Lunablog

Dolphins and Hammerheads!

2008-12-26T15:42:00.003-07:00

What a week of diving we have had!

Yesterday we had a pod of 15 dolphins on Octopus Acre and the day before they had 5 turtles there also. The currents have been fantastic for drift dives and this morning at 0600hrs, we had an early morning dip and saw two hammerhead sharks on West End Wall. It may have been early but it was well worth the early start.

Another great week of diving

2008-12-16T10:35:00.002-07:00

Another fantastic week of diving. Congratulations to Guy for learning to scuba dive and to Scott and Christine for completing their Advanced Open Water course. See you again soon.

Cannonball Jellyfish

2008-11-30T06:59:00.001-07:00

Another fantastic photograph taken by Ken on Pablos of a cannonball jellyfish.

Grouper vs Trumpetfish

2008-11-29T15:23:00.003-07:00

On our dive yesterday morning on West End Wall, one of our guest (Ken Adelman) captured the moment the tiger grouper got the better of the trumpetfish!

THE BUGS ARE GONE

2008-10-23T14:41:00.004-06:00

Sand Fleas/no-see-ums and Mosquitoes a thing of the past at Luna Beach Resort.

We have installed a new environmentally safe system that will keep the sand fleas/no-see-ums and mosquitoes from driving you crazy. Our goal is to effectively reduce the nuisance pest population around Luna Beach Resort.

With this plant-based insect control system, it will protect our guests from the bothersome need to use toxic Deet repellents, and with no worries of contracting diseases from mosquitoes. ENJOY OUTDOOR FREEDOM!

Of Course, we cannot protect you once you leave the Luna Beach Resort property, so don't forget your repellent away from the resort.

Look what we saw!

2008-07-26T13:39:00.005-06:00

While diving today, one of the divemasters, Haili, spotted this huge green moray eel! The eel was not too camera shy either.

Hail the Queen!

2008-07-26T13:39:00.002-06:00

The Luna Beach custom-built dive boat, Queenie, just received a new paint job. She sure looks beautiful! You should come down and check her out!

Keeping Safe

2008-04-26T14:37:00.006-06:00

Luna Beach Resort has installed safes in every house and beach room. The guests can place their passports, cash, and/or valuables in their very own safe. This is one more free perk that guests at Luna are provided.

Return of the seahorse

2008-04-26T14:37:00.005-06:00

We found this seahorse under the dock today! He was around a couple of weeks ago, and now he has finally returned! Seahorses are a pretty rare find around the island, so we are quite pleased!

JUST BEAUTIFUL

2007-10-20T08:28:00.004-06:00

Even weeks after hurricane Felix passed the island without affecting it there are still reports to be found, saying that Roatan was hit by the hurricane. We heard that the Luna Beach Dock was blown away as well as that Roatan was swept off the map.
We are very sorry for all the misleading information that unfortunately made many guests stay away from Roatan. The reefs, as well as the island, have not been affected at all!
This is a fantastic chance to experience the island and the diving now in a very personalized way. To make your decision a little bit easier, rooms are available now starting at $72. Come and find out…
P.S.: The picture was taken today, Oct 18th, 9:00am (do you see the mountains of the mainland in the background?)

“ICE, ICE BABY”

2007-10-20T08:28:00.001-06:00

To avoid any out-of-cold-beer-and-cocktail-emergencies, Luna Beach supplied all Beach Houses as well with refrigerators. This service is for free. The only thing you have to do is get up from your hammock to get a new drink…

YOU'VE GOT MAIL...

2007-10-20T08:28:00.000-06:00

Luna Beach is offering free wireless internet access. Now you can write your emails while hanging out at the pool or while having a cold drink at the bar. Experience the blessings of technological advance in the most comfortable and laid back way possible.

HURRICANE FELIX

2007-09-05T16:54:00.000-06:00

HURRICANE FELIX

Despite all warnings, evacuations and prophecies, hurricane Felix passed our island without affecting it. Except for some light rain and a few clouds the hurricane surprisingly did not leave any traces.
We could have gone diving all the time without the need to cancel a single dive.
So everything is perfectly alright and there is no damage at all.
We also want to say THANK YOU to all our guests and friends. The amount of wishes, prayers and offers to come here and help was overwhelming and touched us very much.
Thank you so much for this…and as you see, your prayers helped.
Hope to see you all soon again…;-)))))))))))))))))))))))))))

Luna Beach Has the Power

2007-04-11T09:36:00.000-06:00

With all of the Island's electrical difficulties, Luna Beach Resort decided to take action. We've installed three large generators for the convenience of our guests. This guarantees 24 hour power access for the whole resort if ever needed. So, from now on candlelight is only needed for the ambience.

