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A Caribbean reef shark swims close over the reef with small fish around it off Roatán

Roatán · Honduras · Wall · Reef

Half Moon Wall

Reef top at 5 m, wall dropping to about 46 m off West End

Area photo: William Eburn · CC BY 2.5

Half Moon Wall lies off West End and is an easy site to reach, which is why local dive centres use it so often. The reef begins at about 5 m and the wall below it drops to roughly 46 m, so the same site serves a shallow coral dive, a run along the wall face, or a deeper look over the edge.

Also known as Half Moon Bay Wall.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Half Moon Wall: typical dive 5–46 m (15–151 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit5 m46 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 60 m (197 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

16.3084° N, 86.5961° WPublished position for this site.

The dive

Drop onto the reef top, which begins at about 5 m. That is shallow enough that the first minutes are bright, easy water and a straightforward orientation before you go over the edge. Follow the reef out to where it breaks and the face falls away; the wall runs down to around 46 m, so pick a working depth and hold it rather than letting the coral lead you further down.

Most dives work along the wall in one direction, then come back over the reef top for the shallow half and the safety stop. Local centres put it on the schedule regularly because it is easy to reach, and it takes repeat visits well: the same site gives you a shallow coral dive one day and a run along the face the next, depending on the group and the gas plan.

Marine life and season

The sources we used don't single out particular species here.

Month-by-month season rating for Half Moon Wall
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
GoodGoodPrimePrimePrimePrimePrimePrimeGoodFairFairFair

Season follows Roatán: March to August is dry with the calmest seas; October to February is the rainy season, wettest in November and December.

Know before you go

  • The wall drops to about 46 m, well past most recreational plans - set a maximum depth before you descend and watch the gauge along the face.

Sources

  1. Half Moon Wall — Scubago

In The Logbook

More dive sites in Roatán

Sand slope

Mandy's Eel Garden

Garden eel colonies on a sand patch near the foot of the wall

6–20 mbeginner

Wall

West End Wall

Southern stingrays and spotted eagle rays hunting along the base of the wall

to 27 madvanced

Drift

Texas Point

A fast ride along the vertical drop-off at the island's exposed western tip

15–27 madvanced

Drift

Pablo's Place

Schooling horse-eye jacks above a wall where turtles graze

12–30 mintermediate

Drift

Grape Escape

A shallow drift down a sand path scattered with wreck pieces

12–14 mbeginner

Cave & cavern

Hole in the Wall

Exit a sand-chute tunnel through an opening in the vertical wall face

12–33 madvanced

Wall

Canyon Reef

Canyons and swim-throughs on a wall bottoming out at 16 m

to 16 mbeginner

Reef

Fish Den

A coral pillar standing in a square cut in the reef wall

7–18 mbeginner

Similar dives elsewhere

Wall

Half Moon Caye Wall

Belize Barrier Reef · Belize

Garden eels on the sand, then a wall that falls past 914 m (3,000 ft)

to 15 mintermediate

Wall

Rendezvous Bay

Montserrat · Montserrat

Eagle rays on the wall face, turtles on the reef top

to 20 mbeginner

Wall

40 Cañones

Mahahual (Costa Maya) · Mexico

Canyons through the reef, five minutes from the fishermen's dock

to 40 mintermediate

Wall

Cedral Wall

Cozumel · Mexico

Coral gardens on the shelf, steep drops below to 27 m

13–27 mintermediate