Scuba diving in

Utila

At 13-kilometres long, Utila is the smallest - and flattest - of the three main Bay Islands, and is still largely undeveloped. In recent years, Utila has come to the attention of the modern world, and is fast becoming recognised as one of the best - and cheapest - dive destinations in the Caribbean. Thankfully though, this extraordinary island has yet to lose touch with its cultural roots, creating an unique atmosphere. Rustic, brightly-coloured houses and street-food stalls line the sometimes sleepy streets, while young, budget travellers - in search of beaches, bars, and like-minded dive buddies - arrive by the ferry-load, and often forget to leave.

Within diving and backpacker circles, the island of Utila is often described as “how such-and-such used to be” - before the crowds descended. And, despite being well-known for cheap dive certifications and its new found popularity amongst travelers, the island - and its score of scuba centres - still feels far from over-subscribed. An impressive feat considering Utila’s size and the quality of its diving, with direct access to the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef and the chance of year-round encounters with the ocean’s biggest fish.

The easiest way to get to Utila is by first flying to San Pedro Sula on mainland Honduras, or to Roatan. These two international airports have direct service from several US cities including Miami, New York, Houston, and Atlanta. Depending on the season, connecting flights from San Pedro Sula to Utila can run anywhere between twice a day, to just a few times a week, so it’s best to check with the airline first. CM Airlines and SOSA both offer flights into Utila. The mainland town of La Cieba is the departure point for ferries travelling to Utila, and they also operate between Roatan and Utila several days each week.

Once on the island, distances are short enough to walk almost everywhere, but bicycles, scooters, and golf carts can also be easily rented. There are almost no cars on Utila, except for a few taxis and local tuk tuks, although these can sometimes prove to be a little unreliable.

The island’s only settlement, Utila Town, is located in a curving bay with two small beaches and dozens of hotels, restaurants, bars and dive shops. You’ll find no chain stores or restaurants here - just a small town with a friendly, tight knit community of locals and expats. Beyond, there are very few roads, leaving much of the island covered by impenetrable wilderness, swampland, and two small volcanic hills to the east. Several of Utila’s dive resorts can also be found along the island’s southeastern coast, providing plenty of quiet seclusion for guests.

While the diving season is year-round, like most tropical destinations Utila does have distinct wet and dry seasons. The rainy season typically runs from late September to January, and occasionally into the beginning of February - but it certainly doesn’t rain the entire time and sunny spells are frequent. Water temperatures drop to around 24°C during this period while air temperatures sit at around 27°C. Dive boats continue to run during the rain - unless it’s accompanied by high winds, which isn’t often - and visibility is only significantly reduced if the wind or rain is particularly heavy.

The rest of the year is considered dry, with February through April touted as the best time to visit, thanks to consistently fair weather, good diving conditions, and near guaranteed whale shark encounters. May through September can get quite hot, often exceeding 30°C on land and in the high 20s underwater, and humidity gradually increases until the rains finally come in September. Direct hurricane hits are rare here, as Utila and the rest of the Bay Islands sit below the ‘hurricane belt’. And, while the Caribbean’s official hurricane season runs from June through November, Utila’s hurricane-watch season can be considered much shorter, from September to November.

One of Utila’s biggest draws is the chance of year-round whale shark sightings. But, despite the continuous presence of these graceful giants, certain months - such as March and April - do offer considerably better chances of an encounter.

The area around the island of Utila, from the high tide line out to the 60-metre depth contour, is called the Special Marine Zone. This protected area is further partitioned into sub-zones including Fishery Replenishment Zones, Marine Zones of Special Protection, and wildlife refuges.

The two Fishery Replenishment Zones around Utila are White Water and Old Bank, both located off the west coast. These areas are protected from fishing activities of any kind - including lionfish, conch, and lobster - regardless of the season. The two Marine Zones of Special Protection are Turtle Harbour in the north and Raggedy Cay in the southwest. Turtle Harbour is also home to the only terrestrial wildlife refuge on Utila. The wildlife refuge is an area where protection is essential for the existence of certain wildlife species.

Additionally, the entire Bay Islands Archipelago was designated a marine park in 2010. The Bay Islands National Marine Park is the largest marine protected area in Honduras, stretching some 25-kilometres off the coast of each island and covering approximately 650,000 hectares. Thanks to these ongoing conservation efforts, and more, Honduras is one of the only countries in the world where local reef health is improving year on year.

Utila is also home to the Whale Shark and Oceanic Research Centre (WSORC) - the only organisation to be granted a permit to study whale sharks in Honduras.