The Island of Utila situa
ted eighteen miles
off the coast of Honduras, belongs to"The Bay Islands", which
include Roatan, Guanaja as well as many cays (pronounced keys, there).
While lacking in the area of beaches and mountains, Utila more than exceeds
in a friendly, laid back atmosphere, a mixing of cultures that seem to
make places extra special.
Most Utilans speak both English and Spanish, the English
is so mixed in with old English, a Grand Cayman, Jamaican, Southern Caribbean,
it can be indiscernible to the uninitiated. There are the descendants of
the last wave of settlers from Grand Caymans, Garifuna folk with an interesting
heritage, some mainlanders, some early adventurer settlers, and a crowd
of dive instructors and masters.
While fishing has been the staple, tourism now
ranks #1 for revenue. With over a dozen good dive shops, the island boasts
of providing the most economical diving in the world. With over 80 varieties
of corals, on the second largest reef in the world, divers are exposed
to a wide range of beautiful marine life, including the mother fish of
them all, the whale shark. It is a unique place, and I am thrilled to call
it my home. Well, one of them.
