Day 21: Rockin' and Rollin', Banana Donuts and Coco Popsicle

Up before the sun this morning to catch the catamaran back to Roatan. The seas were not with us today, it was a pretty rockin' and rollin' ride between the islands, the last 40 minutes being the best when we could get out front and enjoy the sun without getting wet. We took our gravol but there were a couple people who did not and spent some time hanging off the back. Arrived in West End around 10 and checked into the Splash Inn for our last night. Took a water taxi down to West Bay because the ATM in West End wouldn't give us any money and had lunch at the local deli (A&N-we had to go for another pulled pork wrap again followed by what will likely be Vic's last Coco Popsicle). Another stroll along West Bay beach with banana donuts, then back to the hotel for the 51lbs bag re-balancing act for the flight home.
Enjoyed our last sunset with a stroll on the beach then dinner and dessert at Creoles Rotisserie Chicken, the #1 recommendation from Trip adviser where you get a 1/4 chicken dinner with two sides for about $5. We decided to share the 1/2 chicken dinner and both enjoyed a warm brownie sundae for dessert. It exceeded expectations and certainly deserves the #1 rating.
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Day 20: Last Dive Day

Last day of diving for the trip. Set out for Pinnacles on the north side in Turtle Bay, but another boat beat us to the site so we made a last minute change to Duppy waters. No major highlights, all the usual suspects cruisin the reef amongst some amazing fan corals again. Vic was feeling a little under the weather so she spent the day on the boat chatting with Captain Joe. Relaxing afternoon in the hammock and 2 for 1 pizza for dinner and lunch tomorrow for Captain Vern's Catamaran  ride back to Roatan.

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Day 19: ATV in the Afternoon

Two dives in the morning and an ATV for the afternoon. With only two days left on the island we figured we better get out and see it. After hearing that some of the roads could be muddy we opted to get an ATV over a scooter and it's a good thing we did. We ventured down pretty much all the dirt tracks we could, checked out a freshwater cave and happened upon a single fisherman who was fishing with a Sprite bottle as his reel. We ran into a group of 5 children who were playing on there toy ATV and were ready to have a little chicken fight with us. Lots of smiles, high fives and waves as we passed. Saw the ironstone shoreline on the other side of the island and drove down past the first main junction to see what was on the west side of the bay. Dinner at RJ's BBQ again with some delicious Tres Leches for dessert.

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Day 18: Sandy Valentines Channel and Nurse Shark

Our first trip to the northside of the island and hopefully we'll be diving there for the next couple days. They only make the trip when the seas are calm and it's where you go to see whalesharks, so our fingers are crossed. No luck with that today but we got to see more of the island and some of the Cays while we were enroute to the dive sites. A couple of the cays have a single house and can be rented for about $130 a night, so you can say you stayed on your own private tropical island. During our surface interval we stopped at the 'first settled' cay for fish burgers and were lucky to detour through the settlement (the boat typically stops in front of the restaurant but today tied up to a different wharf). Unfortunately the cameras were chilling in the freshwater rinse tank on the boat, otherwise there would have been some cool shots of fish drying in the sun and the kids playing during recess. Our first dive was really great, lots of sandy channels to break up the coral heads. This is by far the best, most intact coral we've seen and really vibrant colors in the shallows with the natural light.

Underwater highlight of the day was a nurse shark resting in the sand between the coral heads and the eagle ray cruising around our hotel. Gary headed out for a night dive and Vicky stayed back to read in the hammock and enjoy the beautiful sunset.

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Day 17: Sideroad and Spiders

Two more dives this morning. The weather wasn't looking too great but when we finished the first dive the sun was starting to break through and after the second the clouds had parted and the sun shone for the rest of the day.  Nothing new and noteworthy for today, some garden eels on the first dive and a large school of fish at the start of the second. We walked up the sideroad to Thompson's Bakery to pick up some fresh cinnamon buns for afternoon iced coffee and on our way back down the road we stopped at the Jade Seahorse (aka the house of spiders). There's so much to look at but you really have to keep your eye out. There were a few times where Vicky detoured or walked very quickly as there was no other option than to pass below. Late lunch and swinging in the hammock for the afternoon. Away from the ocean is really hot so we've picked a great spot to stay. While looking over the deck today an eagle ray cruised by, Gary called down to some snorkellers to zero them in on it (an eagle ray is an amazing thing to see diving but to see one snorkelling is pretty lucky).

