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BIBR Snorkel FAQ |
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Packages: Dive | Beach / Vacationer | Cruise Ship | Kids Camp |
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How much does a snorkeling package cost?
Please check our complete rate sheet for complete rate information & to read our booking policies. Don't forget to look at our Specials page for short notice rates and special events.
What is the snorkeling like on Roatan?
water temperatures from 78 - 84 degrees F
Our reef provides beautiful, varied and easy snorkeling. The reef & grasses provide exotic snorkel sites for everyone from new students to seasoned free-divers. See 85 of the 100 species of coral teeming with everything from morays, octopus, and turtles; to drums, wrasse, and gobies; to ocean triggers, schools of blue tangs, whale sharks, eagle rays and wild dolphin! Roatan has over 800 different species of fish, one of the most diverse populations in the Caribbean. In many places, Roatan's reef extends up to the surface, making an ideal site for easy snorkeling right off of the shore or the dive boat.
What is included in the boat snorkeling package?
Your package includes:
(if you come in on a Saturday, your package includes boat trips on Monday through Friday. Extra boat trips are available for a small fee payable at the resort)
What is included in a beach snorkeling package?
Your beach only snorkeling package will include
Some of the most interesting reef formations on the island
lie just off of our beach. From the shore are many named sites, including
Spooky Channel, Ben Jones Front Porch, & The Natural Aquarium Snorkel Trail.
Also along the shore of BIBR is the barrier reef system that makes Roatan
famous. You can swim in either direction along the wall and see
corals, tropicals,
pelagics, and schooling fish. Inside the reef, the lagoon and healthy seagrass bed
protects juveniles, anemones, octopus, eels, rays, crabs and dozens of small invertebrates.
A guide is available between 2 and 10 pm most days to assist snorkelers with their shore explorations. To be sure you enjoy these spectacular sites to their fullest, we recommend having a guide or a detailed orientation on your first trips out to the reef. Unlimited shore snorkeling is available 24 hours a day.
What is the Natural Aquarium & Snorkel Trail?
The Natural Aquarium has several areas to explore.
On the inside western edge of the channel is a wonderful place to explore.(#1) Because extremely calm
conditions & the shallower depth, you can see spotted drums, trumpetfish and
filefish in the coral maze that lies just beneath the surface. Pick out a coral head and watch the interplay
between fishes & corals. Look for the back doors and sleeping hollows.
See the encroachment lines as corals fight for space & sunlight. Cheer on
the little guys clearing out their tunnels & defending their territories in the
sand.
On the eastern side of the channel (#2) you can explore the sandy flats around the coral mounds. Follow our buoyed snorkel trail through our incredible Natural Aquarium (#3). Depths of the snorkel trail range from the surface down to 35+ feet. In most places, it is between 6-15'. For those people interested in fish ID, we suggest starting out by finding the juveniles in the grass bed and then follow them through their growth stages as you head deeper and out to the reef.
Spooky Channel is a natural channel formed by a land stream which flows into the sea. ( #5 on the picture above) On the surface, the crack narrows to 5-8 feet across. In this crack you will find a wide variety of sea fans, corals and sponges. The coral heads are home to octopus, crabs, lobster, shrimp, conch, parrotfish, grouper, squid, and cuttlefish. We have found 6 different types of eels in Spooky. You will also see turtles, spotted eagle rays, and schools of fish such as blue chromis & tangs . As you come through the channel and out on to the reef, everything suddenly opens, the water turns crystal clear and hundreds of Roatan's beautiful tropical fish come into view as the wall falls away beneath you. Others swim through the channel just under the overhanging ledges, explore the unique architecture of the channel & then turn west on the wall (#4)and explore the cracks that extend back into the reef. If you stay on the eastern side (#6) of the channel, you will swim towards Ben Jones Front Porch, another fabulous site.