefs abundant with coral abound in the second largest living coral reef in the world.
Guanaja is abundant in natural beauty and great diving. There are 35 moored dive sites, featuring everything from shallow reefs to wrecks, caves, canyons, underwater volcanoes, and walls plummeting from 20 to 6,000 feet. The variety of corals, sponges, and marine life is unmatched. Turtles, eagle rays, Jew fish and hundreds of tropical fish species abound. Indigenous toadfish, octopus, and huge coral crabs are visible at night. Dolphins, whale sharks, reef sharks, black tips, and hammerheads can also be spotted.
Utila is ultra laid back and offers true barefoot living and superb diving. It is not uncommon to see schools of jacks, snappers, spadefish, and every species of grouper found in the Bay Islands at just one dive site. Look for resident hawksbill or green turtles, spotted, green and goldentail moray eels, and balloon, porcupine and webbed urrfish puffers. The largest fish in our oceans, whale sharks, growing up to 60 feet in length feed year-round off the coast of Utila.
Best time to dive
During the raining season, storms can disrupt the diving. Other than that, most any time of year there is great diving in the Bay Islands.
Visibility
Visibility is often 150+ feet.
Water temperatures
Water temperature ranges 78 to 84 °F.
Weather and climate
The rainy season runs from May until October. The tropical Caribbean coast gets more average rainfall year round. The rest of the year, the interior and Pacific coasts are relatively dry. Expect sunshine and temperatures in the 80s°F (26°C).
Language
Spanish is the official language, though English is widely spoken.
Passport/Visa requirements
All U.S. citizens must have a valid passport and return ticket. A tourist card will be issued on arrival. Other countries should check with their government for requirements.
Currency
Lempiras – Get exchange rates at http://www.xe.com/ucc/
Electrical current
110/220 volts AC is available at many locations. It is recommended to use surge protectors with sensitive equipment.
Capital
Tegucigalpa
General information
The Bay Islands are located in the Caribbean Sea off the east coast of the Central American country of Honduras. The Bay Islands consists of Roatan, Utila, and Guanaja, island groups off the coast of Honduras. Roatan is the largest island and is 33 miles long and three miles wide. Utila is the smallest islands and is only eight miles long and three miles wide.
Map
Get a map of the Bay Islands from WorldAtlas.com.