Roatán · Honduras · Reef
Cara a Cara
A resident group of Caribbean reef sharks on a south-side plateau
Area photo: William Eburn · CC BY 2.5
Cara a Cara is a reef on a plateau off the south side of Roatán, known as a shark dive. A resident group of Caribbean reef sharks lives on and around the plateau, and they are the main reason divers visit.
Also known as Marco's Place, Cara a Cara Point, Cara-a-Cara Marco's Place Shark Dive.
Where it is and how deep
16.3043° N, 86.5053° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The dive takes place on a plateau at 21 m (70 ft) off the south side of the island. This stretch of reef is home to at least 10 to 15 Caribbean reef sharks, which live in the area and are the reason divers come.
Marine life and season
- Reef sharks
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Roatán: March to August is dry with the calmest seas; October to February is the rainy season, wettest in November and December.
Dive videos
FACE TO FACE with 20 SHARKS! Roatán, Honduras Shark Dive (Cara a Cara) · ScubaDaver on YouTube
Sources
- Cara-a-Cara Marco's Place Shark Dive — PADI
- Cara a Cara — ScubaGo
More dive sites in Roatán
Channel & pass
A gentle drift down a sand channel that ends at the drop-off
Wall
Canyons and swim-throughs on a wall bottoming out at 16 m
Cave & cavern
A network of shallow, easily navigated coral caves
Wreck
Three swim-throughs, and sometimes 15 to 20 groupers inside
Reef
A coral pillar standing in a square cut in the reef wall
Drift
A shallow drift down a sand path scattered with wreck pieces
Wall
Reef top at 5 m, wall dropping to about 46 m off West End
Exit a sand-chute tunnel through an opening in the vertical wall face
Similar dives elsewhere
Up to ten reef sharks over a 15 m patch reef
A coral-covered French anchor of the 1750s, hooked into the reef
Barracuda over a volcanic mini-wall, in groups of five to twenty
Resident female reef sharks over a maze of coral heads