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Day 16: Awake with the Roosters

Roosters were up early today and so were we. Two great dives this morning. The seas were rough on the way out and into/out of the boat but they have a great double ladder to get people out of the water quickly. The reef here is really different than Roatan. We thought of it more of an 'old growth forest' where the various coral heads are the 'trees' and the leafy coral and grasses are the 'moss'. On the second dive we saw both an Eagle ray and a Southern Stingray, a free swimming Garden Eel and ... While looping back to the boat we saw what looked like fog rising from betwen the coral, the southern stingray had looped up into a sandy patch and was really stirring it up. We stayed a little behind the group hoping that it would emerge and as we were about to give up, out he came from the 'fog' the biggest we've ever seen. Gary got a great picture of the fog but only a video clip of the stingray as he took off pretty quickly.

We got back to the wharf around noon then showered and ventured out for lunch. The food portions are really big so we split a quesedilla and had a couple drinks for $7. For dinner we went to RJ's Barbeque where there are about 10 items written on the board - all served with fries, coleslaw, garlic toast and rice (we'll be sharing next time). You need to get there early for the best selection because as the night goes on items just erased from the list. Back to our temporary home and to bed early (earplugs in) for another 2 dive day.

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Day 15: To Utila we go

We said good-bye to Andy and Noha around noon and took a water taxi down to Coconut tree divers to board Captain Vern's Catamaran.  We got there early so Gary went to buy a couple drinks and I sat out of the sun on the boat. A motorbike comes driving down the wharf and off hops Captain Vern. After boarding the 9 passengers and securing the bike we were underway. Smooth seas and full sun for the 3.5 hour journey. We were dropped of just beside 'The Lighthouse' where we are spending our last week and greeted by Thelma with her golf cart to take our 140lbs of gear over. We have a great corner room over the ocean (top left in the picture) with comfy beds and a kitchenette. The eats are really cheap so I don't imagine doing any of our own cooking, but we'll keep some drinks and a few coconut popsicle close at hand. :)

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Day 14: SUN

First full day of sun today and the ocean was completely calm. We're hoping for the same tommorrow as we say good-bye to Roatan and hello to Utila aboard Captain Vern's Catamaran. Two great dives today, we'd have to say that 'Hole in the Wall' was our favorite of all dives. We entered a crack at about 20 feet and descended through the canyon to the depths below, turning around looking back at the arch that we came through was spectacular. We swam back up and explored the various coral heads and crevices. The sun was full on so the colors were really coming through naturally which made it great for natural photos. Second dive was at Blue channel where we descended to a sandy bottom then explored the reef. It was a little like swimming in an aquarium lots of fish and really clear with the sun coming through. Saw a couple more turtles, a good variety of fish and a nurse shark under a coral ledge. Afternoon in the sun again and the air was still so it was really hot. Delicious fish tacos for dinner, a little packing and a movie to end the day.

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Roatan Video 02: Shark Dive

Video from our Shark dive at Cara a Cara

Day 13: Bigger in Texas

First dive at 'Texas' this morning. The site earned it's name because of the size of the sponges.

We saw a large turtle feeding on the bottom who was not disturbed by us at all and encountered another turtle that would have swam into Andy had he not moved out of the way. There was a good current which was lots of fun to play in and took us out 1.2km from our start point in 40 minutes time. We finished the dive with a group of 7 large Wahoo swimming near the surface. Spent some time lounging in the sun around the pool then out for dinner under the full moon for BBQ smoked Ribs at Bananarama.

