Roatan, Honduras: Dives 1-4: PADI Open Water Cert Class = WHERE IT STARTED!, and Dives: 192-197 (See below)
From June-August of 1996, I participated in a program in Honduras with a group of American students. A friend persuaded me to travel with him to the Bay Islands, to get scuba certified. We flew to Roatan, a few days after the island had been evacuated for Hurricane Cesar, but still ended up finishing our PADI course by Ocean Divers of the West End. It was a decision I have always treasured.
This is the great group of people I got certified with: our friendly Danish gymnast, Stephanie Drobac, Lisa Doan (our instructor), and Michael Marcin.
West End, Roatan 1996.
Dive: 1 Date: 7/31/1996
Location: Seaquest, between West End and West Bay Beach; Roatan, Honduras C.A.
Depth: 12m Time: 0:45
Comments: Baby sea turtle, scrawled-file fish, young barracudas, large barracuda, squirrel fish, stoplight parrot fish, sergeant majors, blue tang, groupers, 4-eye butterfly fish
Dive: 2 Date: 7/31/1996
Location: Lighthouse; Roatan, Honduras C.A.
Depth: 12m Time: 0:42
Comments: Sharp-tailed eel, groupers, blue tang, pillar coral, brain corals, and giant barrel sponges.
West End, Roatan 1996.
Dive: 3 Date: 8/1/1996
Location: Lighthouse; Roatan, Honduras C.A.
Depth: 18m Time: 0:40
Comments: Channel flounder, large black grouper, & medium-sized turtle.
Dive: 4 Date: 8/1/1996
Location: Black Rock; Roatan, Honduras C.A.
Depth: 18m Time: 0:40
Comments: Brittle stars, parrot fish, butterfly fish, trunkfish, hermit crab in barrel sponge, yellow-tailed snapper.
West End, Roatan 1996.
We had a great time. The water was warm (no suit to 2mm shorties), the visibility was great (80 feet plus), the reefs were incredibly beautiful (lots of coral, sponges, fish, etc.), and the diving was cheap. My great experience in Roatan kept me diving every year despite lack of money, time, cold water, and living in the Midwest. I always vowed to return to Roatan, and was finally able to at the end of 2019.
Costa Rica, Pacific side
Balloonfish, Costa Rica 2024.
Dive: 237 Date: 06/28/2024
Location: Punta Norte; Islas Catalina, Costa Rica C.A.
Depth: 19.1 m Time: 0:52
Comments: Balloonfish, jewel moray eels, undulated moray eel, blue sea star, arrow crab, spotted pufferfish, chocolate chip seastar, large hermit crab, snowflake moray eel, and large undulated moray eel.
Snowflake moray eel, Costa Rica 2024.
Undulated or green head moray eel, Costa Rica 2024.
Dive: 238 Date: 06/28/2024
Location: Punta Sur; Islas Catalina, Costa Rica C.A.
Depth: 19.1 m Time: 0:52
Comments: Panamic green moray, jewel moray eels, zebra moray eel, blue sea stars, multiple octopus, 5 white-tip reef sharks, and Panamic green moray eel.
Whitetip reef shark, Costa Rica 2024.
Zebra moray eel, Costa Rica 2024.
Honduras--Redux
Roatan, Honduras: Dives: 192-197
Dive: 192 Date: 12/31/2019
Location: Black Rock; Roatan, Honduras C.A.
Depth: 60 ft Time: 0:45
Comments: Best dive spot on the island, it has it all! Gray chub, spiny lobster, big crab (channel clinging aka king crab), flamingo snails x 2, bearded fireworm, purple sea fans, brain coral, mounding coral, fire coral, vase sponges, unknown small pufferfish, spotted eagle rays, banded coral shrimp., striped parrotfish, midnight parrotfish, artichoke coral, etc.
Midnight parrotfish, Roatan 2019.
Bent sea rod, Roatan 2019.
Large channel clinging or king crab, Roatan 2019.
