Was in Roatan beginning of March. Disappointed in the diving, great operation, but very little fish life. Wondering if it was the time of the year or due to decline in coral reef life. in 15 dives, a couple of turtles, a few eels, trigger fish, one porcupine fish, some blue tang, etc. Advice?
Roatan and fish life
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I was there in Jan. Some large life but mainly small life. I have plenty of sighting and picture. I was also there Jan 2022 and was the same. Did one shark dive and also saw a number of nurse sharks one one of the mount dives on both trips. I was on the Aggressor on both trip. Great operation and did a great job taking care of us.
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We do need a pinned thread.
Yes, the MezoAmerican reef is in decline (unlike the rest of the world which TwitAdvisor rates as 5*+). SCUBA in Roatan is a thing of the past. Roatan is best visited by Cruise Ship where you should do the Planet Hollywood Casino, the Jungle Canopy Carnival Slide-for-Life Tour, Two Flags over Bay Islands , and maybe maybe do the Well Oiled Body Snorkel Tour and Dolphin Pester. A quick shopping stop on West End to buy cheap Guatemalan imported crap, and off you go to Belize. 8 hours, done.
Bad experiences have nothing to do with today’s or prior two weeks weather, the time of year, wind and wave, global warming (Gore or Trump), much less—rain…because you were wet anyway (just brilliant advice) The quality of the huge array of fly-by-night day-dive operation (our second anniversary!) you selected with boutique or even concierge services. They never put more than 8 divers in their open 17’ boat, never a cattle boat, nosiree. One Dive Master is just as good as the next, the lead, cute American DM, just happens to be the owner’s GF, she scored second highest on certain parts of the DM Test. DMs…they are all just the bestest for sure i’ve ever had and they had watermellon.
On Roatan, the bestest diving is off the West End (that’s where the noise & bars are) and if you did the (extra fee) South Side Mary’s Crack or Canned Shark Rodeo, then you’ve done the South Side and you can scratch that off the list. Been there, log book noted.
Day-Dive ops, all West End charters often sell a “10 dive pkg”, but the vendors i chat with state that mostly 8/10 are utilized. 15 dives/wk is a remarkable and laudable exception, rarely does the 1 promised night dive occur due to lack of interest.
The better Dive Ops have the diver’s favorite fish drugged and tied to the restored plastic reef. Favorite fish, as in Baron Bacaruda, Parot Head Fich, marauding Nerf Sharkses, aatsa Moray, Larry the Lobstah. You know, critters bigger than a toaster oven, as visible as a Kardashian Swarovski Bedazzled Pink Poodle. Little French Key does offer advanced diving for a fee if you don’t want to be lumped-in with everyone else, just show your CARD, (visa/mc).
DONT FORGET THE GO PRO!
If you pay 1.5x$ more, over the two highest rated land based… for a LOB.. you are assured of the best available experience- you have paid the most, right? Look at the Roatan Web Cams- The Aggravator sits out front of known Roatan land based ops….for sure 3, sometimes 4x a week. Check their Agg website, the “Eloi Club” forum.
There is one diversion for the unimpressed: Lionfich Hunting. Fun for the whole family. Pay to obtain the Cert Card, then go out and do God’s Work, eradicate the pest that mankind itself caused. Scientifically it will not work worth $h*t but you can immerse yourself in pure hubris, feel good, find something to do and kill stuff while not making chicks go, “Eeewww”. That and chopped raw Lionfich Sir-Vee-Chay (aka: “bait”). Bass-O-Matic.
Advice?
One might take a buoyancy course, then an underwater naturalist course, but why? They already check my c-card on the way in, and obviously i am using nitrox.
Check out Jamaica. Blundercurrent rated it highly.
Or maybe just give Roatan another week, a better season, a better dive op, a better location?
Yes, the MezoAmerican reef is in decline (unlike the rest of the world which TwitAdvisor rates as 5*+). SCUBA in Roatan is a thing of the past. Roatan is best visited by Cruise Ship where you should do the Planet Hollywood Casino, the Jungle Canopy Carnival Slide-for-Life Tour, Two Flags over Bay Islands , and maybe maybe do the Well Oiled Body Snorkel Tour and Dolphin Pester. A quick shopping stop on West End to buy cheap Guatemalan imported crap, and off you go to Belize. 8 hours, done.
Bad experiences have nothing to do with today’s or prior two weeks weather, the time of year, wind and wave, global warming (Gore or Trump), much less—rain…because you were wet anyway (just brilliant advice) The quality of the huge array of fly-by-night day-dive operation (our second anniversary!) you selected with boutique or even concierge services. They never put more than 8 divers in their open 17’ boat, never a cattle boat, nosiree. One Dive Master is just as good as the next, the lead, cute American DM, just happens to be the owner’s GF, she scored second highest on certain parts of the DM Test. DMs…they are all just the bestest for sure i’ve ever had and they had watermellon.
On Roatan, the bestest diving is off the West End (that’s where the noise & bars are) and if you did the (extra fee) South Side Mary’s Crack or Canned Shark Rodeo, then you’ve done the South Side and you can scratch that off the list. Been there, log book noted.
Day-Dive ops, all West End charters often sell a “10 dive pkg”, but the vendors i chat with state that mostly 8/10 are utilized. 15 dives/wk is a remarkable and laudable exception, rarely does the 1 promised night dive occur due to lack of interest.
The better Dive Ops have the diver’s favorite fish drugged and tied to the restored plastic reef. Favorite fish, as in Baron Bacaruda, Parot Head Fich, marauding Nerf Sharkses, aatsa Moray, Larry the Lobstah. You know, critters bigger than a toaster oven, as visible as a Kardashian Swarovski Bedazzled Pink Poodle. Little French Key does offer advanced diving for a fee if you don’t want to be lumped-in with everyone else, just show your CARD, (visa/mc).
DONT FORGET THE GO PRO!
If you pay 1.5x$ more, over the two highest rated land based… for a LOB.. you are assured of the best available experience- you have paid the most, right? Look at the Roatan Web Cams- The Aggravator sits out front of known Roatan land based ops….for sure 3, sometimes 4x a week. Check their Agg website, the “Eloi Club” forum.
There is one diversion for the unimpressed: Lionfich Hunting. Fun for the whole family. Pay to obtain the Cert Card, then go out and do God’s Work, eradicate the pest that mankind itself caused. Scientifically it will not work worth $h*t but you can immerse yourself in pure hubris, feel good, find something to do and kill stuff while not making chicks go, “Eeewww”. That and chopped raw Lionfich Sir-Vee-Chay (aka: “bait”). Bass-O-Matic.
Advice?
One might take a buoyancy course, then an underwater naturalist course, but why? They already check my c-card on the way in, and obviously i am using nitrox.
Check out Jamaica. Blundercurrent rated it highly.
Or maybe just give Roatan another week, a better season, a better dive op, a better location?
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