I’m not big on trying new dive destinations. I find a place I like and get comfortable. I love the Bay Islands and have been diving Roatan for over 20 years. It’s quick and easy to get to—I can board the plane in Houston in the morning and be in the water that afternoon. But with this ease of accessibility has come more crowds and reefs that are starting to show it. Unfortunately, it just isn’t the Roatan of 20 years ago.

Last fall, I took a day trip from Roatan to Guanaja, one of the lesser known of the Bay Islands. I couldn’t wait to get back for a full week. In February I made my return visit and, despite my love for Roatan, I think I’ve found my favorite Caribbean dive spot.

Located east of Roatan, the island of Guanaja was first discovered by Columbus during his fourth and last voyage to the Americas. It has the highest elevation of the Bay Islands and is mostly covered by Caribbean pine. It still has that pristine quality that makes it a diamond in the rough for a vacation. You may recall that Hurricane Mitch did a number on this island a few years ago, but little evidence remains and the island and its surrounding waters are amazing.

So much for history and geography, let’s talk diving.

As it often happens in the dive community, I met Coral Bay dive operations owner and sales manager Bill Blakey through a random sequence of events. And, man, I’m glad I did. Bill is a “diver’s diver”—easy-going, been diving and teaching forever, and happens to run a 5-Star dive operation in one of the least likely places you’d expect to find one.

Guanaja boasts numerous unique features. It has a canal running through the middle of the island, so if it’s rough on one side of the island you just motor through to the other side where the water is calm. Since the diving on both sides is excellent, the only sacrifice you make is a few minutes in the boat to get to calmer waters.

The Dives

On the first morning our group of four boarded the resort boat to find that we had the whole thing to ourselves. The boat is large enough to easily handle 12–14 without anyone feeling cramped. Our gear had been set up on steel tanks (hardcore divers will appreciate diving with steel) which were always filled to 3000 psi. The added bonus of diving with steel tanks was that after the first dive everyone was dropping weight and diving without hauling lead. There’s a fresh water rinse hose on the boat so you can rinse gear—and yourself—right on the boat between dives. Travel time to the dive sites was minimal. While we got to choose when and where we wanted to go, the normal diving schedule is two dives in the morning, return to the resort for lunch, followed by an afternoon dive. There’s also a mid-week night dive and an option to take a day trip to island of Barbareta.

We visited, in no particular order: Tito’s Labrynth and Black Rock (massive swim through type sites)
Bayman Bay
Paradise
Pinnacles
Wonderful Reef
Jim Silver Lode
Alderson’s
and, Diane’s Reef, just to name a few.

Even though I thought I knew what to expect, I was completely surprised at the diversity and overall health of the reefs. The sites are numerous, diverse, pristine, secluded and teeming with life. You’ll find swim-throughs, coral heads, caverns and wrecks all in such close proximity you could get spoiled by so many choices.

The Resort

The rooms at Coral Bay are situated on a hillside with spectacular ocean views. The accommodations are basic: one or two double beds, TV, small refrigerator, fans and air conditioner. I turned off the AC the first night and ended up not having to use it the rest of the week. All the rooms have large decks where you can relax with your coffee in the morning or read in the afternoon. The restaurant is located a short distance from the rooms and is just above the bar and pool. When I first saw the resort I admit I wasn’t overly impressed by the pool. After all, why would you need or want a pool after a day of diving? I was so wrong. We ended the day with a cannon ball competition from jumping off the overhang just above the deep end. Then it was time to relax, rinse off, and share an adult beverage while we talked about the day’s diving.

Getting There

Guanaja is remote. There are several options to get there from the mainland. Initially I was worried about transfers from Roatan to Guanaja, but it worked perfectly. We took a Continental flight out of Houston to Roatan and Bill arranged for us to be met at the airport to take us to Oak Ridge port. We boarded the resort dive boat there and set off for Guanaja. This route treated us to scenic views of Roatan, the island shore of Barbareta, and the approach to Guanaja.

If you’re one of those who want to travel off the beaten path and experience one of the last remaining unspoiled islands of the Caribbean, head to Guanaja. It’s still removed from the confines of civilization with no cars and all travel by boat. The island offers white sand beaches, cascading waterfalls, and diving virgin coral reefs.

Come with us August 16–23 to experience a new and yet undiscovered dive destination—Coral Bay Resort, Guanaja, Bay Islands.