As everyone now knows, Hurricane Mitch, a category 5 storm that ranked among
the strongest hurricanes on record, wreaked havoc in Honduras and left its mark
elsewhere in the Caribbean. The storm left an estimated 7,000 dead and 11,000
missing in Honduras, and the Bay Islands took the first and hardest hit. Mitch
sat atop Guanaja and battered the island with 180 mph winds, but most of the
island’s residents survived by fleeing to a protected canyon that spans the island.
Their homes fared less well, with some initial estimates reporting 75 percent
of the structures destroyed. Bonacco Town, built entirely on stilts over the
water, is nearly gone. Little is open currently on Guanaja, but, while docks and
on-water buildings were devastated,
damage to resorts was less severe than
might have been expected.
Other Bay Islands were less severely
impacted, and most live-aboards
in the area are up and running. Resorts
on Utila reported beach erosion
and damage to docks, and Cayos
Cochinos had moderate damage. Roatán’s
damage was minimal, and most resorts
there are operational. We’ve heard
that the shallow water dives suffered
most and that there was some coral
breakage, although visibility seems to
have bounced back to around 80’. A few
resorts on the north side are claiming
150’ visibility and bigger fish than
they were seeing prior to the storm.
While I don’t have first-hand knowledge
of Roatán’s post-hurricane reef
condition, I did drop in on Cozumel
just two days after Gilbert scoured
the island in 1988, and, oddly enough,
I found that there were more big fish
on the reef than before the storm.
Mitch trapped a lot of divers on
Roatán who were unable to evacuate.
According to Terry Evans of Roatán
Charter, despite pleasant weather
preceding the storm, the Honduran government banned commercial
flights into Roatán. They promised
to send in military aircraft to
evacuate tourists, but these
planes never arrived. Resorts were
forced to hunker down or relocate
their guests to hotels on higher
ground. Fortunately, the storm
spared them. In fact, The Inn of
Last Resort reported its most
serious damage came from locking
the monkeys in the bathroom overnight,
and the 44 guests who rode
out Mitch at Bay Island Beach
Resort decided that their biggest
“category 5 problem” came when the
beer started running low. Several
resorts sang their guests’
praises, even mentioning a dedicated
few who went home, then flew
back to help rebuild. CoCo View
filmed the premises and interviewed
its hurricane veterans the
week after the storm; copies are
available from Roatán Charter at
800-282-8932 or at www.roatan.com.
Most of the problems of Mitch’s
aftermath seemed to be confined to
mainland Honduras. The U.S. State
Department cites potable water as
being in short supply in much of
the country, and an increase in
the disease-carrying insect population
is expected. It notes,
however, that essential services
have been restored in the Bay
Islands, and most tourist resorts
have resumed full operation.
Belize’s hit was nothing like
Honduras, although many docks
were washed out on Caye Caulker
and Ambergris Caye. Preparation
was arduous nonetheless, although
most resorts were able to evacuate
their guests. People at St.
George’s Caye had vivid memories
of the last hurricane, when crabs
began to frantically climb the
palms to escape the sea and the
docks just disappeared into the
waves. They decided to sink “all
the skiffs but one, reasoning
that their only hope of future
salvage was to get them underwater.”
Amigos del Mar reports that Blue Hole and the atolls are fine although reefs on Ambergris sustained some
damage, with some corals broken and some sponges and fans destroyed. But although
actual damage from the storm appears to be minimal, Belize still seems to be
feeling the hit in that some travelers are avoiding the area. Business is down,
and there may be bargains available.
As for other destinations, Cayman’s main storm surge damage was to the south
coast and west end at northwest point, although the north side and east end weren’t
harmed. Cayman Diving Lodge lost its dock, and most docks on the south coast sustained
damage. Reader Barry Jacobs returned from Cozumel in early November and reported
a lot of “Mitch-related crap in the water.” Visibility there was down to 60 feet on
some dives, not more than 100 on most others. Generally, however, despite the terrible
toll on residents, most resorts seem to be getting back on their feet.
— J.Q.