Roatán · Honduras · Cave & cavern · Reef
Dolphin Den
A network of shallow, easily navigated coral caves
Area photo: William Eburn · CC BY 2.5
Dolphin Den is a network of shallow coral caves on the north side of Roatán. The caves are easy to navigate and the whole dive stays shallow, which lets a single tank last a long time and makes it a relaxed first taste of swimming through coral passages.
Also known as Dolphin’s Den, Dolphins Den.
Where it is and how deep
16.4143° N, 86.3863° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The route threads through a network of coral caves between 5 m (15 ft) and 12 m (40 ft). Because the passages are shallow and simple to follow, divers can stay down for a long single-tank bottom time while working their way through the system.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| 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
Dolphins Den and Potholes Channel - Roatan · Ocean Connections on YouTube
Sources
- 20 Best Dive Sites in Roatan — DiveIn
- Dolphin Den — ScubaGo
- Dolphins Den — 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
Reef
A resident group of Caribbean reef sharks on a south-side plateau
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
Long tunnels full of tarpon, straight off the shore
Cave & cavern
The Caves
Nevis · Saint Kitts and Nevis
Coral tunnels and grottos with swim-throughs no deeper than 12 m
Under an arch into a cathedral-like room open to the surface
Coral chimneys that fill with silversides in high summer