Moon Hole - Roatán
Prison Gardens sits on the eastern side of the southern atoll, a dependable spot when the southerly winds pick up. We love this site for its vibrant hard coral formations, particularly the vast plates and branching staghorn. The resident school of Big Eye Trevally are a real highlight, often swirling around divers, completely unfazed by our presence. Look closely at the corals encrusting the monitoring buoys; they're often miniature ecosystems themselves. We've seen Emery's Pygmygoby tucked away here, and the Porcelain corals add delicate splashes of colour. Keep an eye out for Whitetip reef sharks cruising by, and the occasional Yellowmargin triggerfish darting between the coral heads. It’s an easy, relaxing dive, perfect for photographers or anyone wanting to just soak in the beauty of a healthy reef.
- Location
- Roatán, Honduras, Central America
- Coordinates
- 16.087300, -86.886200
- Type
- reef
Marine Protected Area: Sistema de Humedales de la Isla de Utila
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
- Airplane Wreck (cave)
- Airplane Wreck (wreck)
- Airport Caves (cave)
- Airport Caves (cave)
- Airport Caves (cave)
- Alaina’s Sandy Bottom (reef)
- Alaina’s Sandy Bottom (wreck)
- Anka s Place - 10-30m (reef)
- Anthony’s Key Resort House Reef (cave)
- Anthony’s Key Resort House Reef (reef)
- Aquarium (reef)
- Aquarium (cave)
- Bando Beach (reef)
- Bando Beach (reef)
- Bayman Drop (wall)
Nearest Dive Centres to Moon Hole
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
- Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) - Sharks & Rays
- Smallmouth goby (Risor ruber) - Reef Fish
- Giant goby (Gobiomorus dormitor) - Reef Fish
- Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
- Horse-eye Jack (Caranx latus) - Reef Fish
- Needlefish (Strongylura timucu) - Reef Fish
- Mulet (Mugil curema) - Reef Fish
- Broad Shad (Gerres cinereus) - Reef Fish
- Small-scaled spinycheek sleeper (Eleotris pisonis) - Reef Fish
- Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
- Butterfish (Eucinostomus melanopterus) - Reef Fish
- Molly Miller (Bathygobius soporator) - Reef Fish
- Schoolmaster (Lutjanus apodus) - Reef Fish
- turtlegrass (Thalassia testudinum) - Seagrass & Algae
- Slippery Dick (Halichoeres bivittatus) - Reef Fish
- Great Barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) - Reef Fish
- Common Snook (Centropomus undecimalis) - Reef Fish
- American eel (Anguilla rostrata) - Reef Fish
- Hound Needlefish (Tylosurus crocodilus) - Reef Fish
- Scrawled Sole (Trinectes inscriptus) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Moon Hole
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