About Marilyn's Mystery
Marilyn's Mystery is a dive site located on the west side of Roatan, part of the Bay Islands of Honduras. Roatan sits on the Mesoamerican Barrier Reef System, the second-largest barrier reef globally, which helps foster diverse marine life and healthy fish populations. This site is part of the West End Wall, characterized by a reef that starts at approximately 6 meters deep and descends steeply to 27 meters before reaching a sandy bottom, continuing further beyond recreational dive limits. The reef features deep channels and crevices, offering refuge to various creatures. Impressive formations of coral, including staghorn corals and large mesh fan gorgonians, define the upper reef structure. Divers here can observe Caribbean spiny lobsters and reef octopuses within the channels. Looking into the open water, pelagic species like permit fish, eagle rays, and jackfish, alongside schools of Atlantic spadefish, are often sighted. The shallow upper reef makes parts of this site accessible for snorkelers, though boat traffic necessitates caution. Typically, divers can expect good visibility. The site is a dynamic blend of geological structures and biodiversity, offering opportunities to study marine species and underwater geology.
Highlights
Steep reef wall topographyDeep channels and crevicesCaribbean spiny lobstersReef octopusesLarge mesh fan gorgoniansSchools of Atlantic spadefishEagle ray sightings
Season calendar
Best months to dive here
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Excellent
Good
Off-Season
Mar – May & Dec
Best visibility, calm seas, whale shark season begins
Jan – Feb
Good conditions with warm water and decent visibility
Jun – Nov
Rainy season with reduced visibility but second whale shark peak Sep-Dec
Dive site facts: Marilyn's Mystery
- Depth
- 6–27 m
- Current
- Moderate
- Entry
- Liveaboard or dayboat
- Level
- Intermediate
- Dive type
- Wall, Reef
- Region / port
- Honduras
- Coordinates
- 16.3408° N, 86.6031° W
Conditions & Currents
Moderate currents can run here, so plan drift entries and stay close to the group. Dive profiles here run between roughly 6 and 27 metres, so plan your gas and no-decompression limits around the deeper part of the site. It is usually briefed as a dive for intermediate divers. It can be dived from a liveaboard or a day boat, depending on where you start the trip. Tide, wind and season all shift the picture from day to day, so the crew's briefing on the boat always overrides any general description.
Why dive Marilyn's Mystery from a liveaboard?
Marilyn's Mystery is one of Honduras's signature dive sites. A liveaboard sleeps you on the water and puts you in the water for three to four guided dives per day, including dawn and night dives that day-boat operators rarely offer. You skip the daily commute back to port and reach quieter, less-crowded sites in the same region on a single trip.
Below are the liveaboards that include Marilyn's Mystery on their Honduras itineraries.
Liveaboards diving Marilyn's Mystery
These liveaboards may visit Marilyn's Mystery on selected itineraries, the exact dive sites depend on departure, weather and conditions.
Roatan Aggressor
Honduras
18 guests31 m
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