A popular cavern dive in Roatan, Bears Den begins with a 120 foot long “chimney chute” swim-through at 50 feet below the surface, leading divers through to an opening that gives way to a honeycombed coral wall. While all skill levels can dive near the reef, this part of the dive is better suited for advanced divers because the chute is particularly narrow and excellent buoyancy control is required. At the top of the wall is the entrance to the Bear’s Den cavern, an enormous and beautiful cavern at 30 feet below, providing plenty of visibility and color. Spotted Drum, small Lettuce Leaf Sea Slugs and other types of nudibranchs can be seen here amongst the rocks at the cavern entrance. Inside, those diving will find a circular room with a sandy floor, crabs, lobsters, and scattered sunbeams shining over schools of Glassy Sweepers. The cavern can comfortably contain about 4 divers at a time. While a dive light is not necessary, coming equipped with one can illuminate some of the darker corners and cavities inside the cave.
Back outside, more swim-throughs, volcanic tunnels, and canyons can be found past the mooring, where Gorgonian Soft Corals provide shelter for Neck Crabs and rare seahorses. Divers are recommended to explore Bear’s Den earlier in the day to experience the best angle of the sun in the cavern. Bear’s Den is located to the east of Half Moon Bay, on the northern side of Roatan. Sea whips, sea sponges, black coral, butterflyfish, grouper, snapper, turtles, and barracudas are all often found on this beautiful and versatile dive.
