Fantasy Island -Roatan - Big Problems!

[Tim Ingersoll]

Hey don't be so hard on NYscubagirl. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I myself would be disappointed in a dedicated dive destination that provided little more than a critter hunt on every dive. I like a balance of big stuff and little stuff. For the record the only Roatan diving I have done was two dives off AKR several years ago. Based upon that very limited experience only my impression was similar. . .the diving was good but not great. I wouldn't put it at the level of LC, TCI or Coz. Just my two cents.

 

[tvictory]

NYScubagirl, maybe you need to open your eyes a little wider next time you go diving. There is alot more to see than big fish. I'm sure that the DM was pointing out lots of stuff to see. I'm heading to FIBR and can hardly wait. My friends and I planning on doing boat dives every day we are there (I hear that Mary's is AWESOME!) as well as beach dive off the resort itself. I have also been told that we can do a quick surface swim to CocoView to dive off their walls as well.

I'm the Eel Queen here in California. I ****LOVE**** Eels!!! I also love Nudibranchs. I would rather see these than fish, anyday. Turtles too. Although, I hope to see a Manta and a Spotted Ray while I am there. I have been researching dive sites too, so I can chat with the DM before heading out.

That would be my suggestion for anyone going to a dive destination. Do your homework. Be familiar with the dive sites. Talk to people, read reviews, ect. Be informed and ask questions. Tell the DM what you expect or what you would like to see. For example: Sea Horses. They generally live in a 5 foot radius. They do not venture any further. If a known Sea Horse is in a general local, then the DM will usually be able to find it the next dive, and so on.

It's like with me diving here in California, I can usually find Morays in the more common dive spots. Octos too.

Did you have a Marine ID book? That is also essential to what you are seeing. I love to look at all the sponges and flora too. It's absolutely amazing! If you look carefully, especially on the Gorgonians, you can often spot Peacock Cowries.

Diver Jan,

While you are at FIBR, make a point of going over to CCV and seeing the baby eels that are in 1 or 2 feet of water right by the boardwalk directly in front of the clubhouse. Osman (manager of the CCV dive op) often feeds them in the morning around breakfast time. I saw green, spotted and sharptails.

 

[k8brandt]

There's about 11 of them all total. They were babies last year, and have gotten big. When the morning tide is high is when they get their feeding. When you see a bunch of people on the dock staring down into the water, that's when they are out. Osman feeds them bait fish.

We'll be there tomorrow (5/13) and feeding them for the next two weeks.

FWIW, we love Roatan, specifically CocoView. We've only been diving about two years and have spent four weeks total there. We just keep going back, it's like our second home. The staff is great and extremely accommodating. If you want to see some pictures from Roatan, go to www.k8smate.com. More to come after June 1st when we get back.

 

[Dave Zimmerly]

Be there tomorrow as well, at FIBR. Now if I can only keep my mind on work....

Dave (aka "Squirt")

 

[pigletfish]

Hey don't be so hard on NYscubagirl. Everyone is entitled to their opinion. I myself would be disappointed in a dedicated dive destination that provided little more than a critter hunt on every dive. I like a balance of big stuff and little stuff. For the record the only Roatan diving I have done was two dives off AKR several years ago. Based upon that very limited experience only my impression was similar. . .the diving was good but not great. I wouldn't put it at the level of LC, TCI or Coz. Just my two cents.

I agree with Tim. I don't think Roatan is properly advertised as a macro destination, so lots of people go there with the wrong expectations. We visited in August 2004 and were suprised and disappointed by how overfished it was - we'd expected the marine life to match that of nearby countries/islands we'd visited. We try to do our homework in advance, but many locations are simply recommended wholeheartedly by their devotees without further details as to what they're great for -- and what they're not. In diving, as in everything, tastes vary widely. What's paradise to one person can be purgatory to another.

If we'd read some posts like this one and had realized that Roatan was best for critter hunts, we probably would have chosen another destination and been happier. We had a nice enough trip -- and Roatan is certainly not "fishless" -- but it's not someplace we're eager to return to. This of course is just my opinion, and it doesn't contradict those who adore Roatan and return again and again - those divers just have different interests, and none of us are superior.

 

[cxg31s]

I agree with the others--get the Paul Humann ID series (Fish, Creature and Coral), study them and you will see plenty next time you go diving. I went to FIBR in 2004 and had a blast--the resort was a nice place, the food was decent, the staff was nice, and the diving was good. I would go back--there were swimthroughs, lots of very nice corals and sponges, and tons of little critters and yes there were fish, just not in the sheer numbers of someplace like Cozumel, for example. But you'll never have a rewarding dive experience if you don't know what you're looking at. I know my enjoyment increased tenfold once I knew what I was looking for and where to look for them. Sorry you had a bad time, but your experience is in the minority.....

 

[pigletfish]

I do have the Paul Humann books, and thousands of underwater photographs from around the world, all carefully labeled. Again, different people just enjoy different things. Depsite some negativity and defensiveless, I think this is a helpful thread. I like to hear about the pros AND the cons of a destination -- even if it's all subjective opinion -- it still helps you to make a better informed decision. Cheers!

 

[Wijbrandus]

Well, I went to CCV last year, and was not satisfied with the resort or Roatan (topside) in general.

But I have to say I have not yet had a better or easier diving experience to date. Roatan's diving is incredible. It was uncommon to see the big fish, but there are so many schools of little fish and tons of life on the reefs.

I would rate the diving as A+, and I'd go back in a heartbeat if topside was dramatically improved.

 

[NAIBdiver1]

We were at Fantasy Island last month (second visit) and had a great time. I shot so much video it's going to take months to wade through it. Not just tiny stuff either - many eels (green and spotted), rays (eagle and southerns) - seahorses - large schools of maurading surgeon fish - I can go on and on.

Darren (DM) and Moses (boat driver) were great.

Don't want to write a full trip report here - but we made 25 wonderful dives - all good and all abit different from all the others.

I was really impressed at the amount of life, both animals and coral.

Just the other day I was reading that staghorn and elkhorn corals are endangered, but saw plenty while diving from FIBR.

I'm sorry the person that started this thread had such a bad time. We loved it and will be back for a third time.

I highly reccommend

NAIBDiver1

 

[nyscubagirl]

I love how everyone assumes that I don't know what to look for or how to take my time or how to appreciate the smaller creatures. I never said the reef was a barren wasteland...but it is without a doubt the least "populated" or "abundant" place I've been. AND I didn't just do shore dives,....I did 2 or 3 boat dives a day plus a few night dives (which were definately the best)....AND my group and I discussed the situation at length with Mel, our divemaster there, and he agreed with our assessment. (by the way some of the people I was with have been diving over 20 years)