Lionfish are very much on the “green” list on Roatan, so the Roatan Marine Park has created a Bay Islands Lionfish Spearing License workshop to teach you more about the lionfish invasion and how to spear them in an environmentally conscious way.
Do you love diving in Roatan, have you been to all the best dive sites the island has to offer? We doubt that as there are just too many. However there are still some that are less frequented than others. The seamounts of Cayos Cochinos (a deep reef formed by underwater mountain ranges) called Roatan Banks, which is located halfway between Roatan and Cayos Cochinos (a group of islands located between Roatan and the mainland of Honduras). This is a relatively unexplored area and you are basically guaranteed a fantastic dive, with loads of fish, current, and amazing, healthy, vibrant coral. We’ve been lucky enough to spot sharks and massive eagle rays, as well as large schools of creole wrasse, southern sennet and horse-eye jack.
The seamounts of Cayos Cochinos are a special two-tank trip that will leave you in awe. As the seamounts are located 18 miles off the point of Roatan, the trip is very weather dependent, but it's an awesome trip and an incredible experience. We do two dives out at the seamounts and go fishing during the surface interval, so there's a good chance for fresh sashimi between dives. This is the one trip where we don't stick to a strict time schedule, so if the fishing is good or a whaleshark, or or a pod of dolphins pops up we are there to enjoy it! The trip normally heads out around 8:00AM, and we are back some time between 1:30 and 2PM.
The seamounts trip is $110 for a two-tank trip, including the first dive on Enriched Air Nitrox if you're certified for it. We take minimum 4 people, maximum eight, but believe us, it's really easy to get that together. The seamounts can have strong currents, so you need to be an advanced diver for this trip. Check out UMI Productions' video for the seamounts of Cayos Cochinos, as well as their videos for the other dive sites we have to offer, and start planning your trip to Roatan!
Guys, it's getting hot right now. And still. And you know what that means...special trips to the seamounts of Cayos Cochinos will be getting underway again!
The seamounts of Cayos Cochinos are located 29 km/18 miles off the western point of Roatan and are a part of a series of underwater mountains that rise up between Roatan and Cayos Cochinos. None of the mounts break the surface, with the diveable mounts peaking between 21m/70ft and 12m/40 feet in depth. With all the currents moving through that area and the nutrient-rich water swelling up from the depths, the coral at the seamounts is healthy and vibrant, and you have the opportunity to see lots of different schools of fishing hanging out off the reef as they feed.
When the weather is right for it, we run special two-tank charter trips to the seamounts of Cayos Cochinos. We do two fabulous dives and spend our surface interval fishing and looking for whalesharks and dolphins. As the currents can be strong, it's important to be an experienced and comfortable diver certified to 30m/100ft to ensure that you get the most out of your experience. So check out our video of the seamounts and see if this trip sounds fun to you!
Please contact us for more information regarding these special two-tank trips, and let us help you experience the best of the Bay Islands!
Now, we know that Roatan is famous for it's cool topography, healthy coral and abundance of turtles and schools of fish, but did you know that Roatan has interesting macro life as well?
Follow us as we explore Roatan's macro world at Willy's Wonder, Butcher's Bank and Lighthouse Reef. Whether you're over the sand or on the wall, there are always amazing things to see!
Episode 2: Macro Welcome to "Top Sites Roatan", an exciting new project between UMI Productions and the Roatan Travel Network! On "Top Sites Roatan", we will guide you on some of Roatan's famous dive sites and introduce you to some of their hidden secrets.
What are you waiting for? Head down to Roatan and see it for yourselves!
