Explore West Bay

On the western side of the diving mecca that is Roatan, Honduras, West Bay is ideally nestled along a stretch of pristine sands bathed by warm Caribbean waters. West Bay Beach is one of the Bay Islands’ top diving hotspots, home to numerous dive centers and dive resorts, right on the seafront, offering diving trips and dive courses ranging from beginner all the way up to professional levels. 

The healthy reefs that teem with tropical species are right off the beach, close enough to both dive and swim in many parts. You can opt for shore diving or boat diving, depending on where you wish to dive. Liveaboards often visit West Bay’s best sites so you won’t miss out if you’re not staying here.

Courses and Events

Open Water Instructor (Instructor Training Course ITC)

Start today - You need to be a Divemaster or equivalent to join SSI´s 3-Step Instructor Training Approach. The training process starts with joining the Assistant Instructor / Instructor Training Course combination accompanied with Digital Learning. After successful completion of the Instructor Training Course (ITC) you will enroll in an Instructor Evaluation (IE) to qualify as an SSI Open Water Instructor. This 10 day training program entitles you to teach various key SSI programs independently like Scuba Diver, Open Water Diver, Enriched Air Nitrox, Diver Stress & Rescue and Dive Guide. For those who want to take more time to learn and to gain valuable teaching experience between the training programs the 3 parts can also be taken as single steps - Assistant Instructor, Instructor Training Course (ITC) and Instructor Evaluation (IE) one after the other at own pace and with a flexible schedule.

17 April
EUR 2,269.62
USD 2,700.00

Dive Activity

Diving in West Bay

Reef diving is excellent here, and interesting topography makes for exciting cave diving, especially at sites like Hole in the Wall, Blue Channel and Bear’s Den. Must-dive wall sites include Half Moon Bay Wall, Texas, Pablo’s Place and West End Wall. Many of the wall sites offer exhilarating drift diving too.

Wreck diving here is also possible, with two popular shipwrecks being the El Aguila and The Odyssey.

Top Wildlife Sightings in West Bay

It’s Caribbean species galore, from colorful hard and soft corals, macro critters, eels, octopus, stingrays, and tons of colorful reef fish, to schools of barracuda, eagle rays, turtles, reef sharks, and even whale sharks. Lucky divers might spot dolphins on occasion.

Wildlife Sightings are Based on User Generated Content

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 25

iStock/Juliosanjuan

Eagle Ray
617 Sightings
J
7
F
38
M
41
A
50
M
76
J
59
J
100
A
89
S
84
O
27
N
7
D
39

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 27

iStock-Global_Pics

Barracuda
616 Sightings
J
27
F
85
M
37
A
33
M
64
J
44
J
112
A
55
S
55
O
30
N
22
D
52

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 200

Alamy-WaterFrame

Moray Eel
542 Sightings
J
37
F
65
M
41
A
25
M
56
J
46
J
80
A
42
S
43
O
26
N
24
D
57
Shutterstock-Shane Myers Photography

Green Turtle
343 Sightings
J
22
F
74
M
40
A
16
M
18
J
7
J
53
A
29
S
18
O
20
N
11
D
35
Shutterstock-Ed Jenkins

Hawksbill Turtle
140 Sightings
J
10
F
2
M
3
A
2
M
27
J
10
J
34
A
8
S
17
O
6
N
7
D
14

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 600

iStock/ultramarinfoto

Wrasse
95 Sightings
J
13
F
4
M
7
A
1
M
20
J
2
J
17
A
1
S
14
O
0
N
16
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 100

iStock-burnsboxco

Parrotfish
737 Sightings
J
45
F
96
M
68
A
28
M
67
J
57
J
104
A
47
S
50
O
46
N
60
D
69

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 90

Shutterstock-Rich Carey

Angelfish
660 Sightings
J
52
F
97
M
36
A
22
M
49
J
51
J
101
A
36
S
57
O
34
N
59
D
66

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 250

Shutterstock-Henry_and_Laura_Whittaker

Grouper/Basslets
588 Sightings
J
20
F
82
M
46
A
33
M
49
J
37
J
99
A
61
S
55
O
13
N
40
D
53

