Sandy Bay, Roatán, Bay Islands, Honduras

Canyon Reef

Canyon Reef is a north-shore dive in the Sandy Bay marine reserve named for a wide sandy cut that splits the fringing reef and forms the centrepiece of the dive. From the mooring divers descend onto a healthy coral plateau at 8 to 10 meters and follow a series of coral fingers that frame the sand canyon as it slopes from 10 down to 25 meters before spilling onto the deeper wall. The walls of the canyon are encrusted with sea rods, brain coral, large barrel sponges and pillar coral, and the sandy bottom hosts garden eels, southern stingrays and yellowhead jawfish. Common reef life on the shoulders includes queen angelfish, spotted moray, French grunt schools, hawksbill turtles, midnight parrotfish and creole wrasse. The wider opening of the canyon is a reliable spot for spotted eagle rays passing along the wall. Conditions are usually mild with 18 to 25 meters of visibility.