Tomcat Channel
16.3518°N 86.5429°W · drift
Tomcat Channel is a drift dive site in Roatán, Caribbean.
Overview
Tomcat Channel is a drift dive site along Roatan’s barrier reef, featuring a channel formation that creates natural current flow through the reef structure. While specific published details about this channel are limited, drift dives along Roatan’s south coast offer exciting encounters with eagle rays, reef sharks, and large schools of fish attracted by the nutrient-rich currents. The channel walls are typically adorned with healthy coral, sea fans, and barrel sponges. Visibility ranges 20-40 meters.
Site Information
- Location: Roatán, Caribbean
- Entry Type: Boat dive
- Site Type: Drift dive
- Difficulty Level: Intermediate
- Maximum Depth: 21 meters
Dive Profile
Enter the water up-current and allow the flow to carry you along the reef. Stay close to the wall or reef structure and use it for reference. Your dive guide will manage the drift direction and boat pickup location. Deploy a surface marker buoy (SMB) during your safety stop.
Sea-surface temperature and wave height from Open-Meteo Marine (ERA5 reanalysis, monthly averages).
532 verified species observations (255 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
- Lipogramma evides · banded basslet
- Gnatholepis thompsoni · goldspot goby
- Epigonidae
- Gobiomorus dormitor
- Phaeoptyx
- Gerres cinereus
- Mugil curema
- Lutjanus apodus
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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