Maddera Reef
16.2898°N 86.6045°W · reef
Maddera Reef is a reef dive site in Roatán, Caribbean.
Overview
Maddera Reef is a Roatan Marine Park mooring site on the West Bay reef, part of the park’s network of named dive sites funded through conservation donations. While individual documentation for this site is limited, it sits along the shallow reef corridor between West End and West Bay where healthy coral heads and sandy patches create a gentle underwater landscape at 15 meters depth. Divers in this area typically encounter sea turtles, southern stingrays, and colorful reef fish including parrotfish and blue tangs. Visibility averages 20-30 meters with water temperatures of 26-29 degrees Celsius year-round.
Site Information
- Location: Roatán, Caribbean
- Entry Type: Boat dive
- Site Type: Reef
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Maximum Depth: 15 meters
Dive Profile
The site offers a gentle reef terrain suitable for relaxed exploration. Begin your dive along the reef top and navigate through coral formations and sandy patches. The most abundant marine life is typically found between 5-18 meters. Take your time to explore cleaning stations and look for camouflaged creatures in the sand.
Photography
The colorful reef structures offer excellent macro photography opportunities. Look for small critters hiding among coral heads and anemones. Wide-angle shots work well to capture the vibrant reef landscape and schooling fish.
Sea-surface temperature and wave height from Open-Meteo Marine (ERA5 reanalysis, monthly averages).
440 verified species observations (211 species) logged within ~11 km of this site between 1911 and 2023, from the Ocean Biodiversity Information System.
- Pterois · lionfish
- Gambusia nicaraguensis
- Palatogobius grandoculus
- Poecilia orri
- Epigonidae
- Lipogramma evides · banded basslet
- Gnatholepis thompsoni · goldspot goby
- Malacoctenus macropus · rosy blenny
- Phaeoptyx
- Lutjanus apodus
- Malacoctenus erdmani · imitator blenny
- Bathygobius soporator
Scientific survey records skew toward sampled taxa (molluscs, corals) and do not reflect what you are guaranteed to see on a dive.
Source: OBIS (obis.org), aggregated Darwin Core occurrence records.
Conditions change with the tide and the season. If you have dived this site, share what it was actually like — date, visibility, current, and what you saw. Real, recent reports from divers are exactly what this guide is built to collect.
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