Rothschild's Mistresses

16.2889°N 86.6026°W · reef

Depth
18 m
Level
Beginner
Entry
boat
Type
reef

Rothschild’s Mistresses is a reef dive site in Roatán, Caribbean.

Overview

Named through the Roatan Marine Park’s conservation program, Rothschild’s Mistresses is a mooring site on the West Bay reef shelf. Specific details about this particular dive are limited in published sources, but the area offers a relaxed reef environment with scattered coral formations and sandy channels at 18 meters depth. Southern stingrays often rest on the sand between dives, and hawksbill turtles visit the reef to feed on sponges. Schools of blue tangs and sergeant majors add movement and color, with visibility typically between 20 and 30 meters.

Site Information

  • Location: Roatán, Caribbean
  • Entry Type: Boat dive
  • Site Type: Reef
  • Difficulty Level: Beginner
  • 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.


Depth profile
0m · surface−18m max
Ocean conditions
27.4–30.9°CWater temp (yearly range)
0.9–1.6 mWave height
SepWarmest
AugCalmest seas
31°27° JFMAMJJASOND

Sea-surface temperature and wave height from Open-Meteo Marine (ERA5 reanalysis, monthly averages).

Recorded marine life nearby

441 verified species observations (212 species) logged within ~11 km of this site between 1911 and 2023, from the Ocean Biodiversity Information System.

Chordata · 125Mollusca · 62Cnidaria · 4Echinodermata · 9Arthropoda · 6
  • 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.

Dived here recently?

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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reef
Reef with anthias · illustrative · photo credit

Nearby dive sites in Roatán

Source: OpenStreetMap via dive-vibe-community (ODbL) · Last updated 2026-07-18