The Luna Beach Bird Cage

2007-01-23T12:03:00.000-07:00

Every morning our macaws welcome the rising sun and practice their communication skills. Since not all of our guests are such early birds, the macaws have now received a new home next to the dive center. From now on, the early morning Spanish lessons taught by the macaws take place on the beach. Everyone invited!!!

All roads lead to Luna Beach…

2006-12-20T09:08:00.000-07:00

All roads lead to Luna Beach…

To make things as convenient as possible from the very first second on, Luna Beach Resort is very happy to announce that we have extended our efforts to offer the best possible service to our customers.
Not only has the beach been blocked off to all vehicles, but to avoid any further burden for the long beach strip between West End and Luna Beach a wonderful two lane road was built through the jungle.
Arriving guests now reach Luna Beach very comfortably on one of the best roads on Roatan, gazing at the wonderful and dense jungle with all its flowers, gigantic trees and little streams. This is a bird watchers and plant lovers paradise…and all that before you even arrive at our little tropical paradise…
As soon as you pass this sign a vacation for body and soul begins!

No Traffic on Luna Beach

2006-11-16T13:24:00.000-07:00

Luna Beach Resort is proud to announce we were given permission to block off our beach to all vehicles. All beaches in Honduras are public, so we are very happy to be able to offer this benefit to our guests. Time to get onto your hammock and chill out while watching the breathtaking sunsets...

Just 4 words...."Will you marry me?"

2006-09-19T16:54:00.000-06:00

The second week in August was a very special one here at Luna Beach Resort. It all started with the arrival of Heath and Danielle, a wonderful couple visiting from Canada. Upon arrival, Heath informed us, at the dive shop, that he had been planning the perfect way to purpose to his girlfriend Danielle - underwater! Heath needed our help with the small details to make sure that everything would go perfectly.

It was an amazing experience. Heath popped the big question underwater using a dive slate while I took pictures. Then, on the boat, Heath continued the proposal by getting on one knee and presenting the giant sparkler. Everyone aboard the boat was impressed with Heath’s dedication to detail and effort spent to make the experience unforgettable. We all celebrated with champagne and cheers on the boat ride back to the resort. It was truly a beautiful engagement. Luna Beach staff members were happy to help and were honored to be a part of the festivities.

Luna Beach Video

2006-07-11T10:18:00.000-06:00

Hello out there!

Pictures say more than words! Please watch us at work and have a look at our facilities by watching this short video. Just click on the title and have fun!

Diving For Beginners

2006-07-11T08:14:00.001-06:00

DIVING FOR BEGINNERS…
…how does that work?

Duration: 2-3 hours
When: Anytime
Who: Anyone (Minimum Age: 10 years)
Difficult: No, not at all!

How does it work:

1. As a first step we will show you a nice and interesting video (15-20 minutes) that will explain to you a few simple basics about diving.
2. Then the instructor will repeat the key points (15 minutes).
3. In shallow water you will do a few skills to become more familiar with your gear and to get you more comfortable in the water (20-35 minutes).
4. You’ll be diving on our tropical reef loaded
with fish (45 minutes).

After watching the video the instructor will make sure that you understood everything and that there are no more questions by covering all of the important points in a short presentation. The instructor also will explain what kind of fish you’ll see and how they behave.
Then it’s time to get geared up and get into the water. Right in front of the dive center there is a beautiful beach with shallow water (but lots of fish) where you will practice some simple things such as: how to recover a regulator, how to clear it or how to clear a mask underwater.
After this short session you are prepared for a dive with your instructor.
There are no big groups for this experience and no need to be worried. Our instructors will make sure that you are enjoying this safe and unforgettable trip to the fascinating underwater world of the Caribbean. This dive will also be credited towards the PADI Open Water Diver Certification.
You want some more information? Please do not hesitate to contact us.

Everyone can do it!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Easter

2006-04-16T11:12:00.000-06:00

Today is Easter Sunday, and it’s a perfect day for diving. no cloud on the sky, easterly wind, which keeps our side flat and at least 100 ft visibility .
Other people go out and search for eggs in their garden on Easter Sunday; we went out to search for sea horses. We have seen that little fella around for a while now, but he is cheeky and changes his place every few days. He does not go far, but a different coral now and then, which makes finding him a new challenge every time. but we succeeded again today, after not being able to find him for a few weeks. Here is a picture, not a very good one because he is so small and does not keep still.
Have a great Easter week end and hopefully see you out here sometime.

