Utila, Bay Islands, Honduras

Pinnacle

The Pinnacle is a stand-alone seamount on Utila's south side, smaller than nearby Black Hills but featuring similar pelagic action. The structure rises from a 50-meter sandy bottom to a summit at 16 to 20 meters and is heavily decorated with deep-water gorgonians, rope sponges, large barrel sponges and clusters of black coral. The summit and its flanks attract dense schools of horse-eye jack, blackbar soldierfish, creole wrasse and snapper, and the deeper water around the pinnacle is reliable for Caribbean reef shark, spotted eagle ray, barracuda and large grouper. Hawksbill and green turtles cruise the structure, and macro subjects on the wall include arrow crabs, banded coral shrimp and juvenile spotted drum. Because the pinnacle sits in open water it can pick up moderate current; visibility averages 25 to 30 meters and the depth makes this an advanced single-tank dive.