Roatan Vs. Belize for Scuba Diving

Separated by an hour-long flight, the Honduran island of Roatan and the sandy shoreline of neighboring Belize share quite a few common qualities. Both are year-round resort hotspots with plenty of scuba diving and surface-interval activities close at hand. However, the two destinations certainly aren't interchangeable, and in-the-know divers can make an informed choice about which one best suits their scuba fancy.

  1. Roatan Dive Sites

    • More profound than its resort-crowded real estate might appear, the island of Roatan is actually the peak of an underwater mountain. The submerged slopes are home to millions of sea critters, including enormous octopi, whale sharks, dolphins, turtles, large schools of manta rays and, according to PADI, "sponges as big as refrigerators." Perched at the edge of the sheer cliffs of the Cayman Trench, the island's world-famous walls and underwater canyons host several examples of rare black coral. Hundreds of other sites sit just offshore, accessed by a short boat ride from the main dock.

    Belize Dive Sites

    • Most people are aware of Belize as a diving destination thanks to Jacques-Yves Cousteau, who introduced the world to Belize's hammerhead-shark-filled Great Blue Hole in 1971. In addition to that illustrious site, the rest of the underwater landscape off the shore of Belize presents a stunningly varied, colorful backdrop for its multitude of underwater species. You can dive a different type of reef every day: Barrier reefs, atolls, fringing reefs, patch reefs and faroes all crowd the shores. More than a hundred species of coral -- and quite a few shipwrecks -- host scores of reef fish and pelagics.

    Requisite Skills

    • While both regions are appropriate for beginner-level divers, deep diving experience and/or advanced training is required to explore some of Roatan's deep shipwreck sites. Belize caters more to the needs of beginners, as the country's shallow reefs, mild currents and more moderate depths -- typically, between 20 and 100 feet -- present access for all skill levels.

    Visibility Differences

    • Visibility in Roatan is generally the better of the two, averaging around 150 feet -- but unquiet waters during the rainy season, from October to January, can drop visibility below the 80-foot mark. Belize generally maintains its average 100-foot visibility year-round.

    Weather Conditions

    • Warm tropical weather is the norm in Belize and Roatan. Roatan is milder, exhibiting only small changes in temperature as the seasons shift, but becoming noticeably more humid from May to September. Roatan's water temperature hovers around 85 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. On the other hand, Belize's conditions are more temperamental -- generally hot and humid, with average temperatures from 60-78 degrees in the winter to 75-87 degrees in the summer.