Scuba Diving Spooky Channel in Roatan, Honduras
Jul
8
2011

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 «

Space Oddity
Sep
11
2009

I’ve dreamed about doing this one for a long time: a no-moon, no-lights dive on Lighthouse Reef. Roatan has amazing bioluminescence, and on truly dark evenings they can be as brilliant and numerous as the stars in a clear night sky. Tonight, I finally get my chance to do it. We begin after sunset. As we descend down to the reef, I am amazed by how much I can still see in the waning light. Parrotfish nestle in to their holes and wrap themselves in mucus cocoons. Soldierfish and squirrelfish dart out from their alcoves. The reef is bathed in this eerie blue light that reminds me of hues I’ve only seen from Karl Stanley’s submarine. We careen through some » read more «

Roatan Marine Park Map
Aug
28
2009

Click here to explore a map of the Roatan Marine Park dive sites! I’ve been developing the new website for the Roatan Marine Park (coming soon to http://www.roatanmarinepark.com), and a big part of the site is the interactive map of all the dive sites around Roatan. Explore the dive sites around Roatan! Powered by Google maps and TIREngine, you can zoom in on beautiful satellite imagery of the dive sites surrounding Roatan’s incredible coral reef system. Click on any site to learn more information, or use the drop-down box above the pull up a full dive site description. Have you seen some lionfish? Know of a damaged or missing dive site mooring? The map is integrated with the Roatan Marine » read more «

The Silent World
Aug
27
2009

A few months ago Les Fruits de Mer co-founders Madam J and Mark AuMarc were awesome enough to host a private screening of Jacques-Yves Cousteau’s documentary The Silent World. The 1956 film follows the adventures of Cousteau’s oceanographic team aboard his research vessel Calypso as they explore the underwater world of the Mediterranean Sea, the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, and the Indian Ocean. As one of the first feature-length films to use full-color underwater cinematography, The Silent World wowed audiences with its vibrant depiction of aquatic life, winning an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature and the Palme d’Or award at the 1956 Cannes Film Festival. The jaw-dropping opening shot follows Cousteau’s team as they plummet headfirst down a » read more «