A Solo Dive Trip: Return to Roatàn
It is little wonder that the Caribbean Islands off Honduras beckon scuba divers to their shores and into their waters. As we found out on our first trip there last December (Diving Trip to Roatàn), some of the healthiest, most beautiful underwater scenery can be found in offshore Roatàn. I returned there alone in June to learn more about those environments and the get certified for some new dive skills. This trip was a contrast with my recent trip to Maui (Solo Dive Trip to Maui), where is saw tons of endemic fish but a less colorful reef life. Also, it was a return to standard scuba diving after being certified for the newer Avelo system.
I wanted to learn more about reef life, and 3 of the 5 courses I chose (Underwater Photography, Underwater Video, and Underwater Naturalist) offered me a different perspective on the invertebrate and vegetative life that make up a major part of the reef. The instructors encouraged me look harder at the corals, sponges and algae that are foundational, which gave me additional appreciation for the lighting, the shapes and the water conditions that are so enticing.
Bryony Costello (she goes by B) taught the video and photography courses. She wanted me to capture different views of the reef, concentrate on shapes and lighting. We shot with the sun at our backs as well as higher contrast photos into the sun. We experimented with close shots and distant ones; shallow and deep shots. We also tried to capture subjects that were backed by “the blue”, looking away from the reef. We also visited a reef reclamation project, where volunteers with the Roatàn Maritime Park established a nursery of young Elkhorn Coral that could be added to reefs that might be losing health.
A Photo Gallery of Underwater Shapes
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After we were done with our 4 dives, we discussed and practiced some color-grading techniques to mitigate the loss of accurate coloring under water.
Roy Williams guided me on the 2 Underwater Naturalist dives which were a concentration on all the relationships of the various lifeforms of the reef, especially the symbiotic ones.
A Video Gallery of Underwater Shapes and Lighting
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Roy was also my instructor for two other dive specialties: Drift Diver (2 dives) and Search and Recovery (SAR, 4 dives). Drift Diver was designed to teach the skills needed to dive in currents against which it would be hard to navigate. SAR concentrated on learning search patterns and tools for finding and safely retrieving lost items underwater. The SAR dives were my favorites, probably because I had negative expectations before the dives but came away with new skills and confidence because of Roy’s instruction and the experience of that course.
Not A Resort Trip
There was no resort associated with this trip. The specialty courses were held under the auspices of The Roatàn Dive Center, which had one of its shops at Casa Escondida, a “boutique hotel” in West Bay, Roatàn. This 4-room “hotel” proved to be more charming on the web site photos than it was in person, lacked the restaurant that it had advertised, and offered few amenities. It was on a picturesque beach, however, that was surrounded by resorts with restaurants, which is where I ate my meals. (I was there to dive, not hang out in a jacuzzi sipping Pina Coladas).
A Photo Gallery from West Bay, Roatàn
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The Allure of Caribbean Sunsets
I found it hard not to take photos of the sunsets since one night always seemed better than the one before it. Unless you are also a fan of these wonders of nature, you can stop reading here.
Below are sunset photos from 3 different nights. I was entranced by the effect of the sunsets on the clouds.
The bottom gallery is the same night as the one before it only taken an hour or so later. If you hover over each image you will see it expand and if you click on an image you can see a slideshow of larger images.
