Diving the World’s Second Largest Barrier Reef

When sequestration hit this federal employee with a self-diagnosed travel bug, there was really no other logical thing to do than plan a furlough-cation on a budget. I’d been itching to dive, since it had been about a year since my last SCUBA adventure, and since Nick isn’t a diver, it made perfect sense to take my extra (unpaid) time off without him and head to the nearest, most affordable diving spot. One Facebook post later, and I was pretty much convinced that the Honduran Bay Islands were the place to go.

The clearest, calmest water ever!

While mainland Honduras doesn’t attract a ton of visitors compared to its Central American neighbors, the Bay Islands are most definitely a destination. There are several islands off the Caribbean Coast of Honduras that make up the Bay Islands, but the most well known are Roatán and Útila, and as I quickly discovered, diving is the main attraction here. Located near the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef (the second largest barrier reef in the world after Australia’s Great Barrier Reef!), it’s no wonder people come from all over the place to dive here.

So I found a free flight using frequent flier miles (Delta and United each had one for 35,000 RT!), decided to stay in a bungalow near the nicest beach in Roatán and dug up my PADI ID. I mentioned to my mom that I was headed to somewhere that had a stretch of sand, and she immediately wanted in, so off we were!

Sunset Over West Bay

I am generally not a huge fan of the Caribbean– something about it just screams cheesy, lazy  package tourists, and all-inclusive resorts with no soul– but I enjoyed a visit to Little Corn Island (off the coast of Nicaragua) a few years ago, so I thought perhaps I would not be disappointed in the Bay Islands. My mom and I were immediately relieved when we arrived and saw how casual West Bay was. Despite having a couple higher end hotels, the place just has an incredibly easy-going attitude, the beaches are not private or roped off, and tourists and locals alike play soccer on the sand, take strolls up and down the 1-mile stretch of beach, and spend the afternoon snorkeling until 4 p.m. hits and it’s time to enjoy happy hour rum punch!

Enjoying a Walk on the Beach

Our evenings were spent first watching the sunset, and then deciding what seafood we wanted to feast on. We met another awesome mother-daughter duo, Linda and Sara, who were staying at our bungalows and celebrating Linda’s 60th. We immediately hit it off, and spent many evenings having dinner, trying out all the run concoctions, and singing karaoke in the nearby town of West End.

Linda and Heide Having a Laugh

Our one day trip was to Cayos Cochinos, a nearby archipelago that is inhabited by a small community of garifunas, who’ve lived there for hundreds of years. Most of the islands are uninhabited, a few are privately owned, and all seem like the perfect location for a season of Survivor. We spent the day snorkeling,  eating a home-cooked seafood lunch, and diving.

One of the Cayos Cochinos

Speaking of diving, let’s not forget the whole point of this trip: spending as much time underwater as possible. And that’s exactly what I did. I dove twice a day, and the diving really was excellent. The main attraction is a plethora of colorful fish (think angelfish, parrotfish, etc.), but I saw hawksbill turtles on almost every dive, and encountered some huge lobsters, green morays, and eagle rays a few times as well.  The massive corals and sponges were beautiful, and just as interesting to observe than the critters. It’s hard to explain why us divers strap on heavy equipment and shell out a bunch of cash to spend 45 minutes  breathing underwater, but to me it’s one of the most relaxing and exciting things at the same time. It really is a whole different planet down there, one that is simultaneously awe-inspiring and gorgeous to look at. For those of you who have always  been too scared to try it, I have one thing to say: my 70-year-old mom tried diving and LOVED it. She picked it up really quickly and had the time of her life. So what are you waiting for?

Don’t be too jealous of this hair!

Click here to view the photo gallery for this post

 


Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Proudly powered by WordPress