Sandy Bay, Roatán, Bay Islands, Honduras

Dolphin Den

Dolphin Den is one of the most distinctive dives on Roatán's north shore: a complex system of caverns and swim-throughs cut into the fringing reef just outside the Anthony's Key Resort lagoon. The site takes its name from skeletons of dolphins discovered inside the caverns by early divemasters, believed to have entered the system during a storm and been unable to find their way out. The dive begins on a coral shelf at 10 meters and threads through several connected tunnels and chambers between 12 and 22 meters. Divers must hold advanced certification and good buoyancy; a guide is mandatory. The internal chambers shelter glassy sweepers, lobster and channel-clinging crabs, and the reef around the entrances hosts queen angelfish, spotted moray, hawksbill turtle and creole wrasse. Visibility inside the caverns drops to 5 to 10 meters and torches are required.