Scuba Diving

Location:
Roatán, Honduras

Diving

By Laura Watilo Blake

"A bad day diving is better than a good day at work," says a sticker on the dock at Anthony's Key Resort. But, I don't believe there is ever a bad day of diving on the island of Roatan.

Throughout the week, we were treated to a healthy barrier reef (the second largest in the world after the Great Barrier Reef) chocked full of pillar, tube and barrel sponges "you can fit a cow in," magestic eagle rays, lobsters, green moray eels, barracuda, parrotfish, gigantic grouper and variety of tropical fish that I can't identify--despite having gone to the "School of Fish," an informative fish identification class that is presented once a week at AKR.

The highlight was seeing the spotted eagle ray with its six-foot wingspan. It caught one glimpse of us and turned around and shot off deeper into the abyss, and we headed in the opposite direction--back to the surface--with a renewed fondness for underwater exploration.

Getting There
You can fly to Roatan from various gateways in the U.S., including New York and Houston. Or take the ferry from the mainland of Honduras at La Ceiba (one hour).

Travel Tips: You can earn beginner or advanced scuba certifications during your stay. Some dives qualify toward certification if you choose to get it elsewhere.

Price Description: The base rate for a week-long stay, which includes accommodation, food and diving is $1160 per person based on double occupancy. That's $165 per day.

Relative price: Mid-Range

Travel Skills: intermediate/somewhat difficult.

You Need to Bring: Keep costs down by bringing your own dive equipment. But they do offer full-service rentals.

To See and Do: West End, a short taxi ride from Anthony's Key, has restaurants and bars. Also, more budget accommodations and dive shops.

Contact Information:
URL: www.anthonyskey.com