Some things to Remember Part 2

2006-02-09T08:56:00.000-07:00

Not forgetting the more important reasons for getting DCS.
The main one being diver error… Below some points to remember. Diving is a very safe sport as long as you look after yourself and your buddy..
Too many deep dives in one day. Stagger your dives from the deepest in the morning through to shallow in the afternoon.
Staying within table and computer limits.
Longer surface intervals and making safety stops after every dive.
S.A.F.E. Slowly Ascend From Every dive..
AGE. As you age, your circulatory system becomes less efficient, affecting nitrogen elimination. Some people also tend to gain weight and have more fat tissue.
FAT. Nitrogen dissolves easily into fat tissues. Individuals with a larger ratio of fat to body weight may absorb more nitrogen than normal when diving.
Heavy Exertion. Exertion during or after a dive increases the heart rate and affects circulation, and therefore nitrogen absorption and elimination.
Injuries and Illness. Both can affect local circulation and the body’s ability to handle excess nitrogen. Chest congestion can trap air in a lung or portion of a lung, creating the same condition as holding your breath.
Dehydration. Dehydration reduces the quantity of blood available to help carry off excess nitrogen.
Alcohol. Alcohol before or immediately after a dive accelerates and alters circulation. It also contributes to dehydration.
Cold Water. Diving in cold water can cause your extremities to receive less circulation as they cool, which affects nitrogen elimination.
Hot Showers/Baths. Hot showers and baths after a dive cause the skin capillaries to dilate, drawing blood away from other areas. These areas will eliminate nitrogen more slowly, while the skin experiences higher than normal circulation.
Carbon Dioxide Increase. Improper breathing and breath holding while scuba diving can cause carbon dioxide builds up in the blood, lung overexpansion injuries, and interfere with nitrogen elimination.
Flying after diving is another important thing that should not be forgotten towards the end of you trip.
For just one dive a preflight surface interval of 12 hours is recommended. For multiple dives over several days an 18 hour interval is recommended… For conservatism.. 24 hours is still the best way to be safe and symptom free..
Be a safe diver, dive conservatively.. ENJOY the underwater world..
DCS Signs and Symptoms.
As nitrogen bubbles can form in many places in your body, therefore signs and symptoms can vary to some degree.
Symptoms include.
Unusual fatigue or weakness
Skin itch
Pain in arms, legs (joints or mid-limb) or torso
Dizziness and vertigo
Local numbness, tingling or paralysis
Shortness of breath and/or pain breathing
Signs include.
Blotchy skin rash
A tendency to favor an arm or leg, rubbing a joint.
Staggering
Coughing spasms
Collapse
Unconsciousness.

Some thing To Remember Part 1

2006-02-09T08:46:00.000-07:00

A Day on the Boat or a Day in the Chamber

The truth of the matter is that dehydration is the most common factor in these climates for decompression sickness.
So if you would prefer to make a reservation for a day trip to the chamber and the rest of your stay in the shade and no more diving, then this is what you need to do,
A recipe for disaster,
First: Sit in the sun all day.
Second: Only drink a little water or no water.
Third: Drink plenty of soft drinks, tea and coffee. ALCOHOL.
For chamber reservations or any other inquires/ further booking information please speak to one of our staff.

For a full week of diving, dehydration can be the key to unnecessary decompression sickness, which is the most commonly forgotten fact.
You may hear word around the place you are staying any were around the world, that an individual was taken to the chamber this afternoon because of DCS ( decompression sickness). Your first thought, must have been diver error…. How deep, how long, did he ascend too fast? It wouldn’t happen to me, I’m a safe diver. Then you find out it was through not drinking enough fluids. It could happen to anyone even you. “Drink more water”, you hear us say. “I’m alright”, is your reply. “I have drunk plenty today”. Dehydration causes the blood to thicken which affects the release rate of nitrogen, causing an excessive build up of nitrogen in the body. This can become a problem with multiply diving days or even just a couple of dives. Surface intervals and safety stops become useless, as the body is not returning to its normal level.
Fact
You can loose up to a liter of water just in one dive. In an average day the human body will loose at least 2 liters of water through urine, sweating and breathing. If the air you breath is very dry (scuba tank air, or a dry climate. E.g. desert.), it’s another half a liter. For heavy sweating in a hot climate assume another 2 liters. So that’s at least 3 liters more than what you would lose at home, diving and staying at a popular dive destinations.
Reports also say that we should not release more than 12ltr in one day, so in tropical and warmer countries you can imagine the change in these figures.
So perspiration even in the shade, with the added factor of the wind drying your skin, you will tend to forget how much fluid you loose. So staying in the shade is not an excuse for drinking less water. Also spending a day out on a boat causes faster dehydration due the sun reflecting and magnifying, having a stronger effect on your body especially between the hours of 10am and 3pm.
It’s important to drink in excess of your normal amount of water or even supplement with electrolyte. Making your own, in a bottle of water and adding fruit juice.
1 liter of water
1 level teaspoon of Salt
6 level teaspoon of Sugar

whale shark

2006-02-02T14:35:00.000-07:00

Finally!
After so many months of hanging out in Roatan we finally saw a whale shark. 2005 was not a good year for whale sharks. Only 1 or 2 were spotted around Roatan, and none of them by us. But today, on the way to the wreck, Jose, the boatman, noticed a lot of fish jumping on the surface. It was "boiling" with fish, and we went to investigate. And there he was, 30 Ft long but not too willing to socialize. But nearly everybody had a good look before more boats arrived and he or she took off. We still went on to the wreck and had a good dive there.
What a lovely day.

