Christmas came a day early for our divers. On the eve of Christmas, Utopia divers were given a gift, whale sharks! Although the gentle giants reside in our waters year round, it is not every day that our guests get to a chance to swim with whale sharks. They estimated the sharks to be approximately 35 feet in length. It was an amazing day for all. Happy Holidays and may 2010 bring global peace and a world without war. Happy New Year, we're holding a hammock for you.

12/8/09 Representatives for Honduras tourism announced this morning that the U.S. canceled all pending travel alerts to Honduras yesterday. The Department of State issued a travel alert in July, stating “The Department of State alerts U.S. citizens to the current unstable political and security situation in Honduras, and recommends that American citizens defer all non-essential travel to Honduras until further notice.”

The alert was issued shortly after Honduran military ousted President Manuel Zelaya and sent him out of the country. However, on November 29, the Honduran people peacefully elected their new president – Porfirio “Pepe” Lobo, who will take office on January 27. The United States and other countries have already expressed their recognition of President-Elect Lobo. Wholesalers have looked to the elections as a positive sign and are once again aggressively selling the destination.

It's a new dawn for Honduras. Last Sunday, Hondurans elected their new leader, President Porfirio Lobo of the National Party. We all look forward to a new beginning and emerging as a stronger, unified nation. Viva Honduras, viva Democracy.