DIVE SITES SANTA CATALINA (ISLAS CEBACO, OCTAVIA, PELONAS, CATIVO)
Presently (May 2005) we have explored around 12 dive sites in this area. All of them are in easy reach from Santa Catalina in about 15 to 30 minutes. Many of the sites offer calm and easy diving - therefore we are doing also our beginner courses here, some of them offer spectacular diving for experienced divers. But all of them are full of marine life.
others.
Rating: * * * * * world class (red = difficult, only for experienced divers) * * * * excellent (blue = medium, sometimes experience required) * * * very good (green = easy, easy relaxed diving, also beginners) * * good * fair
Punta Pargo: rating* * * * *depth 30m/100ft +
5 km off the mainland, we discovered a formation of submerged rocks. They are covered with soft coral and inhabited by literally thousands of fish. We usually anchor on top of the outmost rock which is home of hundreds of big snappers and huge groupers. From there we are diving to other rocks, passing multitudes of moray eels, chubs, grunts, angel-, butterfly-, surgeon- and puffer fish. Some of the rocks are frequented by schooling pelagics and if you are lucky you can meet here whalesharks, manta- and eagle rays, pilot whales and even Orcas.
Bajo Cagao: rating * * * * depth 20m/70ft
Just off the SW tip of isla Cebaco towards the open sea is this excellent site. We are normally descending in the blue water a distance away from the rock Bajo Cagao, where we are greeted by swarms of surgeons. Then we follow a submerged rock formation with the current to the main rock. During the dive you can excpect to meet lots of moray eels, schools of snappers, grunts, chubs, butterfly- and angel fish as well as schools of barracudas and jacks. Due to the consistent current sweeping this rock, it is a good place to meet maybe mantas, turtles or hammerhead sharks.