The Wrecks of Roatan in the Bay Islands of Honduras
Whether interested in wreck
diving, history,
thrilled by sunken treasure, or terrified of being trapped in small,
submerged rooms, shipwrecks have always been appealing to divers and
non-divers alike. Around Roatan, the remains of partially sunken ships are
common. And although the most frequently visited wrecks in Roatan were intentionally
sunk for scuba diving, their histories are no less interesting than stories
involving pirates, Spanish Galleons and sunken treasure. In studying Roatan’s contemporary wrecks, two things become apparent. First, stories
evolve, becoming a web of fact and fiction difficult to decipher. And
secondly, truth can be more interesting than fiction.
The wreck of the
Odyssey
 Roatan’s
biggest planned wreck is a 300-foot freighter called Odyssey. Owned by Hybur
Limited, the Odyssey was being rebuilt when a catastrophic fire put an end
to its freight-hauling career. Close ties between the Galindos, owners of
Anthony’s Key Resort, and the Hydes, owners of Hybur Limited, made it an
obvious decision to donate Odyssey for wreck diving. AKR spearheaded the effort to
secure government approval, clean, prepare and sink the ship, while several
dive operators around the island contributed to the clean up effort.
 Clean
up was extensive, with approximately 50 truckloads of debris – including
charred furniture, insulation and electrical wiring – removed over several
weeks. Once clean, Odyssey was made safe for scuba divers. For example,
hatch covers weighing several tons were welded on to strengthen the ship’s
frame. On November 15, 2002, the ship was towed from French Harbour to Mud
Hole, positioned over its future home, and sunk.
Local
video producer Tim Blanton spent that day shooting video. 70-80 spectators
watched from sea and shore as lines were anchored to ensure the ship
remained upright while sinking.
 The sea-cocks were opened, and water began
to fill the ship. After several hours, and one dramatic moment when it
listed to starboard, the Odyssey righted itself and disappeared beneath the
surface. Blanton and Galindo were among a group of divers privileged to
visit the Odyssey the following morning. Upon seeing the upright attitude
and location of Odyssey centered between two coral heads, Galindo commented
it was a “bull’s-eye”.
The new home of Odyssey is off Mud Hole, resting on sand in 110 feet of
water. The ship is massive, 300 feet from bow to stern, 50 feet wide and 85
feet tall. The size is also the most impressive thing about diving the
Odyssey. Exploring the cargo area, along passageways the length of a
football field, divers look tiny.
Just two months after the sinking, several ‘Northers’ ripped through the
north shore over approximately one week. Two of the massive hatch covers
were ripped off by the power of the surge slamming into the hull.
Dixon Cove wrecks
 Two wrecks grounded close together
within the confines of Dixon Cove are familiar to all Roatan residents. Pass
by on your way between French Harbour and Coxen Hole in late afternoon, when
the sun transforms one rusted hull into an intense and picturesque copper
sculpture. Both wrecks have been decaying here since the 1970s.
Stories abound. Some claim one
ship, with a cargo of lumber, ran aground in a storm. The second ship came
to assist, and also ended up on the reef. The lumber was off-loaded in a
futile attempt to save the ship, and was collected by local residents.
Others say the cargo was marble. One version maintains one was a
Cayman-owned vessel run aground intentionally for insurance. Rumors persist
that the ships were involved in the Nicaraguan revolution, then abandoned.
Longtime residents report that the
wrecks were two separate incidents. One did carry lumber; the other carried
paint. Both ships caught fire and were abandoned, what remained of their
cargos pillaged. During an attempt to tow the ships out to sea, they broke
free and came to rest in Dixon Cove.
Prince Albert Wreck
 Along the south shore, the Prince Albert was the first Roatan wreck
intentionally sunk for scuba diving. The tanker, owned by a group of
Nicaraguans, left Nicaragua with a cargo of war refugees, headed for Roatan.
After escaping its war-ravaged country and delivering the refugees, the ship
remained in French Harbour, where it was stripped of valuables and left,
partially submerged.
Bill Evans, founder of Coco View Resort, saw an opportunity to remove a hazard
and gain a wreck for the benefit of his diving guests. Securing government
approval proved difficult for Evans, but not impossible with assistance from
local businessman Albert Jackson. Evans hired clean-up and welding crews and
set about the task of preparing it for sinking.
Three weeks later, a local shrimp boat towed the tanker to Coco View. The
sea was rough, and during the effort to transfer lines, they snapped and the
ship ended up on the reef. Efforts over several weeks to release it were
unsuccessful, and resulted in severe damage to the shrimp boat.
Finally, in January 1985, a new steel-hulled shrimp boat owned by Jerry
Hynds was commissioned for the task, and the ship was successfully pulled
off the reef. A joint effort between the shrimp boats and the Coco View
fleet tied the bow into the wind, then pumped water in until it sank. Soon
after, a Coco View guest suggested that Evans name the ship Prince Albert,
in appreciation of the assistance Mr. Jackson provided.
Nineteen years later, the 140’ tanker is in remarkably good shape, sitting
upright in 65 feet of water. It has significant coral growth. Eagle rays
frequent the wreck, a resident moray stands guard near the stern, and arrow
crabs and seahorses share space along the deck.
El Aguila Wreck
 El Aguila, Spanish for ‘The Eagle’,
is 230 feet long with a dual-deck cargo area. It’s final voyage, according
to Samir Galindo, General Manager of Anthony’s Key Resort, was a run from
Puerto Cortes to Haiti, carrying a cargo of concrete. It ran aground near
Utila (there was speculation sabotage was involved) and was there for
several years, partially submerged. Rocky Jones, from Utila, salvaged the
ship and towed it into the harbour. A passing storm pushed the ship onto the
reef, where Jones again salvaged it, this time intentionally sinking it
partially so it wouldn’t be vulnerable to future storms.
At the time, the only wrecks
accessible to north shore dive operators were two wooden-hulled vessels sunk
(naturally, not intentionally) years before, and the wooden hulls were
quickly disappearing into the sea. AKR had been looking for a ship to
convert into a wreck dive, and El Aguila proved a perfect choice.
About 5 weeks passed between the
purchase of El Aguila, the clean up (including removal of the original cargo
– tons of now-hardened concrete) the towing and finally, the sinking.
Galindo commented that sinking El Aguila was “a real challenge”, but the
ordeal helped make the Odyssey experience such a well-organized success.
When El Aguila sunk in 1997, it was
upright in 110 feet of water. In October 1998, Hurricane Mitch arrived and
battered the north shore, breaking it into 3 pieces. Galindo says with all
the salvageable metal removed from the ship in Utila, the hull was
structurally unable to resist the stress created by relentless current and
surge. But Mitch provided a service to the wreck divers of Roatan. The 3
pieces created extra nooks and crannies to investigate. El Aguila sits a
short boat ride from the AKR dock, protected by garden eels and one large
but curious green moray eel.
Mr. Bud
 Roatan's newest planed wreck
was sunk by Coco View Resort in January 2004 in front of French Cay in French Harbour.
 These
are not the only wrecks around Roatan – they are a sampling of the most high
profile. Divers can find a former dive boat with its diesel engine intact in
shallow water near the Sea Grape Resort. French Harbour channel near Little
French Cay is home to the Island Fueler, a spooky wreck owing to turbid
waters creating low visibility in the channel. Longtime residents can
probably pinpoint dozens more. And while diving on a wreck is a thrill at
any level, the stories of how the wrecks came to be only add to the allure.
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