Utila Reef, Back Channel Live Cam

This underwater camera looks down a white sand channel in the reef off the south shore of Utila, one of the Bay Islands of Honduras. Two rounded boulder corals rest on the sand at the right, a large sea fan stands at the left, and coral heads fade into blue water ahead.

Utila is the smallest of the three main Bay Islands and lies about 30 km off the Honduran coast. The camera sits more than 320 feet (about 100 m) from shore at a depth of 20 to 30 feet (6 to 9 m), among sandy channels that lead out to the reef wall.

Most of the frame is open sand, so anything crossing the channel stands out against the pale bottom. In daylight the sun throws ripples of light across the sand between the reef patches, and eagle rays, stingrays and turtles are among the animals reported along these channels.