El Aquario - Roatán

Jina Wall is our pick when we're around the north end of Jina Island. It’s not about grand vistas here, more about the texture of the reef and what lives in its nooks. The wall itself drops from about 8 metres to a gravelly bottom at 21, and we love poking into the shallow caverns and overhangs. That's where you'll often find the smaller, shyer stuff – chestnut blennies bobbing their heads and blackside hawkfish perched just so. The star of the show, though, and frankly a bit of a bully, is the resident potato grouper. He’s massive, he's persistent, and he'll likely be in your face, demanding attention. We’ve had him follow us for entire dives. Beyond his antics, keep an eye out for patrolling Allison’s tuna or the shimmer of a big long-nosed butterflyfish against the darker rock. Visibility averages around 16 metres, which is decent for scouting out the less obvious creatures. This site suits divers who enjoy a slower pace, who like to investigate cracks and crevices, and who don't mind a very close encounter with a large, curious fish. It’s a site for details, not wide-angle photography.

Location
Roatán, Honduras, Central America
Coordinates
16.302200, -86.598200
Type
wall

Marine Protected Area: Islas de la Bahía

Best Time to Dive in Roatán

The warmest water temperatures in Roatán occur in September, averaging 30.2°C. The coolest conditions are in February at 27.3°C.

Monthly Water Temperatures

  • January: 27.4°C
  • February: 27.3°C
  • March: 27.4°C
  • April: 28.0°C
  • May: 28.9°C
  • June: 29.3°C
  • July: 29.1°C
  • August: 29.7°C
  • September: 30.2°C
  • October: 30.0°C
  • November: 29.1°C
  • December: 28.3°C

Nearby Dive Sites in Roatán

Nearest Dive Centres to El Aquario

Marine Life in Roatán

Home to 170 recorded species including 150 reef fish, 5 sea snails & nudibranchs, 5 hard corals, 4 other, 1 sharks & rays, 1 seagrass & algae.

Notable Species

Recommended Packing List for El Aquario

Based on average water temperature of 28.7°C, currents 7 cm/s.

  • Shorty or Rashguard - warm 29°C water needs minimal exposure protection
  • Mask - essential for every dive
  • Fins
  • BCD - buoyancy compensator
  • Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
  • Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
  • Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
  • Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
  • Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories