About The Bay Islands

Bay Islands

The Bay Islands lie in the trade wind belt, and east-to-southeast trade winds with 19 to 26 mph velocities are relatively constant. Periods of up to five days of dead calm are common in August, and each winter, five to seven North American cold fronts (“northers”) reach the islands, bringing wind shifts to the north and west, overcast skies, and prolonged rainfall. On the northern coast of the islands, winds typically blow from the east. The almost continuous influence of trade winds results in a characteristic condition of high relative humidity. While Roatán lies further west than the paths of most Atlantic hurricanes, one large one is estimated every ten years. Before Hurricane Mitch in 1998, Hurricane Fifi in 1974 was the worst in recent times: wind speeds reached over 100 miles per hour, and over 20 inches of rain fell.

Roatan has a mountainous backbone; only 2% is considered level (less < 5% grade). Its steep peaks, some rising as high as 1,300 feet, make the island poorly suited for agriculture. While the majority of the island possesses slopes between 30 and 75%, they can attain slopes of 90% in some areas. Most level areas are swampy.

Over the years, the island’s vegetation has been modified, and agriculture and exotic species have been introduced (cashews, mangos, almonds). Despite the alteration, the warm, moist climate still supports a lush diversity of plant life. Over 50% of the island is under some forest cover. Several vegetative types prevail. Primary, secondary, mixed, and pine forests are found on the higher ridges. Located on the lower valley slopes are small rainforests like growths of tall hardwoods, dense palms, lianas, orchids, and ferns. A thorn-scrub association is somewhat widespread in Roatan. There are also several areas of concentrated mangrove cover and beach vegetation around the island. The native pines and oaks that impressed Columbus into naming the Bay Islands after them, although they still exist, no longer cover such an extensive area. Other native species include the gumbo-limbo, cecropia, strangler fig, and many different palms. The trunks and branches of each tree are home to a variety of orchids, lianas, ferns, and bromeliads. Drier sites are home to acacia and mimosa with their sharp thorns.

The terrestrial ecosystems on Roatan support an abundance of wildlife. While many species found here are the same animals on the mainland, the Bay Islands’ isolation has allowed some endemic species to evolve. There are presently nine species and two sub-species of animals endemic to the Bay Islands. Some of these species are the Roatan Parrot (Amazona xantholora), the Roatán Agouti (Dasyprocta ruatanica), the Roatán Coral Snake (Micrurus ruatanica), the Marmosa (Marmosa ruatanica) (mouse opossum), and the Rosy Boa (Boa constrictor). Five species are mollusks, as described by Professor Emilio Garcia of Louisiana State University in cooperation with RIMS. Wildlife that is extinct or extirpated from the Bay Islands includes the Caribbean Monk Seal (now extinct), the West Indian Manatee, and the Brown and Red-Footed Boobies.

The Bay Islands Department (political sub-division), created in 1872, is Honduras’ most northern and completely insular department. In the 1992 national census, it was suggested that the population of the Bay Islands was upwards of 30,000 people, with the majority, about 66.2 %, living in Roatán. A recent census suggests the population has grown to 100,000. The major population centers in Roatán are Coxen Hole, French Harbor, and Oak Ridge. Smaller towns include West End, Sandy Bay, and Punta Gorda. Most people on the island are bilingual (Spanish and English) and come from a cultural heritage of English descent, African Caribbean, Indian, and Central and North American. You will also hear the dialects of Garifuna and Creole. Roatan is the only Bay Island with an extensive road and communication system. The number of tourists that visit the Bay Islands annually now exceeds the population. This tourism is based principally on scuba diving. In 1969, about 900 tourists visited these islands for diving-related recreation. That number increased to 8,000 in 1988 and doubled to 17,000 by 1992. With the expansion of the airport runway in 1990 and the completion of the first cruise ship terminal in 2000, that number has increased substantially, and according to recent estimates, the number of tourists now exceeds 250,000 per year.

When the Government of Honduras declared the Bay Islands a “tourist zone” on March 30, 1982, the major regulatory authority for conserving the Bay Islands was transferred to the Honduran Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Growing concern over the critical balance between environmental health and economic prosperity in the Bay Islands has led to several plans that address conservation and initiatives to increase tourism. Efforts include several studies of the Bay Island’s marine ecosystems, studies on watershed management and forest protection, and work currently underway at RIMS. The Bay Islands’ most important conservation efforts are still in production: a governmental initiative to develop an environmental management plan to help achieve sustainable development and prevent the deterioration of the natural resources of the Bay Islands.