The Barrier Reef – Sandy Bay Roatan

The Roatan Reef, the world’s second largest Barrier Reef, is right off Seadancers’ sandy beach on the North Shore of Roatan.  Visability can be expected in the 70 to 100+ foot range.

This reef is snorkeling distance from our dock and provides a wealth of sea life, in a safe and shallow environment.  You may see Turtles, Eagle Rays, Grouper, Lobster, Conch, Moray and schools and schools of fish.

Days can be spent exploring the coral heads, reef and shallows on this reef.  We are pleased that our beach front reef is part of the Roatan Marine Reserve.  This effort, along with conscientious snorkelers and divers will keep this reef pristine for years to come.

For the more serious divers, you can snorkel either of the two cut channels with their magnificent walls.  Continue on and dive the exterior reef wall drop-offs and the Odyssey Wreck just to the ocean side.

There are many accessible dive site right in front of Seadancer and up and down the reef.  Some of the popular sites are listed below.

‘Dive Boat on the Odyssey Wreck behind the SeaDancer Dock’

Odyssey Wreck

Min Depth 50ft / 15m; Max Depth 115ft / 34m; Ave Depth 110 Ft / 33m

Measuring 300 feet from bow to stern, 50 feet across, and 85 feet high, The Odyssey is Roatan's largest shipwreck.  As you descend, you will see the top of the wheelhouse peeking out from the depths.  You will start to realize the size of this wreck. The sixty-foot-high wheelhouse rests at a 60 degree angle on a 110ft (33m) bottom and offers incredible swim-thru’s.  The wreck offers a multi-level profile to you to explore in its three sections.  The stern has rotated which allows for a shallow access at 65ft (19m) at the top railing. Both the stern and wheelhouse offer excellent penetration opporunities

Four Sponges & Alvin’s Crack

Min Depth 30ft / 10m; Max Depth 130ft / 40m; Ave Depth 100 Ft / 30m

Starting just beneath the mooring line, several swim-thru’s at 10m/30ft line snake their way through the front of this reef. The wall is marked by wide sandy chutes as overlapping plate corals gradually give way to the Cayman Trench. Midnight parrotfish, Nassau groupers, and turtles frequent the large barrel sponges the 24-30m/80-100ft depth range while king crabs and spotted moray eels hide in the shadows.

To the northeast lies "Alvin's Crack," a 30m/100ft deep slice through the fore reef.  This sheer chasm stands in stark contrast to the relatively flat shallows overhead. Look the resident blue chromis near the entrance and for toadfish and greater soapfish hiding along the rocky floor. The shallows range from 10-14m/30-50ft and are most known for an abundance of juvenile and intermediate-phase fish. Keep your eyes out for spotted drums just starting to develop their spots and for French angelfish still bearing the vertical yellow stripes of infancy.

What you may find: Turtles, Nassau groupers, black grouper, midnight parrotfish, blue parrotfish, king crabs, spotted moray eels, spotted drums, toadfish, blue chromis, silversides

Wrasse Hole

Min Depth 30ft /106m; Max Depth 100ft / 30m; Ave Depth 100 Ft / 30m

A great repeat dive site.  Wrasse Hole is a maze of swim-thru’s.  Huge plate coral formations shelter southern stingrays and nurse sharks. The sheer wall is perforated by countless interconnected channels; look for tiny lettuce sea slugs inching along the bottom as you make your way through this coral maze.

The 30ft shallows back up against a steep interior wall full of crevices, caverns, and caves. Take an underwater light to reveal these dark holes to be rife with lobsters, king crabs, and glassy sweepers. Ever-curious black groupers and dog snappers mingle with scrawled filefish amongst the undulating sea fans. Pelagic life occasionally ventures into these shallows; watch for an oceanic triggerfish or eagle ray to swoop in from the blue for a surprise visit. Of course, with so many swim-thru’s to explore you may not notice a free-diving turtle dropping in for a sponge-flavored snack.

What you may find: nurse sharks, southern stingrays, eagle rays, lettuce sea slugs, lobsters, king crabs, glassy sweepers, black groupers, dog snappers, oceanic triggerfish, turtles, silversides

One step away from our pristine underwater paradise!