Lighthouse - Roatán
Nusu is one of those sites we always recommend to divers who appreciate the smaller things. It’s got a bit of a pebble beach entry, but don't let that fool you. Once you get down, it transforms into a proper coral garden, mostly hard corals like branch and staghorn, but with enough soft stuff to keep things interesting. We’ve had some cracking macro dives here. Look for Gardiner’s headshield slugs doing their thing, and we’ve often spotted Stobbs’ pygmygobies tucked into crevices. Keep an eye out for slender snake eels poking out of the sand, and the yellowstripe monocle bream are pretty common. It's usually less crowded than some of the Gili sites, which makes for a more relaxed experience. The maximum depth is 24m, so it’s accessible for most, and the average 17m visibility is decent for spotting those tiny treasures. It’s a good choice for photographers or anyone who enjoys a slower pace, focusing on the details rather than big pelagics.
- Location
- Roatán, Honduras, Central America
- Coordinates
- 16.304700, -86.597700
- 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
- Airplane Wreck (cave)
- Airplane Wreck (wreck)
- Airport Caves (cave)
- Airport Caves (cave)
- Airport Caves (cave)
- Alaina’s Sandy Bottom (reef)
- Alaina’s Sandy Bottom (wreck)
- Anka s Place - 10-30m (reef)
- Anthony’s Key Resort House Reef (cave)
- Anthony’s Key Resort House Reef (reef)
- Aquarium (reef)
- Aquarium (cave)
- Bando Beach (reef)
- Bando Beach (reef)
- Bayman Drop (wall)
Nearest Dive Centres to Lighthouse
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
- Whale Shark (Rhincodon typus) - Sharks & Rays
- Smallmouth goby (Risor ruber) - Reef Fish
- Giant goby (Gobiomorus dormitor) - Reef Fish
- Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
- Horse-eye Jack (Caranx latus) - Reef Fish
- Needlefish (Strongylura timucu) - Reef Fish
- Mulet (Mugil curema) - Reef Fish
- Broad Shad (Gerres cinereus) - Reef Fish
- Small-scaled spinycheek sleeper (Eleotris pisonis) - Reef Fish
- Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
- Butterfish (Eucinostomus melanopterus) - Reef Fish
- Molly Miller (Bathygobius soporator) - Reef Fish
- Schoolmaster (Lutjanus apodus) - Reef Fish
- turtlegrass (Thalassia testudinum) - Seagrass & Algae
- Slippery Dick (Halichoeres bivittatus) - Reef Fish
- Great Barracuda (Sphyraena barracuda) - Reef Fish
- Common Snook (Centropomus undecimalis) - Reef Fish
- American eel (Anguilla rostrata) - Reef Fish
- Hound Needlefish (Tylosurus crocodilus) - Reef Fish
- Scrawled Sole (Trinectes inscriptus) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Lighthouse
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