Ritchey's Reef
16.3577°N 86.5336°W · reef
Ritchey’s Reef is a reef dive site in Roatán, Caribbean.
Overview
Ritchey’s Reef is part of the Roatan Marine Park’s network of named mooring sites along the eastern barrier reef. While specific published information about this site is limited, the less-visited eastern corridor offers pristine reef conditions with excellent coral health. The wall is decorated with colorful sponges, sea fans, and soft corals. Green sea turtles, southern stingrays, and schools of snapper are commonly encountered. Visibility averages 20-40 meters with warm Caribbean water temperatures of 26-29°C.
Site Information
- Location: Roatán, Caribbean
- Entry Type: Boat dive
- Site Type: Reef
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Maximum Depth: 18 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).
546 verified species observations (257 species) logged within ~11 km of this site between 1911 and 2023, from the Ocean Biodiversity Information System.
- Pterois · lionfish
- Gambusia nicaraguensis
- Poecilia orri
- Palatogobius grandoculus
- Lipogramma evides · banded basslet
- Gobiomorus dormitor
- Gnatholepis thompsoni · goldspot goby
- Epigonidae
- Phaeoptyx
- Gerres cinereus
- Lutjanus apodus
- Malacoctenus erdmani · imitator blenny
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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