Long Caye Aquarium - Utila
Long Caye Aquarium is a site we keep coming back to, and honestly, it’s not just for the fish count. It’s the sheer density, the way the light filters through the schools. You’ll find it on the north side of Long Caye, and it’s a fairly shallow dive, topping out around 15 metres, which means plenty of bottom time. From the moment you drop in, you’re enveloped by fusiliers and schoolmasters. They're so thick some days you actually have to swim through them, a silvery, shimmering curtain. We love watching for the smaller stuff here too, especially the blennies – the imitator and saddled varieties are particularly cheeky. Keep an eye on the sand patches for the sand stargazer, its eyes peeking out, or the sharper-nosed pufferfish darting about. The Elkhorn and Pillar corals create some great topography to explore, making it a genuinely engaging dive. It’s an easy-going site, perfect for photographers or anyone who just wants to soak in the sheer abundance.
- Location
- Utila, Honduras, Central America
- Coordinates
- 17.213005, -87.607600
- Type
- reef
Best Time to Dive in Utila
The warmest water temperatures in Utila occur in September, averaging 30.0°C. The coolest conditions are in February at 27.1°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 27.3°C
- February: 27.1°C
- March: 27.3°C
- April: 27.9°C
- May: 28.6°C
- June: 29.2°C
- July: 29.2°C
- August: 29.7°C
- September: 30.0°C
- October: 29.9°C
- November: 29.1°C
- December: 28.2°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Utila
- Barrier Reef (reef)
- Barrier Reef (reef)
- Bulkhead Reef (reef)
- Bulkhead Reef (reef)
- Carrie Bow
- Caye Bokel
- Columbus Reef (reef)
- Columbus Reef (reef)
- Ecomarine - Gunter's Dive shop
- Elsie's Aquarium
- Emerald Forest - shallow attractions at 25 ft (7-8m), main dive around 70 ft (21m)
- Gallows Point Reef (reef)
- Gallows Point Reef (reef)
- Glover's Reef (reef)
- Half Moon Wall (wall)
Nearest Dive Centres to Long Caye Aquarium
Marine Life in Utila
Home to 214 recorded species including 173 reef fish, 18 hard corals, 10 other, 6 sharks & rays, 2 jellyfish, 2 sea urchins.
Notable Species
- Mustard hill coral (Porites astreoides) - Hard Corals
- Blue Doctor (Acanthurus coeruleus) - Reef Fish
- Redear Herring (Harengula humeralis) - Reef Fish
- Gutong (Sparisoma aurofrenatum) - Reef Fish
- Thin leaf lettuce coral (Agaricia tenuifolia) - Hard Corals
- Dark Green Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) - Reef Fish
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Grunt (Haemulon plumierii) - Reef Fish
- French grunt (Haemulon flavolineatum) - Reef Fish
- Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) - Sharks & Rays
- Gutong (Scarus iseri) - Reef Fish
- Massive Starlet Coral (Siderastrea siderea) - Hard Corals
- Barber (Acanthurus bahianus) - Reef Fish
- Fray (Jenkinsia lamprotaenia) - Reef Fish
- Schoolmaster (Lutjanus apodus) - Reef Fish
- Cola (Ocyurus chrysurus) - Reef Fish
- Sheephead (Microspathodon chrysurus) - Reef Fish
- Yellowtail Parrotfish (Sparisoma rubripinne) - Reef Fish
- Butterfly (Chaetodon capistratus) - Reef Fish
- Elkhorn coral (Acropora palmata) - Hard Corals
Recommended Packing List for Long Caye Aquarium
Based on average water temperature of 28.6°C, currents 21 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