Roatan Marine Life
What can I see on my Roatan Dive Trip?
Unlike some diving destinations, there isn’t a best season for diving in Roatan. It’s always great! The marine life around the island is here year-round. Roatan is neatly situated on the Meso-American Barrier Reef (MAR) in the Caribbean Sea, where divers regularly encounter calm, clear waters and temperatures ranging from 77-87F. These conditions make Roatan the perfect place to see pelagics down to the nearly microscopic.
Stay with us and discover the 10 most common marine life that awaits you in Roatan.
Roatan Marine Life:
#1 - Turtles
At Roatan, you're sure to have an unforgettable turtle experience! These graceful creatures are among the most common marine life you'll encounter during your dives here in Roatan.
If your dream is to swim alongside a graceful turtle, Roatan is your destination!
The most common turtles’ species in Roatan are the Hawksbill and Green Turtles. Both can be seen at any dive site around the island. Turtles like to feed on sponges, sea grasses, and jellies, so look for them on the reef, but with a close eye because their shells give them excellent camouflage. Luckily, our dive guides are experts at spotting turtles!
Hawksbill Turtles
Hawksbill Turtles are named for their sharp, pointy beaks which they use to chomp on the Leathery Barrel Sponges found all around the island.
📸 Deep UW Photos
Green Turtles
Green Turtles are recognizable for their round, smooth shells, which usually look freshly polished. They eat seagrass and jellyfish.
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Loggerhead Turtle
While not common, encountering a Loggerhead Turtle in Roatan is not unheard of. Loggerheads are notable for their short, thick neck and bulbous heads. Their shells are often covered with barnacles.
#2 - Rays
Another breathtaking sight commonly encountered in Roatan are the rays. The two most frequently spotted species while diving here are the majestic eagle rays and the graceful southern stingrays.
Spotted Eagle Rays
Spotted Eagle Rays are commonly sighted around West End Wall and the Blue Channel/Chris Fischer area, but can be seen anywhere around the island. They feed in the sand, but you will often see them soaring overhead. Eagle rays have white bellies and black backs with white spots. Their spots are as unique as a fingerprint and can be used to identify them.
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Southern Stingrays
Southern Stingrays are usually found hiding or hunting in the sand but can also be seen swimming low over corals near sandy areas. They are brownish-gray and have large, protruding eyes. Their snout and fin tips are pointed.
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Caribbean Whiptail Stingray
You can also see the Caribbean Whiptail Stingray in Roatan. This stingray looks and acts very similar to the southern stingray, except that its eyes are flat and its body is more circular than the Southern Stingray.
#3 - Eels
Green Moray Eel
This is the most common type of eel you will see in Roatan. Green eels can be seen hiding under reef structures or free-swimming while they hunt over the reef. Green eels are easily recognizable by their dark green color with no distinct markings.
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Spotted Eel
While not as common as the Green Moray, you can see Spotted Eels around Roatan. Spotted Morays are smaller than green eels and as their name suggests, are covered in black spots.
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#4 - Grouper
Nassau Grouper
Nassau Grouper are seen in Roatan and identified by their 1 meter/3 foot-size and five dark brown/reddish bosrs on their body. Nassau Grouper are now listed as critically endangered due to overfishing.
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Tiger Grouper
Tiger Grouper are similarly sized to Nassau Grouper, but are distinct because of their thin white bars and orange-brown spots (not seen on Nassau Grouper).
There are many more grouper species on the island, such as the Yellowfin Grouper, Black Grouper, Yellowmouth Grouper, and on very rare occasions, Goliath Grouper.
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#5 - Squid
Caribbean Reef Squid
The most common squid in Roatan is the Caribbean Reef Squid. These social creatures hail from the same family as octopuses and therefore have 8 arms. Squid have huge eyes -the largest eye-to-body ratio in the animal kingdom! You’ll usually find squid in groups of dozens, and frequently, lined up in neat rows.
