Blackish Point is a wall and slope site off Utila and the island's most popular drift dive. A sand channel splits the upper wall from the slope below it, and divers drift along it past caverns full of reef fish, morays and the odd turtle or stingray.
Where it is and how deep
16.1228° N, 86.9242° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The primary wall descends to about 21 m (70 ft), and below it a sloping descent runs down to a sandy bottom. A sand channel separates the wall from the slope, and this is the line divers follow: they drift along it past caverns where the marine life gathers thickest.
Spotted drums, squirrelfish, moray eels, trunkfish and triggerfish are the standard fare in and around the caverns, along with midnight parrotfish. Turtles and stingrays also turn up as the drift carries on.
Marine life and season
- Sea turtles
- Stingrays
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good | Fair | Fair | Good |
Season follows Utila: March to May is dry, clearest and best for whale sharks; October and November bring the heaviest rain and some runoff.
Dive videos
Tarpon Cavern at "Blackish Point" Utila Honduras · Colby Smith on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep does the Blackish Point drift go?+
The drift follows the sand channel at the foot of the wall, which reaches about 21 m (70 ft); below it a slope descends to a sandy bottom, and the site's typical depth range runs to 50 m.
Sources
- Underwater Photo Location: Blackish Point — Underwater Photography
- Blackish Point — ScubaGo
More dive sites in Utila
Wreck
A 2021 light-plane wreck flat on the sand at 24 m
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A large seahorse in the garden eels at 18-24 metres
Seamount
Utila's blue-water seamount, with whale sharks passing over
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A drop-off dive over one of Utila's coral nurseries
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Near-vertical face of tube sponges, sea fans and black coral
Coral garden
Bioluminescent glow after dark gave this reef its ghost name
A 1998 artificial-reef wreck dived for its critters
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Swim-throughs and overhangs on a wall to 21 metres
Similar dives elsewhere
Schools of large tarpon along the wall just past the swim-through
A steep drop-off dived at 11 to 15 m, with frequent eagle rays
A face that starts at 15 m and drops straight into the blue
Hawksbill turtles among barrel and basket sponges