Christmas and New Year

2005-12-23T13:41:00.000-07:00

Hi Luna Bloggers.
We are in full swing of the festive season, with only a couple of days until Christmas day. Luna Beach Staff, Management & Owner would like to wish you all.. Happy Holidays.
And look forward to seeing you all in the new year.

Its Been a while

2005-12-13T12:39:00.000-07:00

Hi there, it’s been a while since the last blog. But we are back; the past couple of months have seen some bad weather and some fantastic weather too. A little quiet in the resort but a steady trickle of divers to keep us occupied most of the time. The coming weekend see's the beginning of a couple of busy months. So in this quiet time the dock has been rebuilt and yesterday saw the finishing touches.
Our small boat "Prince" has been out of the water for a week for some well deserved TLC and now looks as good as new with a new lick of paint and the engine raring to go after a sick spell.
For some snaps I took today of the boats and our new dock check out our flickr page link.....
For those of your returning to us in the new year and the new divers we hope to see over Xmas and New Year, have a great holiday season. Now we are going to be diving a lot over the next few months. check the blog out as there will be more stories and pic's to come...
See ya soon...

A visitor to Luna Beach

2005-11-17T12:06:00.000-07:00

This gentleman swam up onto the beach last week, looking for some sun as well as the guests. He stayed and posed for lots of photos before returning to the ocean and swimming off down the beach.

Looking Good

2005-11-17T11:58:00.000-07:00

For those of you that have been to Luna before or are tracking the progress of out new dock area... Looking fine, hey?

Westend & Sandy Bay Marine Park

2005-11-17T11:44:00.000-07:00

As from November 14th 2005 a marine park fee is going to be introduced to support our fairly new but highly successful marine park project. For more information check out the marine park page on our web site.
This project is being supported by every dive shop in this area of Roatan.
The Westend & Sandy Bay Marine Park web site should be up in the next week or so. We will also attach a link to this from out Marine Park page.

Happy Diving....

Weather Update

2005-11-05T08:22:00.000-07:00

Just a short message to those of you that have been checking the weather situation out for your up and coming trip to Roatan.
Today is the calmest day in over 2 weeks. The Sun is shining and the birds are singing.
On the other side of the reef where the dive sites are it is still a little choppy but is fine to go out. So all the dive shop's in the West End can give a sigh of relief that we can now dive on this side of the island again.
The conditions should stay relatively the same for the next week. I am no weather man but to see how it has calmed down and the prediction for the next five days with several different weather web site, we hope to have a nice week.
For any further questions regarding diving and Luna Beach please do not hesitate to drop us an e-mail.

Take it easy,
Luna Dive Team

Dock Update

2005-11-04T12:26:00.000-07:00

The Luna Beach dock seems to take a new shape every day, so considering the weather conditons over the past week is progressing well... It's going to be different !
As many of you have been contacing Debbie regarding the weather on Roatan, it has been fairly bad over the past 10 days. But today took a turn for the better, the winds have started to drop off and should be shifting back round to the east side of the island over the next couple of days.
The good days are a com'in.
Look forward to see all of you over the next couple of weeks.

Rebirth

2005-10-25T14:25:00.000-06:00

What a great day, the sun is shining and the sea is calm again. Not a better time to start rebuilding the dock. Ready for the new season just around the corner. Those of you looking for an alternative vacation destination due to the unfortunate event's Wilma brought upon us, drop us a line here at Luna Beach and we would be glad to answer any questions you have on our fantastic resort and dive center.
Hope to see yah soon.
Fingers crossed our webcam should be up in the next week, so you can see the dock go up day by day..

