Honduras has an abundance of ocean conservation opportunities for divers and non-divers alike. Whether you want to start a career in marine science, improve your marine species identification skills or simply want to volunteer while on holiday, the PADI Dive Shops in Honduras have plenty to offer.
Roatan Divers
Roatan Divers is committed to environmentally friendly diving practices and responsible tourism. Both divers and non-divers can participate in beach clean-ups, find out which restaurants offer sustainable seafood and help protect Roatan’s vibrant marine ecosystems.
Roatan Divers’ Coral Restoration course gives students a deeper understanding of coral biology, coral nurseries and techniques for out-planting and monitoring corals. Certified divers who complete the course can participate in hands-on coral restoration activities.
The dive shop is a longtime supporter of community-based nonprofit Roatan Marine Park (RMP) and works closely with RMP on many conservation programs including:
- Cultivating and restoring key coral species
- SECORE (Sexual Coral Reproduction)
- Invasive lionfish control
- Beach cleanups
Roatan Divers also offers a workshop on lionfish removal. Divers learn to use pole spears while maintaining neutral buoyancy — ensuring that the reef remains unharmed while the invasive fish is neutralized and extracted.
For those looking for a deeper commitment to conservation, the Eco-Divemaster package combines the Coral Ambassador course with lionfish hunting, giving participants the chance to become certified conservation advocates while advancing their diving skills.
Sun Divers Roatan
Being “always eco-active” is a core value at Sun Divers Roatan. Natalie Shuman, co-owner of Sun Divers Roatan, said one of her key motivations in owning a dive shop is to be on the frontline of conservation efforts.
“We’re always looking for ways to create a wave of positive change throughout our coastal community,” Shuman said.
Sun Divers Roatan is a Green Fins dive shop member, a founding member of Roatan’s EcoSafe Sunscreen coalition and Roatan’s first PADI Eco Center. The dive shop also works closely with Roatan Marine Park — training coral nursery divers and supporting RMP’s coral spawning monitoring efforts.
Visitors can get involved in a variety of programs to support marine conservation in Roatan and the people who work, live and play in The Bay Islands.
- Coral Restoration — Tree Maintenance and Repair, Outplanting and Data Collection
- Coral Spawning — Monitoring and Outplanting
- Dives Against Debris at Adopt the Blue dive site Candela’s Zen
- ROA GIRLS DIVE! Scuba Certification Scholarship Program for Local Girls
- Monthly Beach Clean-Ups in Half Moon Bay
Visit Sun Divers Roatan’s marine conservation page to learn more about the programs above.
Utila Dive Center
Utila Dive Center’s GoECO is a four-week biology and conservation program that includes a wide range of activities and hands-on experience in marine conservation. Divers can:
- Gain experience maintaining a coral nursery
- Improve coral and fish identification skills
- Learn how to conduct reef monitoring surveys
- Take part in underwater and beach clean-ups
- Earn up to seven PADI Specialty certifications
After completing the PADI AWARE Specialty, divers can enroll in the Caribbean Coral Identification Distinctive Specialty and Fish Identification Specialty and learn how to identify around 140 fish species by examining key characteristics, ecological roles and other clues. There is also a Caribbean Dolphin Awareness Distinctive Specialty that includes a dolphin-watching excursion where students put their knowledge into practice.
By learning how to identify species and behaviors, divers can contribute data to a variety of citizen science projects, including CoralWatch and Roatan Marine Park’s marine megafauna baseline survey. The collected data helps improve understanding of population sizes, behavior and movement patterns. Contributions also enable researchers to monitor the effects of climate change on coral reefs, providing essential data to mitigate bleaching events and support conservation efforts. The identification and survey skills divers learn in the GoEco program can also be applied to diving activities and adventures throughout the Caribbean and elsewhere around the world.
Utila Dive Center also maintains a coral nursery consisting of 10 structures with approximately 500 coral fragments of Acropora cervicornis, Acropora palmata and Acropora prolifera. Divers who complete the PADI Coral Nursery Course & Maintenance Specialty learn how to monitor, clean and nurture coral fragments so they can be transplanted onto the reef.
Whale Shark and Oceanic Research Center Utila (WSORC)
The Whale Shark & Oceanic Research Center (WSORC) was first established to increase the presence and availability of researchers in Honduras to work with whale sharks. They’ve since expanded to help aspiring marine biologists kick-start their careers and provide conservation opportunities for visiting divers.
WSORC and the Bay Islands College of Diving (BICD) work together to train scuba divers and conservationists. BICD has a citizen science program supported by WSORC, and WSORC has a variety of internship programs. The Marine Conservation Internship is the most popular, and you don’t need a marine biology background to apply. Applicants must be Advanced Open Water Diver certified, at least 18 years old with a passion for conservation and a desire to learn.
Other conservation activities include:
- A coral nursery project
- Spotted eagle ray fingerprinting
- Lionfish removal dives and dissections
- Mangrove restoration
- Treatment for stony coral tissue loss disease
- Marine megafauna monitoring
- Fish and coral surveys
Dive Into Honduras
The Bay Islands of Honduras, including Roatan and Utila, are part of the second-largest coral reef system in the world. To learn more about diving in Honduras or to book a trip, contact a PADI Dive Center or Resort or PADI Travel®.
