ROATAN, BAY ISLANDS, HONDURAS
FANTASTY ISLAND BEACH RESORT
September 18 – 25, 2004
| Join HUC tripleaders Sarah Lee and Mark Metz as we head off to Roatan, Honduras for your next underwater adventure, staying at Fantasy Island Beach Resort. While there enjoy 5 ½ days of 3 tank boat diving, unlimited shore diving and quiet sandy beaches. Rooms have refrigerators, A/C, private balcony or patio, pool, seaside restaurant, Kayaking and other Water sports, TV, phone and more. Nitrox is available a la carte or for the week. |
| Roatan is noted for its pristine aquamarine waters, lush tropical foliage, hilly terrain staging unparalleled vistas, and a reef system offering protection to its sandy shores. One of the very last "undiscovered" islands of the Caribbean, Roatan is the largest of the eight islands collectively known as Las Islas de la Bahia or the Bay Islands. These islands rest on the Bonacca Ridge, the result of an enormous crack which runs along the ocean floor, about 40 miles northeast of the north coast of Honduras. Lava came up through the crack, which later buckled and formed the Bonacca Ridge. Roatan is 40 miles in length and less than 4 miles wide at its widest point. The beautiful Caribbean island of Roatan offers some of the world’s best diving. The island is surrounded by the world’s second largest coral reef. The Lempira is the official currency, however, the US dollar is widely accepted and English and Spanish are widely spoken. |
| Roatan offers the ultimate getaway. Surrounded by warm Caribbean waters, this island is as picturesque as it is unspoiled. While Roatan’s median temperature is 80 degrees Fahrenheit, its waters are equally warm. Almost-constant trade winds cool the island year-round. The island’s indigenous exotic trees and plants are kept healthy by ample annual rainfall. |
| There is a wide range of dive sites, including wall, reef and wreck. There is excellent diving in the shallow waters with approximately 96% of all species of Caribbean marine life, ranging from flecks of fluorescent organisms to the grandeur of the whale shark, the largest undersea inhabitant in the world, having been observed in the waters neighboring Roatan. Underwater terrain exploration is a spectrum of reefs grooved by angled chutes dropping to the sand. Tunnels, ledges and volcanic mazes extend far into the coral walls forming caverns and cathedrals. Underwater cliffs are draped with a kaleidoscope of hard corals and sponges. Visibility ranges from 65 to 110 feet. Open water currents along the plunging depths of the walls equate to clear visibility. Divers are treated to a dizzying array of reef and pelagic fishes, and because a drop-off is always close, deep water species like dolphins, sharks, manta and eagle rays are prevalent. The majority of dives are made conveniently from boat moors from a few yards to 140 yards offshore. Luckily some of the best reefs on Roatan are a few fin kicks from the shore. Put on the mask, fins, and snorkel and in a matter of seconds you're in an underwater fantasy. |
| TRIP INCLUDES: |
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| We will be leaving Houston Intercontinental on Saturday, September 18th @ 2:45 p.m. arriving in Roatan @ 5:45 p.m. (Roatan is in the Eastern Standard Time zone). Our return flight will be on Saturday, September 25, leaving Roatan @ 10:30 a.m. arriving back in Houston @ 1:25 p.m. |
| For more information contact Trip Leader Mark Metz at 281.580.8838. |