Day 1
We flew from San Jose to Dallas on Friday, then Dallas to Roatán the next day. A taxi met us and drove us 45 minutes to the Oak Ridge dock, where we switched to a boat for a short ride to Reef House Resort on Oak Ridge Cay.
Our second floor room had a view of the water and a porch swing often occupied by a tiny white cat. Another block of rooms surrounded a courtyard with hammocks and picnic table, shaded by coconut palms. In front of the bar area a line of rocks created a shallow protected pool that was great for snorkeling and floating. We were the only overnight guests for the first three nights.
A boat from Reef House Resort met us at the dock.
We found a crab along for the ride in the boat to Reef House.
on the way to Oak Ridge Cay
Oak Ridge Cay (right) is a tiny island just off the coast of Roatán (left).
We saw a moving shell and found it inhabited by a crab.
Day 2
Windy conditions were too rough for diving, so we went snorkeling in the protected pool in front of Reef House. In the afternoon, we took a boat through a mangrove tunnel, and snorkeled around the roots.
view from our porch swing
swimming and bar area at Reef House Resort
Evan lounging in a hammock
Oak Ridge Cay is two lots wide, with a path in the middle.
looking across the water to Roatán from the west edge of Oak Ridge Cay
Evan with a live conch
We saw lots of small fish hiding in the grass at the edges of the pool.
The conch re-emerged after a few minutes back on the bottom.
We went snorkeling in front of the resort because it was too windy for diving.
Lots of bright yellow fish hung out under the deck.
Evan made friends with the cat, Chica Blanca.
Reef House arranged for a boat to pick us up at their dock and take us to the mangroves.

Dense mangroves form a tunnel over the water.

motoring through the mangrove tunnel

Mangrove roots formed an impenetrable barrier on either side.

Our guide tied up the boat to a floating platform while we jumped in and snorkeled around the mangroves.
We stopped at Hole in the Wall for a drink on the way back. It was full of Trump posters, so we didn't stay long.

heading out of the bight back toward Oak Ridge Cay

Chica Blanca joined us for dinner and was glad to eat any leftovers.
Day 3
In the morning, we walked a couple hundred feet across the cay to the dock, and got geared up for diving. A few minutes from Oak Ridge, we stopped in 20' of water, put on our gear, and dropped over the side of the boat into the turquoise water. We swam over the shelf and cruised along a wall packed with colorful creatures: coral, fans, and lobsters hiding in the rocks. The bottom was lost in the deep blue, probably 150' down.
In the afternoon, we relaxed in the hammocks and swam in the ocean pool.
Dive master David briefed us on our first dive, just off the shore across from a church.
getting ready for our first dive
ready to put on our fins while sitting on the side of the boat, then fall backwards into the water
common area with hammocks and tables
view from a hammock
Chica Blanca joined us for lunch under the coconut palm trees.
view of Reef House Resort from the jetty
dinner by the water
Chica Blanca just outside our door
Chica Blanca napped on our porch swing for hours.
Day 4
In the morning, we saw giant crabs and lobsters on a wall dive near Port Royal. Near Oak Ridge, we swam over beautiful coral gardens. Our guide found both spotted and green moray eels lurking in the rocks.
In the afternoon, we tried to get a ride to Port Royal National Park, but nobody had heard of it. We relaxed in the hammocks, porch swing, and ocean instead.
heading east toward Port Royal for our second day of diving
A storm rolled in while we were swimming before dinner.
watching the storm from the deck
Day 5
In the morning, we saw lots of colorful fish and a big green moray eel snorkeling over the reef at the end of the jetty.
At 11am, we set off for the mainland: water taxi, taxi to the ferry terminal, and a 90 minute ferry across rough waters to La Ceiba.
Our last morning, we went snorkeling from the end of the jetty.
We swam with lots of fish, including barracuda and a moray eel.
This green moray eel was probably more than 5 feet long.
We saw dozens of different fish swimming in and around the reef.
Our bill from Reef House Resort
Reef House Resort drink menu
lunch menu at Reef House Resort. Our last evening, someone came to take our order while we were swimming in the pool; she said we didn't have to get out, they had the same choices.
heading to the dock and then to the Roatán ferry terminal