Guanaja

Guanaja is the least-developed of the Bay Islands' three established dive destinations. Diving centres on resort boats, moored walls, pinnacles and lava-like swim-through formations rather than a walkable dive-town strip.

Best time
Mar–May
Certification
Open water
Budget
$$–$$$ · $2,000–4,000 to over $4,000
Trip length
5–8 days
Trip style
Land based, Day trip, Shore dive
Access
Moderate

The short version

Known forLow-density boat diving around the eastern Bay Islands.

Main tradeoffThe ferry or charter-air connection from Roatán is vulnerable to weather and timetable changes.

Guanaja dive region

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Your outlook

Explore 4 dive sites

Browse the map and wildlife below, or add an optional preference to narrow Guanaja.

Most relevant wildlife

  • Hawksbill turtleJan–Dec
  • Great barracudaJan–Dec
  • Green sea turtleJan–Dec
  • Caribbean reef sharkJan–Dec

Plan the trip

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4 sites shown.

Conditions referenceSeason, water and visibilityBest Mar–May · Moderate current · 26–30°C (coldest Jan, warmest Jun)
Best months Operating
Current
Moderate
Water temperature
26–30°C (coldest Jan, warmest Jun)
Visibility
15–35m: Offshore walls can be clear, but no authoritative monthly visibility series exists.
Experience
Some sheltered reefs suit Open Water divers.

01 · Marine life

What you may see

rareoccasionalcommonly seenpeak seasondestination closed

Sightings are never guaranteed. The bars show typical likelihood by month.

Hawksbill turtleEretmochelys imbricata
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januarycommonly seen
Februarycommonly seen
Marchcommonly seen
Aprilcommonly seen
Maycommonly seen
Junecommonly seen
Julycommonly seen
Augustcommonly seen
Septembercommonly seen
Octobercommonly seen
Novembercommonly seen
Decembercommonly seen

Hawksbills are year-round reef residents.

Great barracudaSphyraena barracuda
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januarycommonly seen
Februarycommonly seen
Marchcommonly seen
Aprilcommonly seen
Maycommonly seen
Junecommonly seen
Julycommonly seen
Augustcommonly seen
Septembercommonly seen
Octobercommonly seen
Novembercommonly seen
Decembercommonly seen

Great barracuda are resident around Guanaja reefs.

Green sea turtleChelonia mydas
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januarycommonly seen
Februarycommonly seen
Marchcommonly seen
Aprilcommonly seen
Maycommonly seen
Junecommonly seen
Julycommonly seen
Augustcommonly seen
Septembercommonly seen
Octobercommonly seen
Novembercommonly seen
Decembercommonly seen

Green turtles are resident around reefs and seagrass habitat.

Caribbean reef sharkCarcharhinus perezi
Sighting likelihood by month
MonthLikelihood
Januaryoccasional
Februaryoccasional
Marchoccasional
Apriloccasional
Mayoccasional
Juneoccasional
Julyoccasional
Augustoccasional
Septemberoccasional
Octoberoccasional
Novemberoccasional
Decemberoccasional

Caribbean reef sharks may patrol walls and pinnacles, but no reliable monthly trend is published.

See all 8 species

02 · Dive sites

Dive sites worth knowing

A starting point, not a ranking. Conditions decide what works on the day.

See all 4 dive sites
03 · LogisticsGetting there and costsModerate. Fly to RTB. Typical trip $$–$$$.

Route overview

Moderate

Reachable but with some friction: 1 domestic flight, a 4h overland transfer, a 3.5h boat crossing.

Airport options

RTB

Juan Manuel Gálvez International Airport

Scheduled ferry or charter flight onward to Guanaja; same-day connections depend on arrival time and weather

Typical trip cost

$$–$$$

$2,000–4,000 to over $4,000

Per person, excluding international flights.

  • Seven-night resort packages with meals and roughly 17 dives commonly fall in the $2,000–4,000+ USD range before international travel, tax, tourist tax, environmental contributions and inter-island transport.

Sources & last checked

Checked September 2026

Research is source-backed, but conditions and fees should still be confirmed locally.

View 7 sources and checking notes

Note on the data: Access and package structure are supported by a current resort source. Exact ferry duration, site coordinates, depths and visibility remain approximate. Guanaja lacks strong independent month-level wildlife data, so all calendars are flat. Water temperature: Rounded planning bands derived from NOAA OISST climatology, not temperatures logged at individual dive depths. Access: From RTB, Guanaja requires an onward ferry or charter aircraft. Ferry timing may require an overnight on Roatán; a charter flight shortens the transfer but costs more and has baggage limits.