Deb hadn't been to Roatan, and we enjoyed our last trip there in 2009 so we booked a trip aboard the Aggressor .
To the right is a map of our week on the boat.
After enjoying the captions below, you can view larger versions of the photos by clicking on them. This will open a new tab in Google Photos. Use its menu to start a slideshow, or select a photo and press the Info button to view captions and maps. Download the GPX or even KML tracks to fly through our dives with Google Earth.
We abhor red-eyes, so we flew into Atlanta Friday night and got a fairly good night's sleep at the Embassy Suites. The next morning, we caught a flight to Roatan where we arrived almost precisely at the 3:30 dock time.
We set up our gear and got comfy in the salon for a short orientation before dinner. Diving would start the next morning.
The passengers and crew of the Roatan Aggressor, December 15-22, 2018 |
Note the menu and itinerary on the TV in the salon, where we watched "The Martian" (and other movies) |
We took two dives here. I didn't always bring my camera, like on the first dive, and I didn't dive all dives (as Lori and Deb did).
Valley of the Kings map |
Valley of the Kings topside |
Deepwater sea fan (Iciligorgia schrammi) |
The first of many giant barrel sponges (Xestospongia muta) |
Sea plumes and whip corals |
Schoolmaster (Lutjanus apodus) |
Gray angelfish (Pomacanthus arcuatus) |
Plate coral and reef fish |
We had three dives here, including a night dive. It's a nice spot. There was a green moray eel that swam around us non-stop. I first saw it swim under Gabi as she was photographing something, and then it swam about a foot under me as I was photographing the spotted drum.
Pirate's Point |
Pirate's Point topside |
Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) |
Caribbean spiny lobster (Panulirus argus) |
Mutton snapper (Lutjanus analsis) |
An abandoned tractor makes a sound mooring point and a fine artificial reef |
This eel (Gymnothorax funebris) did quite a bit of swimming while we were there |
Plume corals take hold on the tractor |
Corals on the tread in the foreground, Deb photographing sand in the background |
Green moray (Gymnothorax funebris) |
I was bit by threespot damselfish (Stegastes planifrons) several times on this trip |
Lori, Deb, and Bill get ready to dive |
Giant anenome (Condylactis gigantea) |
Pederson cleaner shrimp (Ancylomenes pedersoni) |
Plate corals |
Spotted moray (Gymnothorax moringa) |
While I was shooting this spotted drum (Equetus punctatus)... |
...a green moray swam right under me. Yikes! |
A stoplight parrotfish (juvenile, Sparisoma viride) I think |
Yellowhead jawfish (Opistognathus-aurifrons) |
Sponges encrust the tractor |
Flamingo tongue (Cyphoma gibbosum) |
Giant anenome (Condylactis gigantea) |
Sponge brittle star (Ophiothrix suensoni) |
Cryptic teardrop crab (Pelia mutica) |
Caribbean reef octobpus (Octopus briareus) |
Channel clinging crab (Mithrax spinosissimus) |
Sand diver (Synodus intermedius) |
We dove here a couple of times. Another nice spot with a toad fish and scorpion fish. Later in the week, I could hear a toad fish. It sounds, well, like a toad croaking!
Virginia's Wall |
Virginia's Wall topside |
Spotted scorpionfish (Scorpaena plumieri) |
Lori hovers over a giant barrel sponge (Xestospongia muta) |
Giant barrel sponge and reef fish (Xestospongia muta) |
Beaded crinoid (Davidaster-discoideus) |
We did three dives here, including a night dive. Because it's a wreck, it was very recognizable from our previous visit. I've included a photo for comparison. There has been some growth in the past nine years!
Mr. Bud |
Mr. Bud topside |
Lori and the pilot house |
The deck of Mr. Bud |
Lori and Deb with Mr. Bud (compare growth with our trip from 2009) |
Lori, Bill, Denise, and Steven seize a photo op |
Deb comes around the bow |
Yellowthroat pikeblenny (Chaenopsis limbaughi) |
Bluestriped grunt (Haemulon sciurus) |
Whitenose pipefish (Cosmocampus albirostris) |
Scrawled cowfish (Acanthostracion quadricornis) |
Squat anemone shrimp (Thor amboinensis) with a small crab nearby? |
Squat anemone shrimp (Thor amboinensis) |
Deb shoots the shrimps in the anemone |
Sergeant majors (Abudefduf saxatilis) in the wreck |
Sergeant majors (Abudefduf saxatilis) above the wreck |
Ocean surgeonfish (Acanthurus tractus) |
This sergeant major keeps the deck clean |
I was shooting the squat anemone shrimp in the lower right; I only noticed the other two shrimps (upper left) later |
Cryptic teardrop crab (Pelia mutica) |
We saw these sharpnose puffers (Canthigaster rostrata) everywhere on every dive |
Pygmy filefish (Stephanolepsis setifer) |
A small, transparent blenny |
Even more so |
Pygmy filefish (Stephanolepsis setifer) |
Coral growth on the stern of Mr. Bud |
Giant anenome (Condylactis gigantea) |
Caribbean reef octopus (Octopus briareus) |
A sleeping parrotfish |
Sun anemone shrimp (Periclimenes rathbunae) |
A small hermit crab |
Cryptic teardrop crab (Pelia mutica) |
Giant basket star (Astrophyton muricatum) |
Yellowline arrow crab (Stenorhynchus seticornis) |
Giant basket star (Astrophyton muricatum) |
Mary's Place was, and still is, one of the best dive spots with its topography, swim-throughs, and sea life. And sea horses! We did a couple of dives here.
