Boxfish

Black Hills

Location: 
Utila, North East
Highlights: 
Giant Sea Mound, pelagics, cleaning station teaming with life

DIVE BRIEF: Black Hills is undeniably one of Utila’s most interesting sites because of it’s huge variety of marine life. It takes the form of a semi-circular sea mound, its highest part at 10 metres and going deeper than 45 metres. Because Black Hills is 2 miles off the coast it’s important that the sea be calm in order to dive safely. Here a diver will see schools of Horse Eye Jacks, Atlantic Spade Fish, and Sennets. If you pay careful attention you can find the Spotted Scorpion Fish and Lettuce Sea Slugs.

Normal Visibility: 
19metres
Currents: 
Caribbean Light to Roller Coaster Rush
Site Depth: 
14metres
50metres
Divesite Difficulty : 
Easy to Advanced (Advanced Open Water)
Time to Site : 
18minutes
Common Marine Life Sightings: 
Green Moray, Horse Eye Jacks, Wahoo, Graysbys, Smooth Trunkfish, Whitespotted File Fish, Yellow Tube Sponges, Honeycomb Trunkfish, Lettuce Sea Slugs.
Dive 25 Hotspot Watch: 
Smooth Trunkfish (Gold Variation), Crevalle Jack, Queen Angelfish
Dive Site Map: 

Black Coral Wall -Silver Garden

Location: 
Utila, South
Highlights: 
Black Coral, labyrinth of sand channels

DIVE BRIEF: Black Coral Wall offers a lot of options for your dives. In its shallowest part (5-7 metres) there are sand patches and sand channels full of aquatic life and due to its depth the natural light is ideal for underwater photography. The reef wall runs parallel to the shore and descends to 24 metres where it meets the sandy bottom and continues its gradual descent. The site is named after the Black Coral found East of the bouy.

Normal Visibility: 
23metres
Currents: 
Still to Caribbean Light
Site Depth: 
7metres
43metres
Divesite Difficulty : 
Easy (Open Water)
Time to Site : 
9minutes
Common Marine Life Sightings: 
Decorator (Neck) Crabs, Blue Chromis, Gray Angel Fish, Harlequin Bass, Honeycomb Cowfish, Rock Beauty, Red Boring Sponges, Moon Jelly, Mutton Snapper, Black Corals.
Dive 25 Hotspot Watch: 
Elkhorn Coral, Smooth Trunkfish (Gold Variation), Yellowtail Snapper
Dive Site Map: 

Scott's Head Drop Off

Location: 
Scott's Head Marine Reserve
Highlights: 
Vast drop off wall teaming with sea life at the bottom point of the island

DIVE BRIEF: This is the last dive site within the protected confines of the bay and therefore can be exposed to strong currents, but for the most part it is an easy dive. Scotts Head Drop Off is a World Class Dive Site: huge splotches of encrusting sponges cover the wall with blues, reds, oranges, whites and purples, all fighting to possess the rare piece of exposed rock face. Creatures live in every crevasse, sometimes 5 different spercies of shrimp can be found. Seahorses and frogfish are common, and lobsters and crabs are hiding everywhere.

Normal Visibility: 
24metres
Currents: 
Caribbean Light to Roller Coaster Rush
Site Depth: 
3metres
35metres
Divesite Difficulty : 
Easy to Advanced (Advanced Open Water)
Time to Site : 
50minutes
Common Marine Life Sightings: 
Secretary Blenny, Spotted Eagle Ray, Bluestriped Lizardfish, Red Banded Hermit, Batwing Coral Crab, Christmas Tree Worms, Dark Mantis, Caribbean Reef Octopus, Swimming Crinoid, Giant Basket Star
Dive 25 Hotspot Watch: 
Longsnout Sea Horse, Trumpetfish, Scrawled Cowfish

Rose Garden

Location: 
Douglas Bay
Highlights: 
Pristine Coral Topography

DIVE BRIEF: As the name suggests a beautiful dive over beautiful reef. Glide gently over the wonderful coral-scape. A great dive to start your vacation with.

Normal Visibility: 
25metres
Currents: 
Still to Caribbean Light
Site Depth: 
8metres
35metres
Divesite Difficulty : 
Easy (Open Water)
Time to Site : 
10minutes
Common Marine Life Sightings: 
Threespot Damselfish, Thin Leaf Lettuce Corals, Yellowfin Grouper, Upside Down Jelly, Large Eye Toadfish, Yellowline Goby, Bar Jacks, Flat Tree Oysters, Venus Sea Fans, Caribbean Two-spot Octopus
Dive 25 Hotspot Watch: 
Scrawled Cowfish, Common Octopus, Spotfin Butterfly fish, Long-Spined Sea Urchin

Scrawled Cowfish

Scrawled Cowfish
Academy Award: 

Family: Boxfishes - Ostraciidae

Blue-green to yellow cast. Can darken, pale and change colour. Two sharp spines in front of anal fin.

NOTE: Formerly classified in genus Lactophyrs.

Diver Interaction: 
Wary; An indirect approach for a close view is the best advice. They remain motionless apparently relying on camouflage, but when aware they have company, quickly rereat.!!
Species in Action: 
Habitat & Lifestyle: 
They live in a wide range of habitats, from grass beds to walls, and have the added advantage of changing their colouring to blend in with their background. This gives them added protection and added security.
Genus: 
Acanthostracion quadricornis
Maximum Size: 
46.00cm
Average Size: 
20.0cm
38.0cm
Depth: 
1.0metres
25.0metres
Endangered Rating: 
Low
Global Distribution: 
Common to occasional Florida and Bahamas; occasional to uncommon Caribbean; also Gulf of Mexico, north to Massachusetts, Bermuda and south to Brazil.
Unique Physique: 
1. Scrawled pattern of bluish markings cover body. 2. Blue line runs from snout to anal fin. 3. A sharp spine above each eye (distinguishes cowfishes from trunkfishes).
Visual ID: 
Local Hotspots: 
Dominica: Rose Garden, Scott's Head Drop Off - Pinnacle
Abundance: 
Common - Sighting as are frequent, but not necessarily on every dive.

Smooth Trunkfish (& Golden Variation)

clean2.jpg
Academy Award: 

Family: Boxfishes - Ostraciidae

IDENTIFICATION: Dark around mouth and at base of pectoral fin. JUVENILE: As they mature, they develop a pale colour mid-body area where honeycomb markings appear later.

Diver Interaction: 
Unconcerned; usually allow a close approach.
Species in Action: 
Habitat & Lifestyle: 
In general they are solitary, but occasionally swim in groups. Swim over sand and sometimes over reefs.
Genus: 
Lactophrys triqueter
Maximum Size: 
31.00cm
Average Size: 
15.0cm
25.0cm
Depth: 
4.0metres
26.0metres
Global Distribution: 
Common to occasional Florida, Bahamas, Caribbean; also Gulf of Mexico, north of Massachusetts, Bermuda and south to Brazil. GOLDEN VARIATION: Only been reported from the western Gulf of Mexico and the Gulf of Honduras.
Unique Physique: 
1. Dark body covered with white spots (Golden Variation: Yellow body and golden spots). 2. Area of pale honeycomb markings on central midbody. Only members of family without a spine above eye and/or near anal fin. JUVENILE: 3. Dark body covered with large yellow to pale yellow spots.
Visual ID: 
Local Hotspots: 
Black Coral Wall - Silver Garden, Black Hills
Abundance: 
Common - Sighting as are frequent, but not necessarily on every dive.
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