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#6 - Octopuses
If you do a night dive in Roatan, you have a very high chance of seeing an octopus or two or three! To participate in night dives, you will need your Advanced Open Water certificate.
Caribbean Reef Octopus
The octopus you’re most likely to see on your dives is the Caribbean Reef Octopus, identifiable by its greenish-blue body, rapid color changes, and distinct ring around the eyes. They can be spotted gliding over coral heads as they hunt for fish and crabs.
#7 - Sharks
Roatan is home to a diverse range of shark species, though sightings are not so frequent. If you're fortunate enough, you might encounter a Nurse Shark, a Lemon Shark or even better, a Hammerhead .
Nurse Sharks
Nurse Sharks are relatively common in Roatan, though it is far from guaranteed that you will see one. This is one of the few shark species that doesn’t need to swim to breathe, so you’ll often find them sleeping in the nooks and crannies of the reef walls. You’ll recognize this gentle creature by its “whiskers” and long, curved tail fin.
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If you’re very lucky, you might see a Great Hammerhead Shark when diving in Roatan. In West End, these impressive creatures have been spotted both in the deep blue and over shallow reefs. You’ll recognize the Hammerhead immediately by the shape of its head and placement of the eyes.
Lemon sharks are sometimes sighted at Pigeon Cay, one of the day-trip excursions you can book for your group. This dive site is known for its stunningly clear water, white sands, and very high likelihood of seeing sharks and rays.
For the first time in years, we even had Whale Sharks in the final days of December 2024! It is unknown if this was a fluke migration event or a sign that Whale Sharks are returning to the area. We consider ourselves lucky but don’t expect sightings.
#8 - Dolphins/Whales
On days with very still waters, you could get lucky and spot dolphins or pilot whales. Both are more likely to be spotted in deeper waters, so our captains’ expertly trained eyes are always on the lookout from the boa
Bottlenose Dolphins are highly social animals and travel in pods of usually a dozen or so, but pods can be as large as hundreds of dolphins. Bottlenose dolphins are gray with a short beak.
Short-Finned Pilot Whales look extremely similar to dolphins but are about twice the size and have a rounded face more similar to a killer whale than a Bottlenose or Spinner Dolphin. Pilot Whales are often sighted regularly by divers for a week or two, then not seen for a while.
#9 - Cleaning Stations
Cleaning stations are a common sight in Roatan, but you have to be still and pay attention to notice them. It’s common to see parrotfish, grouper, and other fish species hanging vertically with their gills open. Get closer to marine life and have a better chance at spotting cleaning stations by improving your buoyancy.
#10 - Corals & Sponges
Situated on the Meso-American Barrier Reef, Roatan is home to unique coral structures. Many dives run along the reef wall, which can start anywhere from 15ft deep and drop down to hundreds of feet. The reef wall is home to a huge range of coral species such as Brain, Star, Lettuce, Fire, Elkhorn and Staghorn corals. There are also beautiful soft corals like Sea Fans, Gorgonians, and Rods.
The island is home to huge Barrel Sponges that are hundreds of years old, as well as the almost-neon Iridescent Vase Sponge. Roatan is home to many different Encrusting, Rope, Ball, and Tube Sponges.
Learn and have a lot of fun with Roatan Divers
Roatan Divers is strategically located in the West End and you will need about 10 to 15 minutes of navigation to reach all these dive sites.
We have our own dock and 4 dive boats to accommodate our divers at every level and interest, but spots fill up fast. Be sure to book your trip in just a few clicks via our online booking form. You can let us know any courses you’re interested in and how long you plan to stay, and we will design the rest!
Roatan Divers is proud to offer a boutique diving experience to our clients, and we have been awarded a 2024 TripAdvisor Traveler’s Choice Award. Still not sure about booking with us? Please feel free to check out our nearly 1,500 TripAdvisor reviews, or reach out directly to ask your specific questions.