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 80

iStock/Extreme-Photographer

Stingrays
318 Sightings
J
24
F
29
M
22
A
7
M
51
J
17
J
53
A
33
S
40
O
10
N
9
D
23
Show More

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 130

Shutterstock_Krzysztof Odziomek

Butterfly Fish
296 Sightings
J
29
F
38
M
9
A
4
M
30
J
41
J
41
A
18
S
10
O
12
N
34
D
30

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 12

iStock/cinoby

Lionfish
273 Sightings
J
21
F
44
M
16
A
16
M
14
J
15
J
43
A
12
S
20
O
9
N
29
D
34

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 7000

iStock-Michael Zeigler

Crab
238 Sightings
J
15
F
15
M
30
A
12
M
25
J
20
J
38
A
17
S
0
O
9
N
20
D
37

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 130

AdobeStock-JirinaVFR

Pufferfish
220 Sightings
J
22
F
15
M
14
A
11
M
19
J
6
J
29
A
10
S
13
O
6
N
28
D
47

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 350

Alamy-Andre Seal

Damselfish
176 Sightings
J
6
F
48
M
4
A
4
M
25
J
5
J
33
A
7
S
8
O
0
N
17
D
19

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 3

Shutterstock_Leo Lorenzo

Trumpetfish
158 Sightings
J
13
F
17
M
18
A
5
M
5
J
9
J
40
A
6
S
2
O
6
N
11
D
26

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 60

iStock-Global_Pics

Spiny Lobster
157 Sightings
J
13
F
6
M
22
A
0
M
31
J
2
J
5
A
7
S
9
O
3
N
25
D
34

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 85

iStock-mirecca

Surgeonfish
151 Sightings
J
15
F
36
M
9
A
2
M
28
J
0
J
5
A
7
S
10
O
0
N
27
D
12

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 110

iStock-Rainer von Brandis

Snapper
139 Sightings
J
6
F
10
M
8
A
10
M
25
J
10
J
28
A
6
S
5
O
4
N
22
D
5

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 40

iStock-Hoatzinexp

Jackfish
125 Sightings
J
3
F
24
M
1
A
2
M
6
J
0
J
26
A
0
S
18
O
15
N
24
D
6

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 60

iStock-Global_Pics

Squirrelfish
110 Sightings
J
5
F
19
M
1
A
1
M
11
J
13
J
26
A
6
S
7
O
0
N
15
D
6

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 25

AdobeStock_Vladimir Wrangel

Boxfish
107 Sightings
J
9
F
2
M
8
A
5
M
11
J
7
J
20
A
1
S
10
O
7
N
15
D
12

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 120

AdobeStock-Composer.

Flounder
105 Sightings
J
7
F
7
M
9
A
4
M
24
J
21
J
18
A
7
S
4
O
0
N
2
D
2

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 40

iStock-wrangel

Triggerfish
97 Sightings
J
8
F
20
M
7
A
5
M
4
J
0
J
12
A
14
S
4
O
0
N
14
D
9

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 55

k

Lobster
69 Sightings
J
11
F
23
M
9
A
3
M
4
J
2
J
16
A
0
S
0
O
0
N
0
D
1

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 90

Shutterstock-Levent Konuk

Goatfish
67 Sightings
J
8
F
18
M
4
A
0
M
11
J
1
J
3
A
0
S
3
O
11
N
8
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 30

Shutterstock-s_a_j

Sand Eel
65 Sightings
J
0
F
3
M
0
A
11
M
22
J
11
J
17
A
0
S
1
O
0
N
0
D
0

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 150

Shutterstock-aquapix

Sweetlips and Grunts
55 Sightings
J
9
F
15
M
2
A
1
M
11
J
0
J
2
A
6
S
2
O
0
N
4
D
3

The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.

