Squid, Rays, Dolphins, Sharks, and Captain Kerry’s Buns: Utila, June 2026

Eight people joined us on this recent trip to Utila in June. Two of whom were new divers who received their Open Water certification with us, five who were experienced divers, and one who just came along to enjoy the beautiful Caribbean with her husband and us. It was a hot, sunny week, the viz was awesome, and we had a lot of fun.

The Reef Is Looking Better 

Josh and I were surprised by how healthy the reef looked compared to our last trip earlier this year. The coral seemed more alive and we spotted species we hadn't seen in years, including a patch of baby pillar coral. We also noticed there were very few lionfish. Lionfish are a non-native, invasive species on Utila that have been eating fish and damaging the reef. It was great to see their population under control, likely because so many people now have licenses to hunt them. We were so happy to see the reef looking as healthy as it did.

Life Right Off Our Balcony

We saw an abundance of large sea life on this trip. Within a few hours of arriving, we saw tarpon swimming in and out of the lagoon right next to our hotel. Those tarpon were then sighted repeatedly throughout the week, as well as needlefish and stingray. It was fun to watch them all right off the balcony.

Squid Show

Josh and I arrived before the rest of the group this time, so we snuck in a fun dive together. It turned into one of the most majestic experiences we've ever had underwater. We found ourselves surrounded by 14 squid who appeared to be communicating with each other and stayed with us for 15 minutes! They moved in perfect sync, swimming forward and backward. Sometimes they’d swim away and then circle back to interact with us more. We couldn't believe it and were so moved by the experience. Once the rest of the group arrived, we were lucky enough to see squid on two more of our dives together.

Blackish Point and the Drift Dive from Ted’s Point to Airport Caves

One morning we headed to one of our favorite dive sites on the north side of the island, Blackish Point, known for a long shelf where lots of sea life like to hide. We spotted a nurse shark right away, and when we shined a flashlight into the dark space behind it, a moray eel appeared right next to the shark. It’s unusual to see two distinct creatures hanging out together like that.

That same day, we did a drift dive from Ted's Point to Airport Caves and were greeted by an eagle ray that swam alongside us for several minutes, and then came back to find us again later in the dive. On this dive we also saw a stingray. Between this dive and a few others, we saw eagle rays and stingrays all week. It was a lucky week for large sea life.

Night Dive at Sturges Bank

Our night dive didn't end up happening the way we’d hoped, but it ended up being awesome. We didn’t get our first-choice dive site, so we pivoted and found another called Sturges Bank. On this dive we found a large Bearded Toadfish in the coral, but even more special was finding a beautiful Caribbean Reef Octopus swimming out in the open on the sand. This is unusual as octopuses usually hide inside the coral. It was amazing to watch it crawl and swim across bottom, shifting in color from iridescent white to a soft blue-green. We felt so lucky! Then as we ascended from the dive, we looked up to see a stunning crescent moon with Venus shining directly above it, and a lightning show illuminating the clouds in the distance. I’m not making this up; it felt like we were in a movie.

The Porcupinefish 

We spent the entire week hoping to spot a porcupinefish and came up empty on every dive. Then on our last evening in Utila, as we were all hanging out on the dock at Alton's watching the sunset, an enormous porcupinefish swam right up to us. It stuck around for a long time, feasting on scraps that had been tossed off the dock by anglers earlier that day, giving everyone time to admire it up close. 

Captain Kerry and the Dolphins

One of our favorite parts of every trip to Utila is being driven around by our favorite boat captain, Captain Kerry. He is always full of laughter and light, and makes everyone laugh with him. This time Kerry managed to find us a massive pod of 25+ dolphins! At his command, we jumped off the boat and snorkeled alongside them, watching them race the boat and play with each other all around us. We could hear their loud calls echoing through the water.

Kerry also brought us to Pigeon Key, the small island where he lives, so we could try his mom’s famous fresh-baked buns and mango jam. A few people liked the jam so much they placed orders, and Kerry delivered it to them a few days later.

Reasons to Celebrate

We always have memorable group dinners on these trips, but this one had some especially celebratory meals. On our last night in Utila, we shared a long dinner at Captain Willis. Steve, who manages Alton's Dive Shop, joined us along with his husband, Frank. Josh had officiated their wedding the week before, so the table was full of stories and photos from the celebration, which had drawn friends from 20 countries.

We spent our last night of the trip in Roatan and took the group to Lily Pond House. This visit was extra meaningful for Josh and me, since it fell on the weekend of our first wedding anniversary. The group surprised us with cake, a gift, and music to mark the occasion. It meant even more because our dear friend Harley, who officiated our wedding a year earlier, was on this trip with us and was the one who set the surprise in motion. We will never forget it.

Planning Our Next Trip

Every trip seems to end with new plans forming. The folks from this group are talking about traveling with us again, and we now have the interest we need to officially plan a trip to the Philippines. In 2023 Josh and I found a great dive shop in El Nido, Palawan where the diving is extraordinary. We can't wait to plan this trip and return there with friends.

More details to come; it's looking like the Philippines will happen early spring 2027. There’s also room for more people to come, so if you’re interested please reach out; we’d love to have you!