Blue Island Divers

Located in Sandy Bay, Roatan, Blue Island Divers is an intimate eco-diving resort positioned right on the reef. The centre operates from a private beach and pier, providing immediate access to the diverse topography of the Roatan Marine Park. Because of its location, many of the area's most significant walls and channels are only a short boat ride away.

This family-owned operation was established in 2014 by a Texas-based family with deep roots in the industry. The resort combines diving with onsite lodging, offering ocean-view casitas just steps from the water. It is designed to serve as a dedicated base for divers looking to explore the local reef systems without long transit times.

The centre is family-owned and operated, bringing over 10 years of professional diving experience and more than 20 years of certification expertise to the team. This long-standing background helps in organising dives that cater to various skill levels, from beginners to advanced divers.

Daily fun dives are grouped by skill level to ensure that every diver is matched with a buddy pair and a guide suited to their experience. The team selects dive sites each day based on current weather and visibility conditions, while also taking diver requests into account to ensure the best possible experience on the water.

Blue Island Divers is affiliated with both PADI and SSI, offering a range of certification programmes. They provide the PADI Open Water Diver course for those starting their journey, as well as the PADI Deep Diver Specialty for those looking to extend their depth limits.

In addition to standard certifications, the centre provides one-day scuba certification options specifically tailored for cruise ship guests who have limited time on the island.

The centre utilises boats to reach sites that are further afield, such as the 2-tank outings to Garden of Eden or Butcher’s Bank. These trips typically involve a 20 to 40-minute transit, with the surface interval spent on board. Many of the most iconic local sites, however, are reachable within 3 to 5 minutes from the pier.

The facility includes a dive shop with an internal bar and a gift shop for divers. For those staying at the resort, there are onsite showers and lounge areas to use between dives. The centre also offers equipment hire and rental services for those not travelling with their own kit.

Beyond scuba, the centre provides kayaks for rental and offers snorkeling opportunities directly from the beach. For cruise guests, day passes are available, which can be used as credit at the beachfront bar.

The reef walls and canyons are home to a wide array of larger marine life, including large groupers (Epinephelus), snappers (Lutjanus), and various parrotfish (Calotomus). You can often spot eagle rays (Aetobatus) and nurse sharks (Ginglymostoma cirratum) patrolling the deeper sections, alongside great barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) and green moray eels (Gymnothorax funebris).

Fixed life is abundant across the sites, with massive barrel sponges, sea whips, and various soft corals (Alcyonacea) covering the structures. The reef is also decorated with sea fans (Gorgoniidae), pillar coral, and delicate leaf corals, providing a complex habitat for smaller residents.

Macro life and smaller creatures are plentiful in the crevices and sandy patches. Keep an eye out for scorpionfish (Scorpaenidae), yellow jawfish, and various species of shrimp. The sandy areas near the wrecks and walls often host garden eels (Gorgasia) and various species of crabs and lobsters (Homaridae).

Dive sites are selected daily based on the prevailing weather and visibility. The local topography includes channels where tides can influence the movement of water between the lagoon and the open ocean.