Boca Chica diving
Boca
Chica diving has fascinating dive spots to offer to
all levels of divers as it's dive sites range
from shallow dives to wreck
and cave diving. It has a 500-meter long reef,
which closes off the bay to form what is otherwise known as
the world's largest pool. The bay is sheltered from the waves
by the Islands "La Matica"and "Los Pinos"
There are many dive spots to choose from as it takes a few minutes
to access many sites in the neighbouring Juan Dolio and la Caleta
national park. Some of the interesting sites
to visit from Boca Chica are:
The
Wessel Reef with a max depth of 18m which is
parralel to the west coast and through which sand channels run
from east to west and is suitable for beginners.It is approximately
30 meters wide. From 13 meters it falls from a depth of 18 meters
in the east and ends in the sand.
The coral formations are spectacular and different colonies
of pillar, elk corals, soft and horn corals can be seen.During
this dive it isn't rare to see stingrays, different kinds of
moray eels and trumpet fish. Strangely, it's been observed that
many of the reef´s formations have the shape of sunken ships.
Angels Ravine which is at a depth of 17 meters follows the coral reef, which runs parallel to the beach. This site drops to a depth of around 30m to the north the and reaches a sandy depth of 35 meters while to the south it drops off with an inclination to 40 meters. The reef is covered in wrinkled boulder star corals. Lobsters and moray eels have been sighted here. Black durgeons, schools of mackerels and yellowhead wrasses are not a rare sight..
Wreck
dives are available in La Caleta National Underwater
Park, not far from Boca Chica. There are four wrecks
in the La Caleta national park.
There's "Hickory" a treasure hunter ship lying
at a depth of 18m and which was countersunk by the international
diving sports organisations in 1980 (depth: 18m).
"Limon" is an old tow boat at a depth of 20m
and not far from the "Limon" are shapely hard corals and picturesque
flower corals and sponges.
"Captain Alsina" an ancient wreck at
40m is difficult to find because it’s completely covered
with corals. It is the deepest of all of Boca Chica´s wrecks
and is worth the dive.
"The Ocean Spring" is a small tugboat wreck
found on the sandy bottom, southeast of the Boca Chica Bay.
The hull´s interior is empty, but some of the boat´s instruments
can still be seen. The inside and the outside of the hull shelters
a lot of yellow goatfishes and the wreck is covered in small
hard corals. This wreck is an excellent opportunity
for photographers.