Luna & Wilma

2005-10-21T15:00:00.001-06:00

Here where’re open, as usual…..
Wednesday night and Thursday saw us take some minor damage especially along the waters edge. There is no structural damage to any of they houses or main resort buildings. A few fallen tree’s…. they did not take any thing else out apart from themselves.
The clean up began yesterday during the worst of the storm and now as the water line is beginning to recede and the waves are calming a little, the work of relocating the sand and repairing drains, the odd roof tile and other minor jobs around the resort can continue.
The dive shop was untouched but the relocation of our dock to the beach car park caused a bit of a problem yesterday during the storm. We all worked hard to retrieve large pieces of the dock, and the rest of the debris from the water as it was washed up on the beach.
Although most of our famous dock is no longer there, we look forward to a new and improved one very shortly. This will NOT how ever STOP US FROM DIVING once the ocean has calmed down enough for us to take the boats out. Roatan is expecting winds of up to 20 mph until Monday, hopefully diving by Tuesday. So once again, when the water is calmer we will be straight back in for some cool diving around Roatan.
For those of you coming in the near future, NO Worries, everything is fine and Luna Beach awaits your arrival. So we look forward seeing you all and we are even more excited about taking you all diving, as by then we would have been out of the water for over a week..
For those of you that are on line checking out an alternative Resort in the Caribbean due to an unfortunate cancellation due to Wilma. I hope you choose our Resort for your relaxation or a week of diving.
See you soon,
Luna Beach Staff and Dive Team.
For any questions regarding the diving contact us directly at…… diveshop@lunabeachresort.com

Hurricane Wilma

2005-10-21T14:20:00.001-06:00

Roatan was really lucky.

Last weekend the winds began to pick up for the on coming event of a tropical storm due in on Wednesday the 19th October that we all were expecting. That’s not what we got!
Wednesday came and the weather was pretty bad, large waves, lots of rain and strong winds. This we saw on the internet and on the weather channel should have been the worst of it, with minor damage to the dock and every where else the same on Roatan. But late that afternoon the winds began to build some more, taking us over night up to the edge of the eye which by this time had grown in size to hundreds of mile across. Roatan was lucky in this respect as I guess we only sustained around 40 to 50 MPH winds. As the West End and West Bay areas are protected by the reef just off of the shore this took the brunt of the wave force. Which saved this stretch of coast line, but if we had taken the full force of Wilma. There would not be much left of the north coastal area including us as everything is located on the beach, as many of you already know.
Yesterday the 20th October saw most of the West End loose parts of the road and dock areas. Some damage to Restaurants on the water and debris scattering the road, mostly water damage to the building along the coast due to the high water levels, that started to recede this morning.
West End is not closed, with all shops, restaurants and accommodation open as normal. Diving will probably be back to normal when the ocean calms down enough to take the boats out over the reef. The wind has dropped a lot today but the waves will continue to come in over the reef for a couple more days, due to continuing wind that is forecast.
This will be very interesting to us the dive community, to see what, if any damage the reef sustained. After Mitch broke up El Aguila in 1998 will be interesting to se what happened this time as the word on the street, is that the storm this time was a lot worse this time.
If you are planning to come to Roatan, this should not change your arrangements as everything will be back to normal by next week. As we are talking only about West End, it would be a good idea to contact your resort. To check your reservations over the next week.

Out and About

2005-09-30T10:13:00.001-06:00

Well, we have been so busy getting wet there has hardly been time for current updates. Diving has been excellent through August and September and we have been very lucky spotting some amazing critters. I have managed to find two seahorses in the same week; one was so tiny it could hardly be seen. Since mid-August we have also come across 5 (!!!) nurse sharks, all on different dive sites, numerous juvenile smooth trunkfish aka ‘Peas’ (three in the space of three days alone just recently, lots of scorpion fish hiding in the reef, stingrays and eagle rays, the elusive painted elysia sea slug and three tiny red lined blue nudibranchs, tons of neck crabs, a shortfin pipefish floating about in midwater, there’s been a couple of harlequin pipefish trying their best to hide from us in the coral as well as all the usual turtles, giant green moray eels, horse eye jacks, king crabs, lobsters, groupers and squid etc.
At the end of August I saw my first ever octopus during the day, whilst doing the safety stop at Blue Channel at the end of the afternoon dive, and this is after almost 500 dives. Mind you we usually get to see them there at night, top count is 5 in one night dive so far, which was last week.
A couple of days ago we had a wicked afternoon dive at West End Wall with strong current where at one point we found ourselves surrounded by no less than 12 (!!!) great barracudas, during the whole dive we must have seen about 30 of them. So things have been absolutely amazing underwater and now that my new mask has stopped fogging up it can only get better!!!!

Nicole

Coming Soon

2005-09-13T11:24:00.000-06:00

Even though we are coming into the low season and some rain over the next couple of months, the weather here for now is really nice. The last couple of months have been HOT so it’s nice to be a little cooler for now. The low season on Roatan means that every were is slower for a while, which is a great reason to come and stay at Luna Beach and still get some fantastic diving. A little cloud and a few heavy showers is no reason to stay away. Coming soon is Luna Cam; we will have a webcam set up looking out to sea over our dock. So you can see us running around and check up on the weather on a day to day basis.
We will publish the link here on Lunablog when it’s set up in the next week or so!!

