Laras Rainbows - Roatán

Nemo’s Playground is our pick for a really comfortable dive in the Somosomo Strait, especially when the current isn’t ripping through the ‘Rainbow Reef’ proper. It’s got these big, established pinnacles that rise up from a sandy bottom, all absolutely smothered in both hard and soft corals. The tops of those pinnacles are where the magic really happens, especially around 15 metres. That’s where you find the carpet anemones, just huge, gently waving things, absolutely packed with anemonefish. They’re everywhere, in every crevice, bold and territorial, zipping out at you. We love dropping onto these shallower sections, just hovering and watching the wrasse, like the Blue-ribbon and Hoeven's, darting in and out, or spotting the tiny High Hat Triplefins tucked away. You get a real sense of a bustling neighbourhood up there. If you fin down just a little deeper, say 20 metres, and look out over the sand, you’ll sometimes catch the Garden Eels swaying in unison, a really calming sight. It’s a great site for photographers who want to take their time with some macro subjects or just enjoy a colourful, easy drift.

Location
Roatán, Honduras, Central America
Coordinates
16.310500, -86.595500
Type
reef

Marine Protected Area: Islas de la Bahía

Best Time to Dive in Roatán

The warmest water temperatures in Roatán occur in September, averaging 30.2°C. The coolest conditions are in February at 27.3°C.

Monthly Water Temperatures

  • January: 27.4°C
  • February: 27.3°C
  • March: 27.4°C
  • April: 28.0°C
  • May: 28.9°C
  • June: 29.3°C
  • July: 29.1°C
  • August: 29.7°C
  • September: 30.2°C
  • October: 30.0°C
  • November: 29.1°C
  • December: 28.3°C

Nearby Dive Sites in Roatán

Nearest Dive Centres to Laras Rainbows

Marine Life in Roatán

Home to 170 recorded species including 150 reef fish, 5 sea snails & nudibranchs, 5 hard corals, 4 other, 1 sharks & rays, 1 seagrass & algae.

Notable Species

Recommended Packing List for Laras Rainbows

Based on average water temperature of 28.7°C, currents 7 cm/s.

  • Shorty or Rashguard - warm 29°C water needs minimal exposure protection
  • Mask - essential for every dive
  • Fins
  • BCD - buoyancy compensator
  • Regulator - your most safety-critical piece of gear
  • Dive Computer - tracks depth, time, and NDL
  • Surface Marker Buoy (SMB) - essential for boat pickups
  • Dive Torch - useful for crevices and colour at depth
  • Underwater Camera - capture your diving memories