Eons ago during the last Ice Age, an ancient waterfall cut a massive gorge through the very foundations of the island of Roatan. Millennia later, the ten-storey canyon at Spooky Channel rests just under the ocean surface, inviting Advanced Open Water Divers to shine their torches into this monolithic marvel. You begin the dive in murky green shallows of the Sandy Bay lagoon. The eerie visibility for which this site earns its “spooky” status will gradually engulf you as you follow the rocky bottom deeper into the grotto. You’ll feel almost overwhelmed as the channel walls slowly rise and close in from both sides. At 12m/40ft, you’ll plunge through a large dark hole leading straight down.* The sun is quickly » read more «

The following is a review I wrote for TripAdvisor about Sundowners Beach Bar in West End, Roatan: When you think of the idyllic Caribbean beach bar, you’re thinking of Sundowners. There’s nothing quite like Sundowners. THE watering hole for West End, this is where town’s eclectic mix of tourists, dive instructors, locals, expats, and street dogs come together to toast the sunset with a cold beer or a glass of rum and pineapple.’ It’s called Sundowners for a reason: located directly on the white sands of Half Moon Bay, this site is privy to exquisite sunsets for most of the year. The popularity of sunset-watching is only eclipsed by the weekly game of “Chase the Ace,” where every Wednesday each » read more «

As the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico grows ever more catastrophic, it can be hard to truly grasp the scope of this disaster amidst all the rapidly changing numbers and apocalyptic predictions. It wasn’t until I visited If It Was My Home – Visualizing the BP Oil Spill (http://www.ifitwasmyhome.com/) that I could get my head around the mind-blowing size of the spill. For example, this is the size of the spill compared to my current residence on the island of Oahu in Hawaii: Try to imagine that entire area covered in an oily sludge…. I’ve included more screenshots comparing the oil spill to other places around the world. Be sure to visit http://www.ifitwasmyhome.com to track the spread » read more «