Laguna Beach Resort
Photo Gallery 3
( has the whale shark photos)
(click on small pictures in photo gallery to see a larger version of the shot)
-underlined links below lead to photos-
Last year, with some anxiety and a sense of adventure, we spent our Mardi Gras dive vacation at Laguna Beach Resort in Utila, Honduras. Our Mardi Gras dive trip for 2004 was an encore performance with our friend Suzanne McKinney. Return visits to a satisfying location can be invitations to disappointment, but this year’s experience seemed very much an echo of the first.
Traveling with Continental Airlines through Houston was definitely preferable to our previous arrangements with American Airlines through Miami. Airport security this trip was far less frustrating. Personnel seemed much friendlier and more professional at our local airport. Our layover time as Suzanne's guests at the President’s Club in Houston made the absurdly long travel times tolerable. We even got in a little WiFi experience.
The resort was exactly as we remembered it, well kept grounds and incredibly gracious staff. (Resort pictures) This year we were able to reserve Cabins A and B, the closest accommodations to the dining and dock areas. We practically felt like house guests. Our dive masters from last year’s trip, Marcella and Arturo, were standing in as Resort managers in the absence of Romena and Luciano, who were on extended vacation to Argentina. We enjoyed dinner with them in the evening and had a rare opportunity to share our photos from the previous trip with them and with the owner of the resort, Mr. Broussard from Abbeville. In fact, this week at the resort seemed like Louisiana week. The Rodriguez family from Metairie, unable to complete their travel plans to El Salvador, stayed at the resort for a couple of days. The Bonnette family from Kansas was really transplanted from north Louisiana.
Since the whale sharks are more likely to be plentiful in March, this last week in February was low key at the resort. Most days, we only had 12 people on the boat and for half the week, we went out with only 6 divers, a real luxury for us. The whale sharks apparently don’t have calendars; they were out in force. We were able to swim with them three days in a row. For the first time this year, I took my digital camera in the water for the whale shark experience. I wasn’t sure what the results would be since the whale shark routine is rather frenzied and unpredictable. The leviathans did not disappoint. One 25 foot fish snuggled with our group of divers before proceeding with the all too rapid descent out of vision. Then, an amazing surprise. The graceful animal turned its broad mouth upward and swam up to our vessel as if looking for a friendly pat on the head. Then the quiet descent followed as our stunned group hung in the water gripped by the memory of an experience we knew was extremely rare. We watched as dive master Diego followed the big fish into the deep with his own equally graceful free dive before joining us on the surface.
Shortly after last year’s trip, Undercurrent magazine reviewed the resort and made some harsh comments about the food. We had enjoyed the food last year, but the new cooks this year are even better. The fresh Snapper dinner and Conch entrée were particular favorites. We were also fond of the fresh pineapple, the lunchtime soups and the fresh baked cookies.
We did miss Marcella and Arturo as dive masters, but Captain Wagner always makes our dive trips special. He finds whale sharks when no one else can and he goes out of his way to help those of us who struggle with the heavy tanks. The hot chocolate between dives on cooler days is an especially nice touch. It also saddens us to hear that Marcella is going back to Argentina, and we certainly hope that she will miss Utila as much as we do and will have to come back. However, we were pleased to learn that Arturo will be heading up a new video facility at the resort and offering instruction. He will also be handling the Nitrox operation. Photography support is certainly an area the resort can expand.
As for the rest of the diving, we did not see as much fish life this year as last, possibly because of an off-season tropical storm which had come through the area just before our arrival. We were pleased to see a yellow frog fish and seahorses this year. The various species of hamlets and angelfish were as prolific as always. Turtles were present on nearly every dive and were more relaxed and friendly than we have ever found them to be. Between dives we entertained ourselves with the twenty or so resident pelicans and the seven new puppies from Cindy’s first litter.
Next year Mardi Gras falls in the first week of February which is a bit early for a dive trip – too close to the end of the rainy season with water temperatures at their coolest of the year. So for the first time in recent memory, we may actually be planning a landlocked trip, but it won’t be too long before we make it back to Laguna.
