The StarfIsh Beach Club Snorkeling Tour

Pristine Bay Resort is a luxury residential resort featuring a world-class golf club, swimming pools, tennis courts, and stunning ocean views. It offers an upscale, relaxing atmosphere ideal for both vacation and long-term stays.

Las Verandas is a beautiful boutique hotel located in Pristine Bay area offering an elegant and tranquil escape. Surrounded by lush gardens and just steps from the beach, it combines Caribbean charm with modern comfort, perfect for a relaxing getaway.

The Black Pearl Golf Course, located within the prestigious Pristine Bay Resort, is a world-class 18-hole championship course designed by legendary golf architect Pete Dye.

Known for its challenging layout and breathtaking views of the Caribbean Sea, the course blends seamlessly with the natural landscape, offering a unique and rewarding experience for golf enthusiasts of all levels.

With oceanfront holes, rolling fairways, and professional facilities, it’s a must-play destination for golfers visiting Roatán.

A 120-Year-Old Wreck Hides One of the Island’s Oldest Mysteries. It was the night of August 18, 1899, and a northwestern wind had been blowing on Roatán for over three days.

On the north shore of the island, a 100-foot metal boat, Snyg, battled the seas, seeking shelter on her journey from Florida to La Ceiba. Snyg was a steamship and, like many boats of that era, had a secondary means of power: a mast and two booms. She was flying a Greek flag and carrying live cargo—mules and oxen—destined to work on the banana plantations of northern Honduras. Her captain and several crew members were Greek.

The inhabitants of the village of Crawfish Rock were awakened in the middle of the night by lights and sounds of distress—oxen bellowing and mules kicking. Snyg was in trouble, and her crew was trying to locate the entrance to the channel across the reef. This proved to be a nearly insurmountable challenge. Boat navigation and weather were quite different 120 years ago.

“Back then the only way to navigate was to use a sextant. You had to locate a celestial body and a horizon line. That was often not possible,” said Charles Osgood, 69, a retired boat captain and engineer from Roatán. “We used to have northern [winds] that would blow for four or five days. The island would run short of food. The weather patterns have changed now.”

George Edward Osgood, from Coxen Hole, was asked to assist the distressed Snyg. “She was bilged and way on top of the reef,” remembers Charles Osgood, grandson of George Edward. George Edward, in his 30s at the time, ran a boat repair business on Osgood Cay. The cay, strategically located just south of Coxen Hole, had previously been called Bennett Cay, then Big Cay, then Osgood Cay, and is now known as Maya Cay. Originally belonging to Guillermo Bruchard, the cay was eventually purchased at a government auction in 1912. George Edward kept it in the family for over a hundred years.

After the rescue operation—during which Edward repaired a metal crane used to lift animals off the battered Snyg—he received an ox and a mule in thanks. These would later power the winch at Osgood Cay, moving boats brought in for repair. He also received a 28-foot wooden lifeboat from Snyg. He fitted it with a six-horsepower motor he had purchased from an American Navy officer stationed at the U.S. naval base at Punta Castilla. The engine, a One Lung Marine Engine by Lathrop, powered Snyg’s lifeboat around Roatán until the 1960s.

“Once she was hot, she could run on kerosene, diesel, or gasoline,” said Charles Osgood, describing the engine. “It ran in both directions.”

The Snyg lifeboat hauled cargo and passengers to and from Roatán until 1961, when it was left at Osgood Cay and eventually rotted away. Today, the only surviving non-metal part of the Snyg is a 12-inch wooden sign with its name engraved on it. The other lifeboat was taken by someone else on Roatán.

Crawfish Rockers have a special relationship with the wreck, which lies just 100 meters from their village. Until the 1990s, its hull was still above water.

“They called it *Old Steamer*,” said Dulcie Woods, 69, who has lived in Crawfish Rock since the 1950s. “They would get some oyster-type shellfish from the wreck.”

Despite Snyg’s slow disintegration, it remains a local landmark and will likely continue attracting snorkelers and tourists from all around the north of the island.

The waters around Roatán are a true paradise for snorkeling and swimming, offering vibrant marine life and crystal-clear visibility. One of the most captivating sights here is the abundance of starfish, especially the Cushion Sea Star (Oreaster reticulatus). These starfish are known for their distinctive plump, cushion-like appearance and come in a stunning variety of colors, ranging from deep reds and bright oranges to soft beiges, yellows, and even shades of green.

The Cushion Sea Star is one of the largest starfish species in the Caribbean and plays an important role in the reef ecosystem by helping to clean the ocean floor. Snorkelers visiting this area can observe these gentle creatures resting on sandy bottoms or among coral formations, making the experience truly magical. The starfish’s vibrant colors and unique texture make them a favorite subject for underwater photography and a highlight for nature lovers exploring Roatán’s underwater world.

Whether you’re an experienced snorkeler or a beginner, the Starfish Snorkel Area offers calm, shallow waters that are perfect for a relaxing encounter with these fascinating marine animals, surrounded by the stunning biodiversity of the Caribbean Sea.

Roatán is surrounded by the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef, which is the second largest barrier reef system in the world after Australia’s Great Barrier Reef. This impressive natural wonder stretches along the Caribbean coasts of Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and Honduras, with Roatán being one of its most vibrant and ecologically rich islands. Specifically, Roatán lies adjacent to the Great Western Barrier Reef, making its surrounding waters a haven for marine biodiversity.

The reefs around Roatán boast an extraordinary variety of coral species, including magnificent spires and towers formed by Star, Starlet, and Lettuce Corals. These vibrant corals create complex habitats that support an incredible diversity of marine life. Additionally, Roatán’s reefs harbor some of the best and most diverse collections of sponges found anywhere in the Caribbean, adding unique textures and colors to the underwater landscape.

Snorkelers and divers will be enchanted by the dramatic underwater topography, characterized by overhangs, deep canyons, fissures, and a labyrinthine maze of tunnels along the continuous reef walls. This complex seascape offers countless exploration opportunities and shelter for a wide range of marine species.

Thanks to excellent underwater visibility, visitors can easily observe a rich tapestry of life, including countless invertebrates such as sea stars, sea urchins, and colorful reef fish. The thriving ecosystem and breathtaking underwater scenery make Roatán a premier destination for lovers of the sea, whether they are experienced divers or casual snorkelers.