El Aguila
Conditions & tides
Scored by DiveConnect's site-physics model
Marine forecast via Copernicus Marine. Score is a rule-based guide from swell/wind vs. the site's exposure — always dive your own assessment.
Dived here today? How were conditions vs. what we showed?
About this site
El Aguila is a 220-foot cargo ship lying on a sandy bottom off the Roatan coast, scuttled in 1997 and subsequently split into three sections by Hurricane Mitch in 1998. That breakup has made the wreck more accessible and interesting to explore, with swimthroughs available for divers with the appropriate experience. The hull now carries a healthy coat of coral and sponge growth after more than two decades on the seafloor.
The wreck sits with its deepest point at 100 feet (31 metres) on the sandy floor, and a typical dive profile runs from stern to bow before moving to the adjacent wall and finishing in shallower water, spending roughly 15 minutes on the structure itself. Nitrox is worth considering to extend no-decompression time at depth.
Marine life on and around the wreck includes garden eels concentrated around the stern, a resident green moray, large grouper and snapper patrolling the structure, plus eels and parrotfish throughout. The coral growth on the hull supports a range of reef species typical of Caribbean wrecks of this age.
Read the full guideShow less
El Aguila is classed as an experienced diver site: good buoyancy control and air consumption management are essential, and the site's popularity means boat and diver traffic are real hazards to stay aware of throughout the dive. Water temperature ranges from 26–29°C year-round, and visibility is generally good, though current is typically light.
Marine life here
Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.
Garden eelGarden eelConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
ParrotfishParrotfishConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
StingrayStingrayReported here · unconfirmed
Moray eelMoray eelReported here · unconfirmed
Stoplight ParrotfishSparisoma virideReported here · unconfirmed
Atlantic Blue TangAcanthurus coeruleusReported here · unconfirmed
Caribbean Bluehead WrasseThalassoma bifasciatumReported here · unconfirmed
Atlantic Sergeant MajorAbudefduf saxatilisReported here · unconfirmed
Striped ParrotfishScarus iseriReported here · unconfirmed
Four-eyed ButterflyfishChaetodon capistratusReported here · unconfirmed
Atlantic Long-spined Sea UrchinDiadema antillarumReported here · unconfirmed
Caribbean Spiny LobsterPanulirus argusReported here · unconfirmed
Yellowtail DamselfishMicrospathodon chrysurusReported here · unconfirmed
Purple Sea FanGorgonia ventalinaReported here · unconfirmed
SnapperSnapperConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
NudibranchNudibranchReported here · unconfirmed
Eagle rayEagle rayReported here · unconfirmed
GrouperGrouperConfirmed present · 6 independent sources
AngelfishAngelfishConfirmed present · 2 independent sources
Durable tips from divers — access, hazards, marine life, facilities. For day-of conditions, use the report tool in the conditions card above.
No notes yet. Dived here? Be the first to leave a tip.
Share a write-up or a photo. Submissions are reviewed before they appear on the page.
Nearby dive sites
Shops that dive here
No shops have listed this site yet.