Guanaja, Bay Islands, Honduras

Jim's Silverlode

Jim's Silverlode is a north-shore Guanaja dive consistently rated by local operators among the best on the island, named for the silver shimmer of dense bait-fish schools that aggregate over the reef. The dive begins on a coral plateau at 10 to 12 meters with stands of brain coral, sea rods and large barrel sponges, then runs to a stepped wall that drops from 18 past 35 meters. The wall is heavily decorated with rope sponges in oranges and purples, deep-water gorgonians, tube sponges and clusters of black coral. Pelagic action is unusually strong: schooling horse-eye jack, blackbar soldierfish, large barracuda and frequent spotted eagle ray fly-bys; Caribbean reef shark and large grouper are regularly observed in the deeper blue. Hawksbill turtle, queen angelfish, midnight parrotfish, spotted moray and creole wrasse round out the reef fauna. Visibility averages 25 to 35 meters and conditions are usually mild.