Little Big Man

2005-09-01T00:30:00.000-06:00

“Big Diver in a Small Body”

Zack came to us with his parents a week ago. His parents, already experienced divers, were here to get wet, take pictures and enjoy diving around Roatan. Zack how ever, now that he was ten wanted to get certified. Full of enthusiasm and ready to go, but after finding out about the self study and the work involved began to ask him self if he was ready or old enough to become a certified diver. How his life would change over the next 3.5 days with me….
We began with some class work and after a while I could see that his brain was beginning to fry, with thought of what was all that about and WHY ??? and WHAT IF ??
So we moved in to the shop to get some equipment for the little man. This was fun as we had to try and get stuff to fit, after several adjustments and some extra clips we were ready to rock and roll.
Over the next few days we played in the sea and in the pool with the skills, great fun. Then covered the rest of the theory mixed up with the 4 open water dives. Zack was a bit nervous about the final exam, but he only got a hand full of questions wrong and for a young man of that age that is fantastic, as many of you who are already certified know.
We had 4 great dives and Zack managed to get two more in before he left.
All I have to say is thanks Zack for a great week and it was a pleasure diving with you.

Kids and diving go well together, as they have little or no fear. So teaching them is no problem in the water, but sometime the theory can be a little too much. As long as the kids know that we can have a lot of fun, but on the other hand we have to cover the academics and take diving seriously at the same time.
Any thing is possible with a little extra time….

Nutters !!

2005-08-15T00:00:00.000-06:00

Four days ago a large group came in to the shop enquiring for all sorts of things, from refreshers to resort dives. EVENTUALLY the two families decided to sort of start the open water course with the option just to do a resort dive.
Day1.
Was a busy one with a mixture of nerves, fear and excitement in the air. As a surprise to all the skills in the shallow water went extremely well with an element of shock by most. The first dive in the afternoon although was a bit tough for most at first , but after a while they settled down a bit and after 45 min’s everyone had enjoyed the experience in some way or form !
The class left in the afternoon for a well deserved siesta.
As instructors we expected at least 50% of the class not to return on the second day, especially as a large groups of students with various little problem, mostly with the question running around inside them: WHAT IF ……………………??
Day 2.
5 out of 7 returned, a little tired but ready to tackle the rest of the course with a dive buzz beginning to build. After another knowledge review back up to 6 students, unfortunately one has an equalization problem so there is not much we can do about that for now. That day Andrea and I filled them with a lot more confidence by completing the rest of the confined water session and catching up on some dive theory. We all had a lot of fun splashing around and laughing a lot on the surface.
Day 3.
Some dive theory and two dives today. The Dive tables caused a little confusion as usual at this stage, but went well. The next two dives were great, this is where the adventure begins. To see everyone nervously gearing up for the first dive after the skills day was great. Entering the water and completing some surface skills it was time to descend. What a dive!! After the first shaky dive and a full day of skills and theory this dive went fantastically. For just there second dive everyone was with a buddy and almost neutrally buoyant. We saw a huge Barracuda, Hog Fish and a cool Green Turtle with a Ramora stuck on top… Although a large group with 6 students, 2 instructors and 1 Snorkeler, but with the addition of one more dive that day, which went just as well, they were getting better and better. A great 3rd day.
Day 4
This morning was for a little recap on theory and the final exam. 11am, theory finished, it was time for the final certifying dive.
The whole group was excited about this dive, more comfortable in the water, full of dive theory but still a little dubious about the last time for mask removal. Skills complete like pro’s, time to dive. This time on Half Moon Bay Wall. Another great dive with at least 90 ft visibility. Lots of fish and after a perfect safety stop, 6 certified open water divers surfaced.

We always say that we have a good time here but this week was a lot of fun also. A great class, good weather and fantastic diving. We managed to squeeze in a couple of dives at the end of their week including Spooky Channel as the last dive.
Thanks guys…

You can do it too…….

Princess and the Pea

2005-08-08T11:00:00.000-06:00

Just returned from another special dive, this time I had taken two fun divers to ‘Butcher’s Bank’ where we saw a Southern Stingray and a Hawksbill Turtle, but more importantly I managed to find my second ‘pea’ since I came to the island 6 months ago. A ‘pea’ is a juvenile smooth trunkfish and about the size of a … you guessed it… pea. I was so excited I had a little dance underwater whilst pointing at this tiny little black dotted ball, hoping that my divers could see it, too. What a rare find!
Nicole

Family Alpmann

2005-08-05T16:52:00.000-06:00

Its going to be weird when they are gone. Family Alpmann from Muenster, Germany has been with us for 3 weeks. They seemed like part of the resort already.
Josef, the dad came as an already certified diver and managed to log 40 dives over the next 3 weeks. The kids Jenny, Daniel and Lucas used the first week of there holiday to get certified and after that all of them could be found on the dive boat every single day. Daniels girlfriend Sharifa could only be talked into a Discover Scuba Dive, but she had lots of fun doing that. And mum?? She is a very enthusiastic snorkeler.
We will miss you, family Alpmann.

