Roatan Five Stars Roatan Five Stars

DISCOVER THE MESOAMERICAN REEF
A FEW METERS FROM THE ISLAND

The World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) has carried out several scientific studies on the Mesoamerican reef system, This reef system lies within the Caribbean sea and touches the coasts of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala and Honduras. It contains the largest barrier reef in the Western Hemisphere, stretching nearly 700 miles from the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula down through the Honduran Bay Islands. Dazzling arrays of different types of coral form this underwater wilderness, and provide homes and food to hundreds of fish species, marine turtles, and sharks. Along the shores, mangroves provide habitat for fish and shorebirds as well as protect coastal areas from the damage associated with hurricanes and strong storms.

The scenic beauty of the region’s coastal areas makes it a prime tourist destination, which can put pressure on fragile reef environments. Further inland, rich soils attract large-scale agriculture, whose run-off can severely impact reefs. And increasing sea levels and water temperatures from climate change threaten corals and other marine animals such as turtles, as well as the communities that depend on the reef for their livelihoods and food security.

Coral Reef in West Bay, Roatan
Roatan snorkeling tours
Best scuba diving in Roatan
Roatan PADI scuba dive center

The Mesoamerican Barrier Reef is the largest barrier reef in the Caribbean Sea, and it’s the second largest in the world right after Australia's Great Barrier Reef. As Islanders, we’re proud to mention that the Bay Island of Honduras is part of this natural wonder. This positions the Island of Roatan among the most attractive destinations for vacations in the Caribbean. Roatan Five Stars Tour Operator offers a handful and assorted Water Tours and excursions packages were you can enjoy a wonderful sightseeing of the colorful coral reef that surrounds the island of Roatan.

You can go deep in to the water by taking any of the packages: Snorkeling excursions, Diving Tours, Snuba tour, or just stay above the water by choosing Kayaking, paddle board, Jet Ski, Banana Boat Ride. For the extreme sport lovers, than the best option is to fly high ant try our Parasailing Tour. And if you just want to stay dry, don’t worry, we offer you the Glass Bottom Boat Tour, a fantastic option to gaze at the underwater world in a comfortable way.

SPECIES Living in the Mesoamerican Reef

These ecosystems host over 60 types of hard corals form a vast network of reef that in turn provides habitat for over 500 fish species, 350 mollusk and other marine mammals, algae and seagrasses, five species of marine turtles and attracts one of the world’s largest congregations of whale sharks.

It is home to critically endangered species, like the largest population of manatees in the Western Caribbean, saltwater crocodile, sea turtle (green, hawksbill and loggerhead), Nassau and Goliath grouper, and the largest aggregation of whale sharks in the world.

Turtles in The Mesoamerican Reef
Roatan marine science institute
Diving in East End Roatan and Best diving sites
Roatan Reef Tours

Roatan is surrounded by reefs

The island of Roatan is surrounded by a reef system, in other words, it is located near the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, the largest barrier reef in the Caribbean Sea. All reef systems throughout the Bay Islands are protected by the local and central government with help from charitable donations and those on the front line.

Through local donations to the Marine Park and the many causes along with a concerted effort from the resorts on the island weekly clean-ups are undertaken to insure no metals or plastics litter the reef system and beaches as well as all major dive shops doing clean-ups on most of their daily dives. There are still obstacles to be defeated but the islanders and expatriates living on the islands have taken a united stand to conserve and educate.