AKR ANNOUNCES A NEW ARTIFICAL REEF/SHIPWRECK

One of the biggest in the Caribbean

ROATAN, the Bay Islands, Honduras--The sinking of the 300-foot Odyssey this week off the north coast of Roatan is being hailed by dive enthusiasts as one of the Caribbean's largest shipwrecks.

Coordinated by the owners of Anthony's Key Resort in collaboration with other island dive operators, the sinking provides visitors to the island numerous dive opportunities to fully view the multi-level ship, which measures 85 feet from keel to mast and 300 feet from bow to stern.

From AKR, a 12-minute boat ride east finds the Odyssey resting on a sandy flat in 112 feet of water. Divers may follow the top of the mast at 30 feet and descend to the top of the bow at 70 feet. Then explore the bulwarks or cargo hole level at 80 feet, the bow at 105 feet and the stern at 112 feet.

Wreck diver certification is recommended for divers wishing to penetrate the vessel. AKR offers resort guests this PADI program as an option for only $185.

"The enormity of the Odyssey is overwhelming," says Samir Galindo, General Manager of AKR. "There is ample opportunity to return again and again to the ship and still not see it all. Better still, up to three dive boats can dive the site at the same time without divers ever getting in each others path." In addition the ship's size allows divers of different levels to explore the wreck safely.

The new wreck is the second ship in five years to be submerged by Roatan dive operators, and compliments a full itinerary of 35 different dive sites frequented by AKR dive boats. The 200-foot Aguila, sunk in 1997, is only a 2-minute boat ride from the resort. Most other dive sites are within 5-10 minutes by boat from the resort.

Complete 7-night dive packages at AKR start from $599 per person, double occupancy, for travel in 2003, and include three single-tank boat dives daily, two single-tank night dives weekly usually done on Tuesdays and Thursdays depending on guests' day of arrival, air tanks, weight belts and weights, a buoyancy control workshop, fish ID slide show, three meals daily, daily dolphin presentations, a welcome island cocktail and orientation, island Fiesta Night on the Key, horseback riding and hiking, kayaking and canoeing, entrance to Roatan Museum, and airport transfers and airline ticket reconfirmation.

For information and reservations, contact your dive travel specialist or Bahia Tours at 1-800-227-3483, or visit www.anthonyskey.com.