Foster’s by night is a completely different experience – a bar like none other I have yet to encounter anywhere in the world. The cool night breeze fans the dance sweat away while floodlights of all colors pierce the night sky and heavy beats of popular music thud in your chest. Best of all, the water is illuminated so that while you are dancing the night away under tropical stars, you can observe the night life of the Caribbean Sea. The only drawback is that you eventually have to leave.

Most of Roatan’s spectacular dive sites are on the leeward side of the island which provides superior water conditions. There is almost zero current in the flat sea, a water temperature of 80ºF and visibility of up to 100 feet. 

My first dive for the Advanced course was a naturalist dive. Beforehand, I had to study the names of various fish and sea creatures I might encounter while on the bottom of the sea. While I suited up for the dive (equipment is included in the price of courses and regular dives) my Divemaster handed me a slate and writing utensil that I was to take down with me. When I recognized a fish, I would write its name on the board and show it to my Divemaster. I had never used one of these on any dive before and was looking forward to being able to communicate underwater.

Most dive sites are less than a 15 minute boat ride away from Sueno del Mar’s dock. When we arrived at our destination, we did a final equipment check, sat on the edge of the small motor boat and rolled backwards into the azure water. After descending to a depth of 30 feet, I began my search for identifiable sea creatures. As most fish and marine life subsist at around 30 feet under sea level, our maximum depth for this dive would be 45 feet. 

I spotted a giant grouper fish almost immediately. Its chunky gray body and puffy lips reminded me of a child’s exaggerated drawing. I had heard stories of divers feeding grouper from pockets in their vests, and the grouper becoming so accustomed to this practice that they had been known to butt a diver’s chest in hopes of finding food. I couldn’t imagine that having a fish almost as large as me ramming into my chest would make for a very pleasant experience. I identified the grouper and swam away.

One of the most common and beautiful sights on Roatan’s coral reef are the parrotfish. I spotted one that was mainly turquoise in color. Flashes of yellow and purple punctuated its soft blue. Pinkish red lines outlined the fish’s scales and highlighted his mouth. The color combination was striking. Besides just looking pretty, parrotfish fulfill an important role that aids in the growth of the coral reef. They feed on algae that lives on the coral and would otherwise smother the reef.

During this dive I also saw a pufferfish, the first and last I have seen on any dive so far. The brown pufferfish has an interesting method of protection; it gulps water to inflate itself and give the illusion of being much bigger than it really is. 

Seahorses can be spotted in many of Roatan’s dive sites, although I wasn’t lucky enough to find one. I did see a long, silvery barracuda and a green, muscular moray eel. But perhaps the most wonderful all of the fish I was able to identify was the Queen Angelfish. Deserving in every way of its royal name, the angelfish’s vibrant yellow face was ringed with vivid blue. The main part of its body was almost white, and it shimmered in the sunbeams streaming through the sea. Two intensely yellow fins completed its magnificent body, which was entirely outlined in the same striking blue that ringed its face. 

Diving is only one of the island’s highlights - I haven’t even yet touched on Roatan’s amazing beaches where one can indulge in some post-diving relaxation. Water taxis leave from Foster’s and take you to a (sometimes) deserted beach. Powdery white sand is littered with palm leaves and sea plant debris. Tall palm trees stretch towards the blue sky and huge, black iguanas lounge on oversized boulders.

The same coral reef that I explored on my dive is only about 20 feet from the shore. Snorkelers here see almost as much marine life as the divers do farther out. The calm sea and warm water enable swimmers and snorkelers alike to spend hours comfortably discovering the wonders of the sea.

The island does have one major drawback – massive amounts of sand flies. Bring plenty of insect repellent, but you’ll still probably have to accept a bite or two as part of the Roatan experience.

After lounging on the beach for most of the afternoon, it was time to get back underwater. The next part of my course entailed doing something I had never done before – a night dive. As I suited up in the dark, I felt a considerable amount of anxiety. The Divemaster handed us flashlights, but instructed us not to turn them on until we had hit the sandy bottom as they attract jellyfish.  The boat left the dock and after only five minutes, we stopped. It was astounding how the driver knew where he was going on the black sea.

The Divemaster explained that the lack of a moon would work to our advantage once we had hit the bottom. The darker it was outside, the easier it would be to see the bio-luminescence – light produced by tiny organisms in the water. We descended in partners, holding hands so as not to lose each other. When my flipper clad feet hit the sandy bottom, I realized that I hadn’t breathed much on the way down and took a deep breath of canned air from my regulator.

We waited motionless for the sand and water to settle. And then I saw it. Flickers of light in front of my face that multiplied as my eyes adjusted to the dark. This marine phenomenon was astonishing. It was inconceivable that living things underwater could produce such light. As I waved my hand in front of my face, the lights trailed the movement of my hand. The Divemaster did a series of jumping jacks and the bio-luminescence moved around him in a frenzy. It was like floating around in outer space.

After we’d had our fill of the bio-luminescence, we swam over the living reef, shining our flashlights in every nook and cranny. The night fish were of a totally different class than the fish I had seen earlier. They were much darker, colored with deep reds and blues and seemed to move faster than the carefree day fish. Small orange crabs climbed in and out of sea shells and large, red lobsters moved slowly across the coral.

Before ascending back up into the cool night air, we turned our lights off to prevent any unnecessary encounters with jellyfish. I was already planning my next night dive.

The next morning found me back in the water, for the third dive of my course. This time we would descend to a depth of 120 feet where we could possibly succumb to the effects of nitrogen narcosis. Also known as the martini effect, high nitrogen pressure can lead to a sort of intoxicated state. Most recreational divers rarely go below 100 feet, but it’s a required part of the advanced course.

We descended to about 45 feet and had a look around before continuing our slow descent to 100 feet. If I hadn’t glanced at my depth gauge, I never would have been able to tell the difference between 30 feet and 90 feet. It was alarming how close the surface looked even as we descended farther down.

When we reached 120 feet, the Divemaster had us do a series of simple exercises so he could judge our reflexes and responses. Thankfully, none of us experienced nitrogen narcosis. After seven minutes at 120 feet, we slowly ascended with a series of safety stops to let any excess nitrogen leave our bloodstream.

Two dives later (including one more difficult navigation exercise), I was a PADI certified Advanced Diver. But sometimes, being on top of the water can be just as pleasant as being underneath it. Enter Alex – sailor extraordinaire. We randomly discovered Captain Alex and his sailboat at one of the docks and signed up for a day of sailing. Alex is the epitome of Caribbean - beautiful dark skin, thick jewelry around his neck and long, black dreadlocks. 

Eight people joined Alex that day for an unforgettable experience. The wind took us to coves and inlets where we swam and snorkeled under the brilliant tropical sun. Moving from one spot to another provided the perfect opportunity for sunbathing or napping. When it got too hot, I jumped in the water and held on to a rope attached to the boat. As I trailed along behind the sailboat, we passed over an incredibly deep section of the sea. Gone were the sparkling shades of Caribbean blue. Here, the water was so deep it was almost black.
For lunch, Alex donned scuba gear and returned only minutes later with fresh lobsters. He cooked them right on the boat and handed them to us with a slice of lime. Nothing has ever tasted so delicious. The succulent meat practically melted on my tongue.

On the way back, as the sun warmed my salty skin and the wind blew through my tangled hair, approaching Roatan mesmerized me. I’d fallen in love with the island. Its serenity, its beauty and its sea had captured my heart. Roatan is true Caribbean.

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