mogurnda May 13, 2008 Share May 13, 2008 Got back from a trip to Roatan island a few days ago. Went with two buddies, and we decided to go to the more isolated east end of the island. It was rough, diving in the morning, then eating, drinking beer, and lying around waiting for the sunset. Only bad part was that I couldn't find the cable for my strobe, so I struggled with the internal strobe on my camera. Because of jet lag, and also because I slept for about 12 hours a day, I woke up at sunrise. The reefs were in OK shape, but clearly suffering. The sponges were as beautiful as I remembered, though. Oops, back to work. More in a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NRehman May 13, 2008 Share May 13, 2008 Dave, Welcome back. Was there in Nov. East side by Barefoot Cay (Mary's Place, etc.). Off the trampled path, it was nice. On...not so. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogurnda May 13, 2008 Author Share May 13, 2008 Dave, Welcome back. Was there in Nov. East side by Barefoot Cay (Mary's Place, etc.). Off the trampled path, it was nice. On...not so. Yeah, we didn't even try to go to west end. One of the guys told me that the little heap of huts we stayed in before is now a big, shiny resort. More sponges. Gotta love the sponges. Sponge with decorator crab Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogurnda May 15, 2008 Author Share May 15, 2008 The thread continues, assuming that you are all out there lurking, fascinated by the photos and descriptions. One more sponge, with a surprise inside. Some corals. There were tons of gorgonians, like this giant slit pore sea rod. This one had nice big calyces. Some nice stonies, like this pillar coral, Dendrogyra. A cute little rough star coral, Isophyllastrea. Some black coral in deeper water. Yes, the photo is right side up. More in a bit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jason the filter freak May 15, 2008 Share May 15, 2008 The last photo is sick, I like the little royal gramma down in the corner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hbh May 15, 2008 Share May 15, 2008 Thanks for making the rest of us drool! Thanks for sharing! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vaironman May 15, 2008 Share May 15, 2008 Good eyes Jason! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogurnda May 15, 2008 Author Share May 15, 2008 The last photo is sick, I like the little royal gramma down in the corner The grammas were common as rats along the walls and overhangs. One of the best dives was a site they called Pinnacles, where there were deep channels running from the inner to outer reef. Tons of grammas along the walls, not visible here. Along the top edges were a lot of lettuce corals, Agaricia. Lots of hydroids too. This one is overexposed, but I thought it was kind of arty. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
toastiireefs May 15, 2008 Share May 15, 2008 wow that spiny lobster is awesome!! the sponges are absolutly beautiful! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogurnda May 16, 2008 Author Share May 16, 2008 wow that spiny lobster is awesome!! the sponges are absolutly beautiful! That lobster pretty much stays right there in that sponge. Maybe some day we'll be able to maintain some of those sponges for the long term. That azure vase sponge is just gorgeous, and would be fantastic in a tank. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amuze May 17, 2008 Share May 17, 2008 I can't wait to be able to do this. Thanks for the pics. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogurnda May 17, 2008 Author Share May 17, 2008 I can't wait to be able to do this. Thanks for the pics. You'll love it. Even a bad dive is great. The fish were a little harder. They move. Got a few, though. A graysby. Juvenile spotted drum. I always love these. Cowfish. More random shots. Tunicates on a dead gorgonian. Cleaner shrimp on a curlecue anemone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OUsnakebyte May 19, 2008 Share May 19, 2008 (edited) Awesome Dave! That shot of the channel is amazing - great reef structure. I'm scheduled to head to Roatan in October. I did read something about significant deforestation happening on the island, due to development. Did you see/experience anything like that? In you post, you say that, "The sponges were as beautiful as I remembered, though." You have been there before? How long ago? You might have a better baseline for observations like that. Cheers Mike Edited May 19, 2008 by OUsnakebyte Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogurnda May 19, 2008 Author Share May 19, 2008 It's a race between development and preserving the reef, and the outcome is not horribly optimistic. The combination of 1) subsistence farming and fishing, 2) lightspeed development for tourism and 3) a weak and corrupt central government is pretty deadly. The owner of the dive outfit we went with is trying hard to support enforcement of a reef protected area in the east, but it can be a little hard when law enforcement has few cars and no boats. Also, if they are going to do anything to protect the island, the needs of the people who live there will have to be considered. One of the owners of the place we stayed took us up the highest "mountain" in Roatan, about 800 ft tall. He showed us where the boundary of the protected area was creeping up, and we saw lots of recently cleared land. There is a certain attitude of "use it or lose it." View from the top. Joanna and I were there 8 years ago, but we were at the much more popular West End, so it's hard to compare. At the time, we were blown away by the sponges, and it was similar on this trip. It was good to see a smattering of staghorn and elkhorn, but it makes me wonder what it was like 20 years ago. There are also some tunnels from the inner to outer reef. My favorite part of these was how the light sparkled down from holes in the ceiling. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yauger May 19, 2008 Share May 19, 2008 that is so amazing!!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lanman May 19, 2008 Share May 19, 2008 The thread continues, assuming that you are all out there lurking, fascinated by the photos and descriptions. One more sponge, with a surprise inside. Yum!! bob Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MLazar May 19, 2008 Share May 19, 2008 These are awesome pictures. Thanks for sharing. Maureen Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mogurnda May 19, 2008 Author Share May 19, 2008 Thanks for the nice comments, folks. I should show you some of the photos one of the other guys took. Much, much better than my old camera in the clunky housing. I'll finish with one of several gorgeous sunsets. Most nights it was just the three of us in hammocks, with beer and the sunset. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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