Mary's Place |
Mary's Place topside, where Barefoot Cay Resort (where we stayed 9 years ago) and its palapa can be seen |
Mary's Place topside, looking more to the east and French Harbour |
Horse-eye jack (Caranx latus) |
Lori swims through a narrow crack |
Giant anenome (Condylactis gigantea) |
Pillar coral (Dendrogyra) |
Brain and rod corals |
Gearing up for the next dive |
Lori looks on while Deb and Gabi discuss the political situation in the Middle East, or perhaps buoyancy tips |
A brown moray, I think |
A magnificent (not just any) feather duster (Sabellastarte magnifica) |
First of many longsnout seahorses (Hippocampus-reidi) seen on this trip |
Bill and his rig |
Beautiful and graceful fairy basslets (Gramma loreto) |
Threespot damselfish (Stegastes planifrons) at a safe distance |
Corals, sponges, and Wanda |
An interesting sponge |
Spotted scorpionfish has excellent camouflage and lips (Scorpaena plumieri) |
Can you see the squat anemone shrimp in this branching anemone (Lebrunia danae)? |
Brain coral and sponges |
Chilling without the camera (photo by Roatan Aggressor) |
Another nice spot. Dove a couple of dives here.
40' Point |
40' Point topside |
Janna, Sherryany, and Gabi |
Lori looks on while Jim completes his log |
German and Eddy in the pilot house |
Janna barbecues |
Lori takes the plunge |
Longsnout seahorse (Hippocampus reidi) |
Stoplight parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) |
Coral polyp detail |
A memorial for Tulio Gomez, a divemaster and friend of Jesse's, who died from a heart attack here |
Coral and encrusting sponges |
Atlantic trumpetfish (Aulostomus maculatus) |
Shortfinger neck crab (Podochela sidneyi) |
Longsnout seahorse (Hippocampus reidi) |
Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus) |
Black grouper (Mycteroperca bonaci) |
Others have really loved this place and spent the entire day here. Since there are lots of fish, I can see that, but we had quite a bit of current, which made for a short dive, a lot of effort, and few photos. During the first dive, we kicked against it, and then used the mooring line during our safety stop. Without gloves. Our hands are just now, 10 days later, getting over it. For the second dive, we did a drift dive over the entire sea mount and I left my camera behind, so it was a whole lot more relaxing.
Cayos Cochinos |
Cayos Cochinos islands and Honduras mainland beyond |
Jim hides behind the spadefish (Chaetodipterus faber) |
Yet another giant barrel sponge (Xestospongia muta) |
These plate corals have some pink stuff growing in them |
Barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) |
Quite the contrast from Cayos Cochinos! No current, and lots of tourists in the water in little bubbles. Quite humorous. This was a lovely little spot with lots to see, and navigation was a cinch. We did three dives here, but I skipped the night dive (after dinner).
Mandy's Eel Garden |
Tourists view the reef from jet-propelled bobbing pods |
Lori gets ready to go and... |
...she goes! |
Garden eels (Heteroconger) |
Banded coral shrimp (Stenopus hispidus) |
Blue chromis (Chromis cyanea) |
Spotted trunkfish (Lactophrys bicaudalis) |
More corals |
A nice bommie |
Lots of stunning indigo hamlets (Hypoplectrus indigo) on this trip |
We did a couple of dives here. Gabi went shallow and avoided the current. Jesse kicked against the current and then drifted back to the boat. Fortunately they had set up a tag line so we didn't have to grab the mooring line for our safety stop. I left my camera behind on these dives.
Lighthouse Reef |
Lighthouse Reef topside |
The crew found a respite from the current. This was a nice spot. We did three dives here, although I skipped the night dive.
Tavianna's Wall |
Tavianna's Wall topside |
Banded coral shrimp (Stenopus hispidus) with clutch of eggs |
Shortfinger neck crab (Podochela sidneyi) |
Juvenile bluehead (Thalassoma bifasciatum) |
A juvenile three-spot damselfish peeks out of his coral garden |
Massive sponges |
Sailfin blenny (Emblemaria pandionis) |
Bill & Lori |
Very healthy corals |
Graysby (Cephalopholis cruentata) |
A beautiful, but invasive, red lionfish (Pterois volitans) |
A lovely little coral |
Lori and Deb take a night dive with Gale and Richard |
We did our last couple of dives at Calvin's Crack. I sat these dives out as a pinched nerve in my neck kept me from feeling "dive-ready."
We then headed back to the dock where we saw John again (he first swam out to the boat when we were at Mandy's Eel Garden). He now manages the Roatan Aggressor. We first met him as a divemaster on the Cayman Aggressor in 2012!
After the cocktail party and awards, we went to Gio's for dinner where I had a huge king crab. Lots of food. Lots of fun.
The next day, we killed a few hours at the Pineapple Villas in the hot tub, sauna, steam room, and pool, and had a decent lunch at the Herby's Sports Bar & Grill before our flight back to the US.
Calvin's Crack |
Calvin's Crack topside |
My Leukotape was a big hit |
Our tour of Roatan |
Stuff we saw |
Captain Eddy, engineer German, and divemaster Jesse |
We disembark the Aggressor |
Wanda, Gale, Lori, Deb, Bill, Richard, Eric, Bryan, Jim, Tom |
Deb and Lori make use of the facilities at the Pineapple Villas before our flight home |
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Copyright © 2018 Bill Wohler Last modified: Sun Dec 30 16:00:02 PST 2018 About photos |
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