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Dive Review of Fantasy Island in
Honduras/Roatan

Fantasy Island, Jun, 2008,

by Vance Esler, TX, USA (Reviewer Reviewer 3 reports with 1 Helpful vote). Report 4183.

No photos available at this time

Ratings and Overall Comments 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Accommodations 4 stars Food 4 stars
Service and Attitude 4 stars Environmental Sensitivity N/A
Dive Operation 4 stars Shore Diving 4 stars
Snorkeling N/A
Value for $$ N/A
Beginners 4 stars
Advanced 4 stars
Comments This was our first trip to Roatan. We were with a large group. The Fantasy Island staff picked up our luggage and transported us to the resort. Check in was straightforward and was followed by an orientation to the dive operation. We could snorkel, but not dive, the same day we arrived.

The resort was nice overall. The rooms were clean and functional. Tap water was not potable, but purified water was provided in the rooms and in the dining areas. No safes in the rooms, but you can rent a safe deposit box for $1 a day. You have to put down $100 deposit which you get back when you turn the key back in. The boxes are located in the lobby by the front desk and are accessible 24/7. They are about the size of a small post office box, large enough to store your passport, cash, and small electronic items.

Meals were buffet style, all you can eat. Breakfast typically offered pancakes, eggs, custom omelets, bacon, a variety of rolls, fruit, fruit juice, coffee. Lunch (which was served in the outdoor area where it was okay to be wet) usually offered fish, chicken, hamburger, pasta, salad bar, fruit, and dessert (ice creams, cakes, etc). Supper was more elaborate. Entrees might include octopus, fish, chicken, pork, beef, pasta, lasagna, vegetables, and desserts. Overall it was decent, and you could usually find enough to eat -- even if you are picky.

We were all assigned to the same boat, divemaster and captain all week. Our package included 3 dives a day (9:00, 11:00 and 2:30) plus one night dive (6:30). There was unlimited shore diving from the gazebo.

The diving consists primarily of wall diving, with most dives ending up on top of the reef. Safety stops were often unnecessary because the dives would end up between 15-20 ft. The coral and sponges are spectacular. If you like the small sea life, there is more than you can imagine. There are a few larger fish, mostly groupers. We saw the usual Caribbean fish as well as eagle rays, octopus, squid and eels out in the open. We spotted one dolphin, but no sharks. (There is a shark dive available, though.)

There is a locker room right beside the boats where you can store your gear overnight. The lockers do not have doors, but the room is locked at night. We felt our gear was relatively safe, but we took certain items back to our rooms each night.

We did not have to carry cash to the dive area. The dive shop kept a running tab for things like bottled water, sodas, rentals, etc. At the end of the week, it was added to the room bill -- or you could pay cash as you went, however you wished to handle it.

Several us had prepaid for unlimited Nitrox. They had a pressure gauge and analyzer available although we used our own analyzers. Our mix was consistently 32-33%. The tank fills were good. There was an occasional 2900 psi, but the tanks were over (~3100) more often than under.

We had one DM for 17 divers on our boat. He was polite and friendly. He showed us the general direction, and he kept his eyes on us. We would typically dive along a wall, turn when the first person reached 1500 psi, then end up under the boat. Those who had plenty of air left were allowed to stay down longer. The dives typically lasted an hour or so. By the end of the week, the DM had found us some sea horses and other small aquatics. We found the dive staff to be professional, but not as overtly friendly as the staff in the dining rooms and the rest of the resort.

The shore diving was excellent. From the gazebo you can easily reach a wrecked boat at about 60 ft. Beside it there is a wrecked plane, too. Some of our best sightings were on the shore dives.

Overall we enjoyed the trip, and we would go back.

Reporter and Travel

Dive Experience 51-100 dives
Where else diving Cozumel
Closest Airport Getting There

Dive Conditions

Weather windy Seas surge
Water Temp 80-81°F / 27-27°C Wetsuit Thickness 3
Water Visibility 40-80 Ft/ 12-24 M

Dive Policy

Dive own profile ?
Enforced diving restrictions Depth and time guidelines were mentioned, but not strictly enforced. Only strict rule was to NOT touch anything.
Liveaboard? no Nitrox Available? N/A

What I Saw

Sharks None Mantas None
Dolphins 1 or 2 Whale Sharks None
Turtles None Whales None
Corals 4 stars Tropical Fish 4 stars
Small Critters 5 stars Large Fish 2 stars
Large Pelagics 1 stars

Underwater Photography 1 (worst) - 5 (best):

Subject Matter 4 stars Boat Facilities 3 stars
Overall rating for UWP's 4 stars Shore Facilities 3 stars
UW Photo Comments Camera bucket on boat and at dive shop.
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Note: The information here was reported by the author above, but has NOT been reviewed nor edited by Undercurrent prior to posting on our website. Please report any major problems by writing to us and referencing the report number above.

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