Fantasy Island closing 06/01/13 (for 4 months?)

[chillyinCanada]

Doc one of my theories is that there's no cull of lionfish up north. What say you in this regard?

 

[Doc]

Doc one of my theories is that there's no cull of lionfish up north. What say you in this regard?

I think any cull is only temporary and highly localized. So, to some extent, I agree. Last month, the area out in front of CCV was devoid of the devils, they even have video of them being attacked, naturally and alive, by Green Morays. Maybe they are catching on. In time, all things will reach stasis. We caused this problem, now we have the hubris to think we will correct it.

As to the (PBR) dive experience in the North Side, central to Eastern zone, this would not be my first choice for easy access to diving. The reef is a good 3/4 mile out and due to the eons of hard bashing storms, the underwater geography and reef architecture is steep and very stark. It is also in the shadow of the Sunlight and has deep dive profiles. There are numerous cuts and channels that can be entertaining for a while, many newer divers are enchanted with reef shapes, but that usually wears off to a great extent- we all like dramatic shapes, but after the 15th such thing, what now? PBR is by no stretch of imagination a dive resort.

I also believe that the degradation of the reef, at least near Pristine Bay, has been negligible for a couple of qualified reasons. Certainly they have already decimated the in-shore reef structures with building and fertilizing the golf course, pumping river sand into the shore- but this sedimentation has already begun to be carried Eastward by prevailing mild currents- and it has stayed within the inner reef structure (which extends out in the shallows 1/3 mile+). The true damage in this area will be felt in the next ten years, not so much immediately.

Very few land disturbances have occurred to date along the South shore because the locals simply won't sell the best land. There are some rich locals who have done some considerable damage, including the ham handed improvements of FIBR and now we see Parrot Tree's time bomb. The real threat here (versus the North) is that the reef is close to shore, within 100 yards. Most people don't see Parrot Tree's damage, but anyone who has done the shore dive from FI should figure it out pretty quickly. Sandy beaches sure do look nice, but when man puts them where nature didn't, they slowly recede back and cloud the water. Hence the undivable periods from the shore dive at FIBR forcing them to do boat drop offs over the shore-dive wreck. Another one that is about to reach the tipping point is the formerly idyllic Half Moon (South side) Bay. They plopped a cruise ship day-spa there and it looks like it was engineered by kids with steam shovels. Say goodbye to what was once a golden place.

There is a distinct advantage to the North Side/West zone as it is within the Marine Reserve. (Out of Pristine Bays limited range- more on down by AKR and West) There you will again now see some of the more common pelagics that used to be quite common in the Caribbean. This area is still prone to constant storm battering, so the placed wrecks, even though at 115' are already in tatters. This is only to point out that the area is not conducive to lush growth or colorful macro. It's perfect for when a diver is enjoying his Barracuda and Parrotfish stage.

The South side, the area once served by FI (the original point of this thread) is a totally unique environ that runs from French Harbour to Oak Ridge. I call this 'advanced diving' as most newer divers walk away complaining about the lack of fish. They can't see the macro and have yet to develop an interest in it.

Best bet for newer divers on Roatan is West/near North. Critters are the bigger ones and easier to see s they move about in the water column. If they want to see the small colorful nursery of the South side, they should stick very close to a good DM. With the closing of FIBR, a couple of good DMs are going to be up for grabs.

 

[RTBDiver]

I can confirm what your friends said about Roatan. My husband and I just returned from Roatan and the diving has declined. We stayed at Pristine Bay, which was beautiful, but it was a ghost town. Next trip will be to Cozumel or Ambergris Caye.

Not so fast there kiddo, I stayed at Scuba Club in Cozumel a few years back and I can honestly say it was the worst golfing I have ever seen.. Oh wait, you went to a golf resort TO DIVE??