by seekingsol: Chasing whispers of a whale shark in the Caribbean Bay Islands

Roatan is part of the Caribbean Bay Islands, 50km off the North coast of Honduras and world-renowned as one of the cheapest places on the planet to learn to scuba-dive. While your skin will become the shade of the coconuts used to flavor your frothy drinks, it’s not for the land culture that you venture here. More than stepping onto the island, you can learn (for about $250) how to step off the earth and navigate an underwater empire where green sea turtles nibble on rainbow coral, Queen Angel fish flaunt royal fins, Green Moray Eels bare teeth in respected threats, Spotted Eagle Rays flash iridescent spots and, if the moon is right, bioluminescence sparks an evening fireworks show. Back on the boat, your captain will occasionally point to a cluster of diving birds or bubbles on the water as your divemaster’s pupils dilate while she wistfully whispers of the legendary whale shark. But your sigh of gratitude at the end of her story, is your own.