Tropical Island Divers
Tropical Island Divers is a full service PADI dive shop based at Marble Hill Farms on Roatan’s northeast coast. We have almost exclusive access to seldom visited dive sites, many within a 15 minute boat ride. Our mission at Tropical Island Divers is to provide our customers with a hassle free, relaxed diving adventure in the safest manner possible. We limit our diver numbers in order to maintain a personal level of service. Our staff are well trained and have intimate knowledge of the dive sites we visit in the area.
Safety and service are key to Tropical Island Divers, all dives are lead by PADI certified instructors or Dive Masters. Arrangements may be made for rental of a dive boat with captain, if available.
We operate two dive boats from the property and will generally have availability to accommodate all guests. If you are not staying at the resort at Marble Hill Farms we would recommend you schedule your space on the boats as soon as possible, prior to your planned dive.
Please contact us, we look forward to sharing the pristine waters and dive sites in our own back yard. To reach Marek, the dive center manager, you can call his local number at: +504 3369 0777
Dive Sites
Diving with Tropical Island Divers opens the doors to the East end of Roatan in a way no other dive shop can. We have the stretch of reef from Politilli to Camp Bay almost exclusively to ourselves, it is unlikely you will see another dive boat during your time with us.
Unlike other areas of the island, which have mostly wall dives, the reef on the east end of Roatan has terraced shelving – leading to a huge variety of coral formations with many swim-through canyons, caves & caverns. This means the diving is varied & exciting with a range of sites & many new areas to be explored. We also offer day trips to Morat Wall, Jade Beach & Pigeon Cay where you can find wondrous diving in other rural parts of the island.A few of our favorite dive sites are listed below!
Dolphin’s Den
One of our most spectacular dives, Dolphin’s Den is a cave teeming with life. The route from the mooring to the cave is over a shallow sandy bottom where many anemones, shrimps, crabs, fire-worms, pipe fish & upside-down jellyfish are to be found. King Crabs & large green Moray Eels reside inside the cave, as well as many schools of fish. The highlight is a dolphin skeleton which is a natural feature, many dolphin skeletons have appeared over the years but gradually wash out & scatter, now one skeleton remains. The cave has many compartments, some open to the surface & some enclosed: there is usually light streaming in from openings to the surface but a torch is essential for this dive. Depth: The maximum depth is 55ft & the majority of the dive is spent at 20-40ft. Difficulty: Intermediate
McNab's Pinnacles
This dive site has excellent conditions & visibility. There are striking canyons running through the reef & large coral boulders to swim around. This site always has many spotted drums, often a toadfish & maybe nurse sharks & turtles can be seen. Depth: The reef has a plateau at 15ft then drops down a wall to a sandy bottom at 60ft (max depth)
Mangoose
One of our most popular dives, this dive is a cavern leading through the reef. Unlike a cave, this cavernous space is large & open to the surface, with a fringing reef at the top allowing light to stream in. The dive starts on the inside of the reef & follows through the cavern to a second mooring on the outside. There are many clusters of lobsters to be seen & often a huge barracuda, as well as big midnight parrot fish, schools of snappers & sometimes moray eels. Depth: The maximum depth is 80ft although the majority of the cavern is shallower (40-60ft) & can be dove at any depth depending on experience & comfort levels. Experience Level: Intermediate
Gretchen’s Shell
Being very close to the East end of the island, this site is different every time, with a host of different creatures visiting it. Sometimes spotted eagle rays & turtles are seen here, as well as large barracuda, trunk fish & puffer fish. There is a long, dramatic canyon at 40ft which leads back to the mooring line. Depth: The maximum depth is usually 60ft, though depths of 100ft can be reached.
Punta Blanca Wall
One of our few wall dives, Punta Blanca has a large sand patch at 35ft making it ideal for the first dive of the holiday to ease back into diving, whatever your experience level. The wall often has schools of Jacks & lone Barracuda patrolling it. There are spotted drum & spotted moray eels to be found, as well as rays & flounders in the sandy area. Depth: Usually 60ft, but the wall descends to a sandy area at 100ft
Diamond Rock
This dive site is situated close to Paya Bay & has a combination of coral formations & sandy bottoms. This means anything can be seen here: from rays & nurse sharks, to spotted drum & toadfish. Depth: Usually 60ft.
Morat Wall
This popular excursion takes you to the most dramatic wall dive on Roatan, Morat Wall. The hour long boat journey lets you view Roatan from the water & takes you thought the mangrove cut, giving you a chance to see rarely seen wildlife, such as saltwater Alligators & Cranes. Morat Wall is situated away from the shore & the low population levels on the surrounding land mean this site is in almost pristine condition. There are huge numbers of fish, free-swimming green morays & some rare species to be found here. The mooring leads to a sand patch at 35-40ft then the wall drops off as far as the eye can see. It is then possible to surface interval at a nearby dock or to go to Jade Beach on Barberetta. This beach is beautiful & tranquil, making a great spot for lunch & relaxation between dives. The beach is made up of Jade Rock & some truly exquisite pieces of Jade can be found. The second dive can then be a drift dive off Barberetta, or a return to Morat Wall, before heading for home. Depth: Usually 60ft but any depth can be reached.
Dive Shop
Tropical Island Divers is located at Marble Hill Farms. Our dive operations can be found at the end of a beautiful 300ft long dock. Our staff is certified to perform visual inspections of tanks, and perform both preventive maintenance and repairs of regulator’s and BCD’s. We have 64 – 80 cubic ft aluminum tanks and have the ability to fill all tanks on site on a daily basis. Currently, we have two active dive boats. Main boat, ON TIME, is an island built hull of 34 feet, has a sun canopy and room to comfortably support three dives a day with up to ten divers. It is a fast stable boat and is designed to support our expedition dive adventures, but we generally use it to visit the nearby dive sites. Our boats are outfitted to Padi Safety Standards. The all carry Oxygen, VHF radios, Signal Flares and First Aid Kits when diving.
