Shark Dive Video – Roatan, Honduras

May 20, 2011 - Filed under Scuba Diving, Underwater Photography

Following up on Kellys post about the shark dive we did with Waihuka Dive Center, here’s a quick video I put together from the footage that day. Hope you enjoy!

At Cara a Cara, you descend a line to approximately 20-25 meters to a coral ridge that shelters you from the current. Thankfully, the day the 8 of us went there was no current, so we were able to swim freely with the sharks when they weren’t feeding. The dive master brings down a sealed bucket with a fish head in it. The sharks will swim around you until the bucket is opened at which point, they fight for the fish, then quickly disappear back into the blue. Total dive time was approximately 40 minutes and we saw somewhere between 10 and 14 (Caribbean) grey reef sharks..

Posted by: Shim

Roatan Shark Dive with Waihuka Dive Center

May 9, 2011 - Filed under Scuba Diving, Stuff to do, Underwater Photography

One of the things we wanted to check off our to-do list before leaving Roatan, was the Shark Dive. It was something we wanted to do on our first trip, but somehow time slipped away from us, and we just never got around to it. When we were back this fall we made sure it was a priority.

Pretty much all of the dive shops or resorts on the island can book the Shark Dive for you, but if you’re short on time it might be a good idea to book this in advance, especially if you’re coming in high season, or on a cruise ship day. We purposely booked on a non-cruise ship day, and got really lucky as our group of 6 were the only ones scheduled for that day. Read More…

Posted by: Kelly

The great blog catch up of 2011

May 4, 2011 - Filed under General

No we haven’t fallen off the face of the earth… and no we haven’t stopped traveling. Things have just been a little uneventful over the last 6 months, and I mean that in the best way possible.

When we last left you we had just returned to Roatan for another 3 months. We’d had a great 4 months in Mexico, but were happy to return to Roatan… to familiar faces, and great diving. Work had become busier than ever for both of us and we just sort of fell into a routine. We spent our days working at home, and then usually wandered down to the dive shop for a couple of after-work beers, followed by happy hour at the local beach bar. From there it was either dinner at home, or dinner out… or often a communal cooking night, or BBQ with friends. On weekends we’d go diving, and hang out at the beach, and spend our evenings much the same way as any other night.

Read More…

Posted by: Kelly

The Return to Roatan

October 8, 2010 - Filed under General, Scuba Diving, Travel

When we first came to Roatan, people warned us about the Roatan vortex. Nearly everyone we met told us they had been coming to Roatan for years. Or had come once and never left. And after 3 amazing months on Roatan, it was the first time we were a little reluctant to be moving on. Well, we’re back after 4 months in Belize and Mexico and we’re pretty happy about it. It seems the vortex has sucked us in too.

The first day back, we were just sitting at the dive shop, watching what little traffic there is go by. Adapting back to ‘island time’ hasn’t been hard. It’s nice to be back among the familiar faces in the West End. We made a lot of friends the last time we were here and though many people have come and gone, there’s still a bunch of dive buddies and party pals we’ve reunited with over the last week.


Read More…

Posted by: Shim

The Beers of Honduras and Belize

August 2, 2010 - Filed under Drinks

More interesting flavours from interesting places. This time, we’re posting our review of the beers of Honduras and Belize. Honduras was a surprise after Costa Rica’s range of very similar lagers. We found Honduras had 4 distinctly different lagers that were readily available just about everywhere. Belize was also a hit with two light lagers and a stout.

HONDURAS

Salva Vida

A pale lager brewed by Cerveceria Hondurena in Tegucigalpa (as are the other Honduran beers), ‘Salva Vida’ translates to ‘Life Saver’ in English. It’s the most popular beer in Honduras and you’ll find it everywhere for a dollar in local shops or two dollars in tourist priced areas. With a slightly skunky aroma and a metallic finish, it’s thin yet malty. Darker than the other available lagers. Overall an easily drinkable beer. 4.8% Alcohol. Read More…

Posted by: Shim

Scuba Diving in Roatan, Honduras

May 24, 2010 - Filed under Scuba Diving

When we were planning out the Central American leg of our trip, visiting Roatan was high on the list of destinations. We’ve often heard what a haven for scuba divers it is, both due to the location (a quick 2 hour flight from Miami) and the cost. Roatan is one of the cheapest places to get dive certified in the world and the fun dive prices are also amongst some of the lowest.

When we arrived in Roatan, we found a range of dive shops. From small shore based dinghy operations and speed boats, up to large 20 person capacity boats that will do day trips all over the island. We decided to go with Coconut Tree Divers, one of the larger, central shops which was close to where we were staying. They’re the only shop in the West End that do 4 dives a day which fits well with our shifting schedules during busy work weeks. They’re a highly social bunch and we had many good stories and nights out with our dive masters and fellow divers. They really went out of their way to make sure we were well taken care of from gear to dive site selections.


Read More…

Posted by: Shim

It’s a scuba diver’s scene in Roatan, Honduras

April 28, 2010 - Filed under General, Scuba Diving

We arrived in Roatan in early March just as the last of the seasonal storms were coming through. Scouting out a place to stay for a few months we found a large range of options and locations but we quickly focused on 3 areas on the west side of the island due to their proximity to grocery shopping, beaches, entertainment, and dive shops. The island is quite hilly, so a car or scooter would be a necessity in many areas if you don’t want to be taking a taxi 10 times a day.


Read More…

Posted by: Shim

From Tamarindo, Costa Rica to Roatan, Honduras

March 15, 2010 - Filed under Other, Travel

After 6 months, our time in Costa Rica has come to a close. Last week we woke up early to take the 5am shuttle to Liberia from Tamarindo. Around 9am, we boarded a Ticabus headed to Managua, Nicaragua. A few hours later, we arrived at the Nicaraguan border to find a HUGE line. Spending the next 3 hours frying our brains in the sun while we waited to get our exit visas, then another hour waiting as the Costa Rican DEA randomly selected our bus for a screening, and then another hour getting our entry visas in Nicaragua. During all this, the Canadian men’s final hockey game was going on… something we had realized only a few days earlier. Oops, bad scheduling on our part and we had hoped to make it to our destination on time to catch it. But we did meet a few people on the bus and chatted the hours away.


Read More…

Posted by: Shim