Scuba Diving and Snorkelling in Mochima National Park, Venezuela Coast
 
 

Scuba Schools International ITC - Center and Specialists in Cavern & Deep Diving. Dive Courses and day Tours

 
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07.05.07

 

Aquatic Adventures

Paseo Colon, Marina de Puerto La Cruz - Venezuela  0414.806.3744/Gina - 0414.820.8758 Jenner

Dive Sites

Submerged Islands: 
The following dives are submerged islands or bajos as we call them here. They have a much diversified flora and fauna and each sea bed has its own physiognomy.

La Muerta, 5-30 meters North of Chimana Segunda Island. Has large boulders giving many overhangs where creatures hide. Sometimes see large fish; eels abound, an ocasional porcupine fish, angel fish, and ref. fish in general.  A spectacular dive!

Picuita, South of Picuda Chica Island. It is a triangular shaped reef with a plateau at 10-12 meters and the sides from 12 to 32 meters. Rays often hide in the sand around the reef, lobsters under the coral heads and fish abound especially around the corners.
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Other Bajos:

Bajo Porto,

Bajo del Medio

La Bandera

Las Caracas

Mabobo

 

Caverns, In a cavern you can always see the entrance:           

The cavern at the Ensenada: Chimana Segunda Island. 0-12 Meters.  Large cavern with two rooms. The entrance at 12 M is 1 ½ M high X 3 M wide. The first room, all under water, is 6M. X 10M and depth from 12M to 6M. Look for stalactites on ceiling. In the second room go up to the surface to find an impressive cathedral ceiling above. Look in the walls for the red eyes of small shrimp.


Cathedral, Borracha Island,  0-12 meters . There is a huge 6m x 6m entrance to this shallow cavern. Many cracks and crevices hide lobsters, porcupine fish. In the back of the cavern you can surface. Sunlight streaming in through a small hole around noon shines on the floor of the cavern.

Jenner’s Place, Chimana Segunda Island. Entrance at 4 meters. An 8 M. long, tunnel like cavern. This is a hiding place for lobsters to molt! After looking around, follow the island north for a fun dive with lots of critters hiding in and under the coral. 

Manhattan, On Borrachito. There is a hole on land where you can jump into the water and then drop to 20 meters under the water.  Pass into a small cavern finding stalactites, stalagmites and mini caverns. A fun experience, although there is no flora or fauna!

 

Wrecks:

Vencemos Wreck, North of Chimana Segunda Island. 12 meters. 50 years ago a boat loaded with cement sacks sunk in 40 feet of water. It was dynamited and left to sit on the sea bed. Abundant life hides in the remains of the ship. The sacks of cement form small hills of very square “rocks” and many small critters such as crabs, damsel fish, butterfly, squirrel fish and lobsters hide in the crevices.

Galeon, 10-32 meters, Cay la Ballena. N 2005, a galleon was sunk; its mast reaches within 10 meters of the surface. Atlantic Spade fish swirl around, Cubera snappers protect it, and French Angel fish play in and around. 

 

Barco El Vapor , 12 meters 55 years old. Caracas Islands. The remains of this old ship which lies in two large pieces have attracted much fauna over the years. Look for Flying Gurnards and Sailfin Blenny in the sand around the wreck, morays hiding inside.

Fishing boat at Borrachito Island, 27-32 meters.  Enjoy this 20 meter boat covered with algae, and with the air you have left explore the reef from 3-15 meters.

 

Tunnels:

Cachua, 3-28 meters; Cay north west of Borracho Island. Pass under the small island, and follow the reef around to the right over large brain and star corals. Huge schools of sardines and other growing fish play around the opening.


Cola de Pato, 5-20 meters. Cay Northwest of Chimana Segunda. Wave action has made a hole under the island, so the dive begins swimming underneath. Soft coral surrounds the island with big boulders attracting life. Huge schools of surgeon and doctor fish swarm around and we stop to let them pass. Often we find big porcupine fish floating mid water or hiding under the ledges.

 

Reefs next to Islands:
 

Champagne Dive, 5-35 meters. Venado Island. Bubbles come up from the sand and reef, colors of the hard coral are different form other reefs in Mochima National Park.  Put your hand near the white slime found around coral heads and in stone beds to feel the thermal waters!  Look for Flying Gurnards in the sand, and Sailfin Blenny hiding in small holes.

Chimanita, 3-30 meters; a cay at the eastern point of Chimana Segunda.  It has a ledge which extends down to 5 meters where a wall drops from 5 to 12 meters. From there the reef drifts down to a point at 30 meters. The reef also extends in the eastern direction going down to 25 meters, but usually there is more to see around 12 meters. Huge schools of small fish swarm around in the shallow part of the reef; look for Spotted Drums hiding under the coral, Scorpion fish and Tiger Tail Sea Cucumbers.

The Wall en El Faro, 5-50 meters. Chimana Segunda Island. As you drop into the deep, look up and see the interesting formation of the wall as it juts in and out. Several large boulders 20-30 meters attract lots of fish, often large ones coming up from the deep. On occasion, schools of tarpon and Atlantic Spade fish entertain us.

Punto de Oro, 2-30 meters, Northern part of Mono Island, 2-35 meters In the shallow water pink, orange, blue and white tube worms adorn the fire coral. Follow the point down and fly over the wall into the deep blue. Often schools of large Cubera snappers await us.

Quirica Island, 5-30 meters. It is a small island which cracked in the middle sending huge boulders tumbling into the sea forming a fun dive site. We exit the boat on the eastern side, follow soft coral around to the point where we can follow an interesting crack down to 35 meters and then follow the reef around to play under, through and around the huge boulders where the fish and often lobsters hide.

TiguiTigue Island, 5-40 meters. A small, round island next to Mono Island with a point that drops into the sea. Lots of hard coral, some soft coral. Occasionally rays, hermit crabs. Reef fish abound.  It is also fun to do a shallow dive around the island taking time to check out the sand on the south side watching out for sea stars, flounder and other creatures that hide in the sand.

Pared de la Manta, 3-30 metros, Borracho Island A wall drops to 27 meters with smaller boulders around where many fish and other creatures hide.

Las Peñas, 5 -30 meters. In the Gulf of Santa Fe, A crag on the top and an interesting reef teeming with fish under the water. Look closely and you may find a sea horse.

Off the mainland:

Punta Tambor, An interesting point plunges to 32 meters and we often find schools of snappers and groupers.  Do your safety stop over the shallow coral and keep your eyes open for nudibranchs, small crabs and lots of small critters.
 

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