Total number of species: 3400

Shutterstock-Shane Gross

Shrimp
53 Sightings
J
6
F
6
M
1
A
1
M
14
J
0
J
12
A
6
S
0
O
2
N
4
D
1
Alamy-WaterFrame

Common Seahorse
52 Sightings
J
11
F
0
M
0
A
0
M
4
J
0
J
7
A
0
S
10
O
0
N
5
D
15

The best Months to Dive in West Bay

Warm temperatures rest around 27°C–30°C/81°F–86°F allowing for great diving year-round. The best time is usually April and May, when the dry season brings the best weather and ocean conditions.

The rainy season runs from around July to January, though the wettest months are between October and January. Tropical rains usually pass quickly though, and sunny days occur frequently. 

For whale shark encounters, any time of the year is possible, however February and April provide the best chances.

Dive Centers

Infinity Divers

Infinity Bay Resort - West Bay Beach, 34101 Roatan Island, HND

Warfighter Scuba

Sunset Ridge, 86315 Roatan, HND

Dive Sites

Mares

Texas (The Point) (★4.5)

Most dives that are called Texas actually start closer to the Salt Life Point buoy and drift into Texas. The reason for this is that Texas is the area off of the westernmost point of the island and can be subject to strong currents. The Texas buoy itself is in 40 ft / 12 m and if there is current it will generally be pushing you off of the island and out towards the blue, so your dive can be hard work and short.
Mares, Janez Kranjc

Pablos Place (★4.5)

Located on the western tip of the Island, this is a great drift diving site with a vertical reef wall starting at about 50ft. An east to west current gives a moderate drift for recreational divers.
Mares, Janez Kranjc

West End Wall (★4.6)

West End Wall is one of the most popular dive sites in Roatan. People come from all over the Bay Islands to dive here. It is a huge and amazing wall on the west end of Roatan, full of canyons and a huge variety of marine life. Sometimes the current can be medium to strong at the end of the dive.
Mares, Janez Kranjc

Bucca Quay (★4.6)

Referred to by most as West End Wall, the official name is Buca Quay. This is a great wall drift dive with side canyons, chutes, and sand falls starting off at about 66 ft / 20 m to the bottom of the wall it drops off as you head west/south.
Scubapro

Black Rock (★4.6)

A continuation of West End Wall, Black Rock also provides an outstanding dive site with numerous fissures in the reef wall. Featuring spectacular soft coral formations and giant barrel sponges, this dive site joins up with West End Wall, Texas, and Pablo’s Place.
Scubapro, Stephen Frink

Infinity Bay House Reef (★4.4)

Located just off West Bay, this site encompasses various dive sites, suited for beginners on the inner reef and snorkelers. A short distance away is the outer wall and greater depths.
Mares

Mandy’s Eel Garden (★4.6)

Located on the prestigious West Bay Beach, Mandy’s Eel Garden starts at around 20 feet and continues towards the outer wall on the reef dropping down to the abyss.
Scubapro

Over Heat (★4.4)

A beautiful relaxing dive site, named after the patch of reef over which an old resort dive boat would overheat each day. Over Heat is one of the most favorite dive sites on Roatan.
Scubapro

Butcher’s Bank (★4.4)

Butcher’s Bank offers is so much variation, making it a firm favorite with many dive operators in the area. The line is set at the usual 40 ft / 12 m at the inner end of a coral finger running in from the outer wall.
Mares

Tabyanas (★4.5)

Tabyana, aka “Herbie’s Fantasy or Place“ is a salt water dive site, located in West Bay, Roatan, Honduras. This dive site has an average rating of 4.50 out of 5 from 4 scuba divers. The maximum depth is 36-40ft/11-12m. The average visibility is 71-80ft/22-24m.
Mares, Janez Kranjc

Pubudus Playground (★4.4)

Starting at a 10 meters/ 30ft sand patch, this dive site is a perfect place to practice navigation as it is located bit further away from the wall/drop off.
Scubapro

Pablo’s Place (★4.4)

Just around the corner on the Southern tip of the island. Due to strong, unpredictable currents, a site more suitable for advanced divers. Top of reef 25 feet down the wall to 100 feet.
Mares, Janez Kranjc

Chloes Coral (★4.5)

Right at West Bay Beach, this shallow site with clear waters is great for beginners. Sandy area’s are mixed with coral heads for fun diverse under water views.