Es wird eigenartig sein, wenn sie nicht mehr da sind. Familie Alpmann aus Muenster, Deutschland war fuer 3 Wochen bei uns zu Besuch. Und schienen schon Teil des Resortes zu sein.
Papa Josef kam schon als zertifizierter Taucher zu uns und hat waehrend der naechsten 3 Wochen 40 Tauchgaenge in sein Logbuch eingetragen. Die Kids Jenny, Daniel und Lucas haben waehrend der ersten Woche ihres Ulaubes den Grundschein gemacht und ware ab dann jeden Tag auf dem Tauchboot zu finden. Daniels Freundin Sharifa konnten wir zwar nur zu einem Schnuppertauchgang ueberreden, aber damit hatte sie jede Menge Spass. Und Mum??? Die ist ein ganz begeisteter Schnorchler.
Liebe Familie Alpmann, wir werden Euch wahrlich vermissen.

DOLPHINS with the Families

2005-08-02T19:25:00.000-06:00

Morning dive at around 9:15 close to Pablo’s Place at the point of the west end of Roatan, our boat’s morning divers saw a pod of around 9 dolphins. Jose stopped the boat for us just a little ahead of them and at the word ‘Go’ everyone jumped in the water and snorkeled with them for around 10 minutes. Back on the boat with big smiles all around ready to go diving.

Drifting along the wall during the dive a few minutes later, one of the family groups saw the dolphins swimming in the blue above them. Now that’s something a little more special.

Last week also a special treat on the more relaxed afternoon dive, we saw 2 (!!!!!!) NURSE SHARKS in the same spot at Turtle Crossing only a 10 minute boat ride from our dock. These sharks are a little elusive around Roatan these days but now and then we get lucky. Not a bad month… Sharks, sea horses, eagle rays, Pilot whales and Dolphins again..

Nitrox and Wreck Specialty

2005-07-29T19:17:00.000-06:00

We had great fun his week with an Advanced/ Nitrox course with Claudia and Kimberly. Starting with a drift dive at Herbies place ”nice dive” followed by Navigation and Night dive. The best saved until last Deep and wreck combined with a Nitrox course gave us the extra bottom time to enjoy the dives even more.

The climax was our last dive on the El Aguila. The perfect dive at 100ft for the green and yellow tanks we were using. As the wreck sits at its deepest point at 100ft EANX 32 is the best mix for extended bottom time and depth. For me teaching this dive I like an extended fun dive. Thanks ladies for a great week.
Just check out the snap shot... Looks cool hey!

Seahorse Mission

2005-07-07T18:00:00.000-06:00

7th July 2005 Late afternoon

After our lucky encounter with the pod of dolphins in the morning we were now planning a ‘seahorse mission’ for the afternoon dive. We had heard from other divers in West End that one had been spotted recently on Lighthouse Reef and were given pretty good directions to where it was meant to be hiding. Still, we kept our fingers crossed for good luck as seahorses don’t really stick around in the same spot for too long. After a short swim along the wall we see the three sponges marking the location and straight away everyone is scanning the coral for the seahorse. ‘It’s right by the bright blue sponges’ I remembered Maxine saying, so I concentrate on that area… nothing. I start to look a bit further a field… still nothing. ‘Well, it must have moved then’ says Andrea’s shrug… we’ll never find it now, it could be anywhere. So we start to group together to continue the dive. Maybe another time.

Suddenly Andrea points down to a patch of Finger Coral she’s been hovering over and gives the ok signal. She’s found it! We all rush over to have a good look… and Steve and I take as many pictures as we can manage without boring everyone else to death. Brilliant! What a great end to a great day’s diving as we all chat excitedly on the short boat trip back to Luna Beach.

Coral Reef Project "Please Help"

2005-07-07T11:46:00.000-06:00

The dive team and the rest of the dive centers along the West End area would first like to thank everyone that has dived with us and supported the Westend & Sandy Bay Marine Reserve project.
In the last couple of months we at Luna Beach have raised $300, by your donations.
Which is great but we need to raise more.
The marine park project is only supported by the dive center donations and the donations made by our divers. The marine parks are a delicate and fragile area that needs our constant attention and the patrol for legal poaching. So running an office and two patrol boats with captions and police, inclusive of many other recourses need to run the boats and keep up the awareness of what we are trying to do to keep this island a fantastic place to visit and dive, this needs our support. A lot of the work is done by members of the dive community voluntary. The running of the project and some work shops carried out in the local school to educate the kids to clean up and look after Roatan natural beauty.... So Hats off to them...
If you would like more information just drop us a line at the dive center by e-mail or drop by if you are in Roatan and we would be glad to talk to you.
For donations if you are on Roatan drop by the dive shop. If not and you are as passionate about our diving environment and would like to help contact our reservations dept' for detail on how you can make a donation.

