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Overview
70 m cargo ship sunk as an artificial reef in 1997 and broken into three sections by Hurricane Mitch a year later. Hull resting at 30 m with the bow at 23 m. Resident green moray, large grouper, and dense schools of horse-eye jacks make this Roatán's top wreck dive.
What you'll see
4 species curated- year-roundGreen moray eel
- year-roundBlack grouper
- year-roundSchooling horse-eye jack
- rareSpotted eagle ray
Sightings evidence
1 record on file- high confidenceGreen moray eel
- Last confirmed
- May 2026
- Recent records
- 130 within 10 km
Sources & methodology
How we summarise this
We aggregate confirmed occurrence records from GBIF and OBIS within a fixed radius of each dive site. Occurrence records confirm presence and reveal seasonality clustering, but they DO NOT measure per-dive probability — there is no eligible-effort denominator. We deliberately do not publish a numeric '% chance of sighting' from this data.
Sources
- Global Biodiversity Information Facility — GBIF Secretariat
- Ocean Biodiversity Information System — IOC-UNESCO
- OBIS-SEAMAP — Duke University Marine Geospatial Ecology Lab / OBIS
- iNaturalist — California Academy of Sciences & National Geographic Society
- IUCN Red List of Threatened Species — International Union for Conservation of Nature
- WoRMS — World Register of Marine Species — Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ)
- FishBase — FishBase Consortium
- Atlas of Living Australia — CSIRO / GBIF Australia
- REEF Volunteer Fish Survey — Reef Environmental Education Foundation
The wreck
Ship history- No formal protection
Freighter · Honduras
El Aguila
- Built
- 1959
- Sunk
- Feb 1, 1997
- Length
- 65 m
- Diveable depth
- 23–30 m
- How she sank
- Scuttled as artificial reef
Honduran cargo ship scuttled off Roatán's north coast as an artificial reef. Hurricane Mitch broke her into three sections in 1998 — the bow, midships, and stern lie within swimming distance.
Notable features
- three sections
- wheelhouse
- grouper inside the hull
Vessel histories sourced from the Naval History and Heritage Command (DANFS), NOAA ENC Direct, and editorial research. Bathymetry per GEBCO. See the methodology for limits.
Conditions
| Month | Water | Visibility | Current |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 25–26 °C | 20–35 m | mild |
| Feb | 25–26 °C | 20–35 m | mild |
| Mar | 26–27 °C | 25–40 m | mild |
| Apr | 26–27 °C | 25–40 m | mild |
| May | 27–28 °C | 25–40 m | mild |
| Jun | 28–29 °C | 20–35 m | mild |
| Jul | 28–29 °C | 20–35 m | mild |
| Aug | 28–29 °C | 20–35 m | mild |
| Sep | 28–29 °C | 15–30 m | mild |
| Oct | 27–28 °C | 15–30 m | mild |
| Nov | 26–27 °C | 20–35 m | mild |
| Dec | 25–26 °C | 20–35 m | mild |
Season calendar
Peak season highlighted · current month outlined
Gear for this site
Beyond the basic kit- Dive light — Interior sections require a primary beam.
Next step
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