Anthony’s Key Resort: "An excellent dive trip", Jul, 2021,by Rob Longley, NY, US (![]() |
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Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best): |
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Accommodations | ![]() |
Food | ![]() |
Service and Attitude | ![]() |
Environmental Sensitivity | N/A |
Dive Operation | ![]() |
Shore Diving | N/A |
Snorkeling | N/A | ||
Overall Rating |
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Value for $$ | ![]() |
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Beginners | ![]() |
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Advanced | ![]() |
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Comments |
I went on this trip with a group organized by a dive shop, and even though I didn't know anybody, I had a really good time. The dive shop owner has been to AKR many times and is familiar to, and well liked by the staff. I'll start with the worst part of the trip: customs at the airport. It took over an hour to get through and there was no social distancing. I didn't feel especially unsafe because we had to have proof of vaccination to enter the country, but I had worn long pants on the plane because the AC is sometimes too cool for me, so I was somewhat uncomfortable in the heat. In other words, big deal. Our bags were tagged for the AKR staff to grab them, so we boarded the bus. Every seat, including all of the jump seats, was filled, but it wasn't bad. The ride to the resort didn't take long and everybody was in good spirits. On arrival our bags were taken directly to our rooms. It was all very efficient. I was in a bungalow on the offshore island. I have a disability that makes walking long distances somewhat difficult and painful, so I was grateful that I was in the bungalow closest to the shuttle boat. The restaurant and dive operations are on the main island so it is necessary to take the shuttle boat back and forth, but it is always available, so wait times are rarely more than a minute or two. I did see one young and athletic person swim across, and that is certainly an option, but for the lazier among us it is unnecessary. The bungalow itself was very comfortable and I loved lying in the hammock on the deck. I really liked the restaurant and bar setting. It is open to the breezes and looks out on the water. It felt like being in a very large treehouse. There is an old joke which has a punchline, “The food was terrible and there wasn't nearly enough.” AKR is the opposite. The wait staff was very friendly and attentive. Menu options include vegetarian. I can't imagine anybody being dissatisfied by the food. Of course, it is the diving that most readers will be interested in. I found the Roatan diving to be excellent and the AKR dive team were a pleasure to go out with. A typical dive day would start, for me, with a visit to the dive shop to get Nitrox tanks. There are testing stations that are easy to use and the dive staff transports the marked tanks to the boat. The boats are right by the shuttle boat dock and there are lockers nearby. It is very easy to get equipment to the boats. Many of the dive sites are very close to AKR, so boat rides are sometimes short. After the first morning dive the boat returns to the resort and there is enough time for a quick trip back to a bungalow to get anything that one might need. After the second morning dive there is time to get lunch and relax a bit before the afternoon dive. After the afternoon dive there is plenty of time for relaxing again before dinner. I once had a bad experience trying to do four dives in a day (I'm an old guy) so I was a bit wary of doing three, but the pace was such that I never felt rushed and I never felt tired out. That would have something to do with the dives themselves. The dive guides went very slowly, stopping often to look at interesting things. One guide was especially good at spotting and pointing out tiny crtitters. I have been on dives where the DM's seemed to be out to cover as much territory as possible. These were nothing like that. Some of the dives were drift dives, so we would go a good distance, but the pace was always easygoing. In the past I have rarely been able to go much more than 45 minutes on a tank; on these dives I was getting more than an hour regularly. The dive sites themselves included walls and interesting reefs with deep channels and some swim throughs. I found them to be varied and interesting. Plenty of creatures to see, including a hammerhead shark that swam over us. We also did two night dives. I had never done a night dive before, but these were led well and again the guides were really good at finding and pointing out the various creatures. Octopusses! At the end of a dive day there are showers and rinse tanks right next to the locker room, all just steps from the boats. There is a shark dive available, but I didn't go on it. The people in my group who did said that it was fun. The resort has some other activities, including a fish ID talk that I should have gone to, but took a nap instead. There is a picnic lunch on another island, and a party one evening, so we all had a great time. I would also note that, though I am straight, I am very concerned about LGBTQ issues. It appeared to me as if AKR is LGBTQ friendly. I am not a fussy person, so honestly my biggest complaint about AKR is that they have a terrible selection of beers. Please, a couple of good IPA's. There is another trip to Roatan planned by the dive shop that I went with. Even though the trip won't be until July, I will be signing up next week. |
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Websites | Anthony’s Key Resort | ||
Reporter and Travel |
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Dive Experience | 51-100 dives | ||
Where else diving | St. John, USVI Key Largo Cozumel Roatan Dos Ojos cenote, Tulum |
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Closest Airport | Getting There | ||
Dive Conditions |
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Weather | sunny | Seas | choppy |
Water Temp | 79-81°F / 26-27°C | Wetsuit Thickness | 3 |
Water Visibility | - Ft/ - M | ||
Dive Policy |
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Dive own profile | ? | ||
Enforced diving restrictions | [Unspecified] | ||
Liveaboard? | no | Nitrox Available? | |
What I Saw |
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Sharks | 1 or 2 | Mantas | None |
Dolphins | None | Whale Sharks | None |
Turtles | None | Whales | None |
Ratings 1(worst) - 5 (best): |
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Corals | ![]() |
Tropical Fish | ![]() |
Small Critters | ![]() |
Large Fish | N/A |
Large Pelagics | N/A | ||
Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best): |
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Subject Matter | N/A | Boat Facilities | N/A |
Overall rating for UWP's | N/A | Shore Facilities | N/A |
UW Photo Comments | [None] |
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