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Diving the Odyssey
by Laura Radford
The Odyssey
The Odyssey is one of the Caribbean’s largest wrecks with a length of 300 feet
and is nearly 85 feet tall. It was sunk off Roatan’s north shore in over 100
feet of water in 2002 and so has not yet developed quite as much marine life as
El Aguila. For this reason is considered Roatan’s second best wreck dive. I,
however, found it more exciting than the Aguila.
Skill Level
The Odyssey is more an advanced dive than the Aguila. It is still intact and so
wreck diving certification is recommended if you want to penetrate it. It also
is further from the reef and more attention is required when ascending in blue
water.
Holes have been cut into the side of the wreck for easier penetration, but a
flashlight is necessary if you wish to explore inside. Even with a light, a good
rule of thumb is to always keep ambient light and an exit point within sight. If
you are a new diver, you may wish to explore this wreck from the outside.
Highlights
- The wreck is much too large to explore on one or two or even three dives.
- If you are only going to make one dive here, I recommend starting at the stern.
It has several large, easily accessible compartments to explore.
- From there, swim the length of the ship toward the bow.
- Don’t linger too much as your bottom time is limited.
- Re-enter the wreck below the wheelhouse.
- Once inside find the stairwell which zigzags steeply all the way to the
top of the wreck.
- The ship is listing slightly and the dive is deep so expect to feel a
little dizzy or disoriented as you swim up the tight passages. If this
happens, slow down and find your bearings.
Many rooms are visible on this route including the captain’s quarters. You can
even see the tile inside the captain’s bathroom. Once you reach the top, it will
be time to begin your ascent to your safety stop.
Marine Life
Even though this wreck is new, scallops and other invertebrates have already
started to populate it. Schools of barracuda, grouper, and tuna have been known
to congregate above the wreck. If you remain on the outside, you will be able to
see the early stages of reef life taking hold.
Laura Radford is a writer and a PADI
certified SCUBA Instructor. In 1995 after completing an MFA in Creative
Writing she moved from Alaska to Costa Rica where she taught diving and lead
SCUBA tours. She later returned to her home state of California where she
worked as a high school English teacher.
Currently Laura is working as a
freelance writer and is traveling and diving in her free time, which is most
of time. She was drawn to Honduras by the extraordinary diving off the Bay
Islands but was lured to mainland by Honduras’s natural beauty and
fascinating history.
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