Well ... diving in 2020 was definitely an ADVENTURE! Lar & I left in late Feb and stayed until the end of March for Roatan. We spent a week with our friends Josh and Kim Palermo at Sandy Bay at the Blue Bahia resort. AWESOME place to stay. Our old friends at Roatan Divers were in their second year at the expansion dive shop and took great care of us diving.
We moved the second & third week to stay with our friends at Turquoise Bay ... further NE up the Roatan coast's northern side. Again, the dive time there took great care of us. We visited many of our favorite sites ... like Dolphin's Den and several new sites. Dove the Odyssey once again and penetrated her. Video below.
Then we came "home" to CORVID 19 pandemic! The day we flew back most states were closing down all business locations and mandatory masks were order of the day!
One casualty that came just days later was the CANCELATION the my June 2020 trip to Little Cayman Island with my friend Dale Purchase. First it was postponed until December 2021 ... and then once again and is scheduled for June 2022. Can't wait for that trip!!!
But below find some images and videos from our 2020 Roatan trip. Included below are file links to three videos ... each about 18 minutes in duration. Each video covers about one week of the three weeks we were on Roatan. This is a great way to visit Roatan and see not only the diving, but many other activities that you can partake on the island
o Roatan Part I 2020 - Sandy Bay - Mike & Larry FINAL
o Roatan Part II-1 2020 - Turquoise Bay - Mike & Larry FINAL
o Roatan Part II-2 2020 - Turquoise Bay - Mike & Larry FINAL
One other thing. The "map" on this header page was my initial attempt to map out Dolphin's Den dive site. It is so named as dolphin bones have frequently been found on the floor of the main "cavern" within the cave/tunnel system. Typically you will dive a "loop" entering the cavern system, exit on other side of the reef and then re-enter ... finally exiting the cavern where you originally entered. This map was a good first attempt. In some ways I think it is more accurate in some parts than my second more "methodical" attempt in 2021. Oh, well. There is always 2022 where we already have reservations! This is an OUTSTANDING dive. But, approximately 60% of the cavern system is pitch dark or at least very dark. Definitely need lights. And there are many places where you need to "squeeze" through to progress (and alternatively exit). This leaves about 40% of the round trip with moderately small to some medium holes that let in light from the reef above you. The main "den" has the largest overhead opening and is well lit during the day.
Diving the Roatan shipwreck Odyssey March 2020
Here is a short video of Larry & Mike diving on and penetrating the Roatan Odyssey shipwreck. Fun dive ... we have been on it at least 3-4 times in the last five years. Nice and "clean" so easy to penetrate. Generally lots of fish inside. It is fairly deep resting in 110' of water but much of your dive will be at or above 100'. Bottom time is short for a "no deco" dive so typically they take divers to a nearby reef after leaving the wreck for a shallow reef experience. Lar & I have seen some really neat and fun things on this reef ... including a stingray that the divers "woke up" and startled apparently. He did about three fast 360 degree turns chasing his tail before taking off with RETRO rockets and at blistering speed over a nearby reef and out of site in just a few moments. Visibility can be spotty! We've seen it great and we've seen it poor.
But, the biggest negative is the wreck is very popular so the boat tie off buoys are frequently all taken (which can result in a long swim to the wreck and burn a lot of gas just getting to/from), and we've seen thirty or more divers on the wreck at one time. It also works well for "wreck diving certification" ... so it is a training wreck and we've been overrun with novice wreck divers slamming into you and pushing you around as they try to "run lines" etc. Do try to dive it ... it is always worth the effort!
But, the biggest negative is the wreck is very popular so the boat tie off buoys are frequently all taken (which can result in a long swim to the wreck and burn a lot of gas just getting to/from), and we've seen thirty or more divers on the wreck at one time. It also works well for "wreck diving certification" ... so it is a training wreck and we've been overrun with novice wreck divers slamming into you and pushing you around as they try to "run lines" etc. Do try to dive it ... it is always worth the effort!