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Day 12: Terra Firma

We rented a small Suzuki car late yesterday afternoon and drove until the end of the paved road at Punta Gourda, the oldest settlement on the Bay Islands and the home of the Garifuna people. We drove across island to Oak Ridge with it's stilted houses, then turned around heading back to French Harbour, the largest town on the Island, where we enjoyed a delicious seafood dinner at Gio's. Ramlo Andretti did well at the Pot Hole 500 until the 11th hour when the 12" tires could not negotiate the pot hole to Indonesia. A slight 6 min pit stop, two petzl headlamps, one hammer, one rock, one log and luckily a functional spare tire and we made it home without much delay (see photos).

This morning we had something other than peanut butter toast (a dive morning staple) for breakfast then ventured out with the Suzuki to do a loop around the west end of the island through Sandy Bay then on to Coxen Hole. We parked the car and took to the streets, stopping at the cruise ship port where we enjoyed an iced coffee and wandered though the air conditioned shops, it was a crazy contrast to the street just outside the gates, we could have been standing in any small port you would see in North America.

We continued to walk through the town of Coxen Hole where Noha snacked on a fresh BBQ cob of corn, then back to the car and  over to Sandy Bay to visit Anthony's Key (from the accommodation short list during the planning stages for the trip). After having seen a good portion of the Island our choice to stay in West Bay was a perfect for the trip we were looking for. Came home, had lunch and lounged for the rest of the afternoon, with Vicky taking a stroll along the beach checking out the debris left behind from the afternoon winds. Back in for 2 dives tomorrow starting at 8:30.

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Day 11: Shark Day

We had an earlier morning today, had to be at the dive shop by 8 to be briefed for our 2 dive day, the first of which was a dive with a group of female carribean reef sharks with 'Roatan Shark Dive'. We had 11 people sign up from the resort so we were able to take our own boat, cruising around the west tip, seeing about a quarter of the island from the ocean. Noha came along for the ride to snap a few photos and enjoy a snorkel at our second dive site, Mary's place. We stopped at the shop where they run the shark dive for the briefing where we learned the do's and dont's for the interaction.

We would all line up on the sandy bottom against a small reef wall to protect us from any current and keep us contained for the divemaster to maintain. Then we would be allowed to swim with the sharks when they came in (also mentioned the obvioius don't try to pet the sharks and keep your hands closer to your body when shooting pics and video). Only one shark came in at first but near the end there were 4 sharks we were able to swim with. They really are amazing and it does feel like you could reach out and touch them, they are that close. The Reef in this area juts out into the open ocean and provides a natural haven for the sharks. They cruise the deep edge of the reef and have developed a learned behaviour that the divers rattler means there may be a small meal to be had in the shallows of the reef (70' for us air breathers). They do feed them a few fish heads from the bucket.
After about 35 minutes, the sharks swam off and we ascended to review the video footage. Between the three of us we got some great shots of our own so didn't need to spend for a DVD. Our second dive was at Mary's Place, a natural set of 1-3 m wide fisures in the reef spaning from 25' to 120' deep. The fish were very abundant and Vicky got here first group of in focus shots of the barber pole shrimp!
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Roatan Videos 01: Hawksbill, Green Moray, Spotted Eagle Ray

Put together a few videos highlights of the diving so far. More to come...

Day 10: Green Moray and Coconut popsicles

Single dive day for Gary and Vicky. One of the best dives for fish abundance, a good selection of all the typical suspects, several groups of Blue Tang's cruisin' by,  a couple of Green Moray Eels, one hangin out in the shallows for our saftey stop . Andy and Noha enjoyed some morning sun around the pool and we all ventured out to the local market for a few groceries, finding ourselves enjoying a pulled pork sandwich for lunch from the deli. Vicky picked up a coconut popsicle for desert, which led to a second late afternoon grocery run so Vicky could stock up with enough coconut popsicles to last the week. Luckly we have a large freezer. :) Dinner in tonight and a good nights sleep as tomorrow should bring some very exciting coverage......

