The Roatan Marine Park in the West End of Roatan takes care of West End of the island and maybe all the island. it provides moorings for boats (info at the website as this situation changed while I was in Roatan), it watches for poachers, protects the coral reef and more. (the website may be roatanmarinepark.com or roatanmarinepark.net.
At the office’s Gift Shop in West End you can borrow a snorkel for 24 hours for just a $5 donation with a $20 deposit. A credit card is ok for the deposit.
All items purchased at their office/ store are donations that help them to help preserve the island, which includes protecting endangered species from over-fishing and poachers.
There are many things for sale there, but here are the things that impressed me.
A great investment for any snorkeler is the FishFlips wearable and waterproof snorkeling guide. It is just $5 here. You can keep it on your wrist and know which fish you are seeing as you snorkel. I wish I had known about it and had this as I snorkled!
There may be great digital fish guides but this is the right tech for being in the water with the fish.
I loved the White Coconut carved necklaces for $10.
No See Um Soap made in Roatan by Roatan Natural Soapworks is $5 a bar. I bought this as I like the mixture and smell I wish I had known of it sooner, but it might help with all bugs. I can’t say how well it works yet though.
Fresh local jams are $6, the best price I saw them for anywhere on the island.
Nice $5 paper bead necklaces from Guatamala here as well as much more.