Dolphin encounter on the way to the wreck.

2005-07-07T11:00:00.000-06:00

Excitement was running high as we have been planning this trip to the ‘El Aguila’ for the past couple of days. What to expect to see and how the visibility would be.
So we set out with a small group in our speed boat. After passing Half moon bay we all saw a couple of fins show above the surface.
A shout went out from almost all: DOLPHINS!!!

For the next 20 minutes they played around the boat, ducking and diving around us. The camera came out along with the ooo’s and ahhhh’s.
Andrea and Nicole jumped in with a couple of guests and caught a brief but very close encounter with the pod of about 7, including a couple of youngsters.
A wave to the magnificent mammals that were heading south and we were off to the wreck, only one other boat when we arrived. Great timing and a great dive. Snappers and the large black groupers that are always around at new moon as well as a free swimming Green Moray Eel and a Giant Hermit Crab. Fairly good vizz followed during the shallow part of the dive on the reef where a lot of king crabs have been hanging out recently.
What a morning and first dive.
What’s next????
The girls’ sea horse on the 2pm dive…

Monday Morning 4th July

2005-07-04T11:07:00.000-06:00

It a normal monday here at Luna Beach, no holidays for the europeans.....
Its a hot sunny day here a forcast for rain as for the past couple of days too.....
But not a drop clearm skys and flat seas makes for some great diving this week.
Hopefully the pod of dolphins that were hanging out last week will bless us with their pressence this week.
Well we are looking forward to a great week.
So all that remains to be said is
Happy 4th July USA

Luna Dive Team

Coral Reef Alliance Meeting

2005-06-30T17:22:00.000-06:00

On the 8th of June the Coral Reef Alliance held a workshop in Fantasy Island, Roatan. The whole idea of this workshop was to provide information on sustainable marine tourism. We all have to understand that we can't just take and take and not invest anything into the coral reefs of this world. The Coral Reef Alliance wants to develop a set of standards for the sustainable use of the mesoamerican reef system by the marine recreation industry. These standards will be implemented in a voluntary manner throughout the region - and we as a diveshop can do a big part too. For more info on how you can help as an indevidual visit the Coral Reef Alliance website.

End of the Day

2005-06-13T16:14:00.000-06:00

A view from the dock with an ice cold beer, not bad hey !

Roatan's Quiet Month

2005-06-13T15:51:00.000-06:00

The sun is shining the water is warm and clear and there are few people around on the island for now, for me it could not be a better time to stay at Luna.

Perfect conditions great diving with no crowds, even cruise ship day tripper numbers are low this time of year. So get yourself a flight and come and join us in this peaceful paradise. Learn to dive, just off the beach next to our dock or go out and explore the reefs whether you are a snorkeler or a diver. Lots of thing to do for the dry ones to, island tours, canopy rides, hourse back riding or just a stroll along the beach… with just your foot prints left in the sand.

Our Dock

2005-06-13T15:13:00.000-06:00

Just a few feet away from the dive shop is our private dock, great for snorkeling, sunbathing and loads of room for diver going out or returning from a dive.

Wreck Dive - El Aguila

2005-06-13T15:05:00.000-06:00

El Aguila in english means "the eagle".
This wreck was sunk just for divers in 1997. Still pretty much intact after hurricane Mitch came through a couple of years ago. Full of life as there is a lot of coral grown on the wreck and it was sunk right next to a coral wall. Lots of stuff to see. Around new moon there are always a lot of large black groupers on the dive site. A couple of resident green morays, snappers, Drums and also a few canyons to swim through on your ascent to a safety stop.

Dive Shop Staff

2005-06-13T14:59:00.000-06:00

Boat Captains,
Fermin, Jose and tank boy Edwin

Dive Team

2005-06-13T14:58:00.000-06:00

From the left,
Nicole (Divemistress) German
Tim (Instructor) English
Andrea (Instructor) Austrian

Luna Beach Dive Shop

2005-06-13T13:31:00.000-06:00

Come on in and join us for a dive…

A pod of Pilot Whales passes by!

2005-06-10T22:30:00.000-06:00

Today, June 10, 2005, A school of Pilot whales were seen swimming about a mile off shore in front of Luna Beach Resort, Roatan, Honduras. The event had a few dive boats around out swimming with these magnicent mamuals, how cool, wish you could have been here.