Utila, Bay Islands, Honduras

Stingray Point

Stingray Point is a south-shore Utila dive named for the southern stingrays that consistently rest on its sandy patches. The site begins on a healthy coral shelf at 8 to 10 meters with brain coral, sea rods and large barrel sponges, and slopes down past 22 meters to a wider sand flat where the stingrays are most often found. The shelf is reliable for hawksbill turtles, queen and French angelfish, schools of French and bluestriped grunt, midnight parrotfish, spotted moray and creole wrasse. The sand flat additionally hosts garden eels, peacock flounders, sand divers and yellowhead jawfish. Pelagic visitors include the occasional spotted eagle ray and barracuda. Because of the shallow profile and gentle conditions, Stingray Point is a popular Open Water training site and a good second dive of the day. Currents are typically negligible and visibility runs 18 to 25 meters.