Flamingo snail up-close, Roatan 2019.
Two flamingo snails, one on a purple sea whip, Roatan 2019.
Bearded fireworm up-close, Roatan 2019.
Banded coral shrimp, Roatan 2019.
Artichoke coral, Roatan 2019.
Dive: 193 Date: 12/31/2019
Location: Mango Bight or Hole in a Wall; Roatan, Honduras C.A.
Depth: 70 ft Time: 0:45
Comments: Free swimming green moray eel, lots of spiny lobsters, goatee blenny, goldentail moray, west indies urchins, Pedersen cleaning shrimp x 2.
Free swimming green moray eel, Roatan 2019.
Ricardo and Zara at Hole in the Wall, Roatan 2019.
Goatee blenny, Roatan 2019.
Goldentail moray eel, Roatan 2019.
Angular sea whip, Roatan 2019.
Dive: 194 Date: 01/02/2020
Location: Pontius Paradise then Mandy's Eel garden; Roatan, Honduras C.A.
Depth: 82 ft Time: 1:00
Comments: Eel garden (Mandy's Eel garden) at 80 ft, banded coral shrimp, brittlestars, fireworm, Pedersen cleaning shrimp, lobster, porcupinefish, arrow crab, and flounder.
Mandy's eel garden, Roatan 2020.
Branching sea anemone, Roatan 2020.
Ridged cactus coral, Roatan 2020.
Dive: 195 Date: 01/03/2020
Location: Turk Treasure; Roatan, Honduras C.A.
Depth: 90 ft Time: 0:40
Comments: Great hawksbill turtle, lionfish x 2, and lettuce nudibranch.
Blade fire coral, Roatan 2020.
Lettuce nudibranch, Roatan 2020.
Hidden anemone, Roatan 2020.
Boulder brain coral, Roatan 2020.
Elliptical star coral, Roatan 2020.
Dive: 196 Date: 01/03/2020
Location: Spooky Channel; Roatan, Honduras C.A.
Depth: 60 ft Time: 0:50
Comments: Gloomy canyon entrance, then big reefs, lobster, and arrow crab.
Ysa's descent into Spooky Channel (with an O ring leak), Roatan 2020.
Ysa swimming through narrow walls with devil's sea whips in Spooky Channel, Roatan 2020.
Arrow crab in azure vase sponge, Roatan 2020.
Dive: 197 Date: 01/03/2020
Location: Lighthouse; Roatan, Honduras C.A.
Depth: 80 ft Time: 0:50
Comments: Four turtles, porcupinefish close-up.
Hawksbill turtle, Roatan 2020.
Another large channel clinging or king crab, Roatan 2020.
Corky sea finger gorgonian, Roatan 2020.
Porcupinefish, Roatan 2020.
Ocean Connections, West EndAccording to one travel website, this is the same dive shop as Ocean Divers, but now known as Ocean Connections. The building is not the same building as in 1996. Seagrape Plantation, West End Good, family run hotel/dive operator with their own dive shop, pier, and boats.
Mexico
Cozumel, Mexico: Dives 88-89 with "Dive with Martin"
I was in Cozumel and went diving with Dive with Martin, off the International Cruiseship Pier, Cozumel 2005.
Dive with Martin His dive outfit gave great service and value. Martin died in 2006, but his business continues on...
Dive: 88 Date: 6/22/2005
Location: Punta Colombia (Deep) reef; Cozumel, Mexico with Diving with Martin
Depth: 92ft Time: 0:44
Comments: Turtle on descent, multiple large swim-throughs, barrel sponges, tube corals, tunicates, urchins, 3 southern sting-rays.
Dive: 89 Date: 6/22/2005
Location: Punta Dalila to Paso del Cedral to Punto Cedral; Cozumel, Mexico with Diving with Martin
Depth: 55ft Time: 0:53
Comments: Strong current; drift dive from N end of Dalila to Cedral. Nurse shark under ledge, yellow stingray, grouper, caught Arrow crab.