Day 09: Spotted Eagle Rays and Turtles

We all sucked serious air chasing down 3 different Eagle Rays and managed to capture some great video and a couple of nice photos after the third chase back down to 80 feet. Vicky got her first picture of an arrow crab. A few turtles, great abundance of all the usual critteres in the shallows spending the last part dive under 20 ft with the sun shining through.
Another great afternoon on the beach. Noha and Gary out for an afternoon snorkel with a peacock flounder, Disco fish and the longest Blue Tang Highway yet. Back to the Condo for a rum and then out for dinner where we ran across the Hermit Crab stadium where the stakes where high in the 3 race event. Five bucks got you a hermit crab for the race with the grand prize being a $20 bar tab with the rest of the proceeds going to the Roatan womens shelter. We were late for the entry but caught race 2 and 3. Hitting the water for one dive tomorrow and then maybe some exploring on the terrestrial side.

Day 08: Hammerhead and the Hitchhiker

Woke to a SUNNY day! Noha decided to join us on the boat for some snorkelling and to soak up some sun. Dive started out shallow and while swimming out towards the wall a Hammerhead decided to cross our path again! Snapped a few photos but unfortunatley Gary was a little behind taking some macro shots and was unable to catch up and get a video.

Second dive, Andy picked up a hitchhiker, a small sucker fish that we typically see trailing the turtles, decided he liked the shiny tank better. The little guy was with us till the end of the dive and when we shooed him off he found a temporary home on Gary's fin. We took full advantage of the sunny day and had lunch and an afternoon relax on the beach. Andy and Gary headed out for a night shore dive in front of the resort. Another great dinner with fresh grouper topped with curryed apple salsa completmented with a side of cocunut baked rice and of course a fresh salad to top it off.

Day 07: Single Dive and West End

One early dive this morning. Saw many lobster hiding in the coral, a very large crab and a small sea pearl which we never would have noticed had it not been for the keen eye of our dive guide. In the afternoon we took the water taxi back to West End, walked the muddy streets, wandered the beach watching a group of local kids playing and enjoyed a Coke with a view.

 

Day 06: Turtles and Wrecks

Started the day at El Aguila wreck, a 230 foot cargo ship that was salvaged from Utila and sunk in 1997 to form an artificial reef. Mother nature added its influence in the fall of 1998 with Hurricane Mitch that tore the ship into three pieces. Now it has settled and is protected by Lucy the resident Grouper and a large un-named Green Moray eel. We finished the dive off with a cool cave swim through. The second dive took us to Turtle Alley where we hung out with 'Crush' and several of his friends (aka: 4-5 Turtles for those that don't watch Cartoons).

Great dive in the shallow with multitudes of reef fish, juvenile and adult Spotted Drum fish and an amazing crustacean that looked like a piece of seaweed stuck to the coral.  Andy and Gary finished the afternoon off with a guided shore dive in front of Infinity Bay. We want to do some self guided night diving from shore, but there is only a narrow 3m passage through the reef to the outer wall, so you need to hire the local dive master for one dive to get the lay of the land. Looking forward to the night dive, after a family of lobsters and a Green Moray greeted us as we existed the passage. Back on land we had a lazy afternoon, but Noha managed to sneak in a few laps in the pool between afternoon showers.
We ended the evening with a great dinner at 'Bite on the Beach'.



 

Day 05: Hammerhead Shark!

Sunny start to the day. Highlights included Vicky being toasty warm in her new suit and a fleeting glimpse of a 9 foot Hammerhead shark on the first dive. Andy managed to spot, call Vicky and Gary and snap off a quick photo as the shark passed between us and the group in front. Andy and Gary bolted ahead over a small coral head with their computers beeping at them, to see nothing but open ocean. As fast as the shark appeared, it was gone but still an amazing site. We completed dive 2 with all the usual suspects, another great day of diving.

Back to the condo for an afternoon around the pool and a scrumptious lobster dinner by the in house chef. Another two dive morning planned for tomorrow.