Palomino Wall - Fajardo & East Coast
Palomino Wall is one of those sites we always come back to when we’re in Fajardo. It’s an easy-going wall dive, usually with manageable current, letting you take your time exploring. The wall itself drops from about 10 meters down to 25 meters, a comfortable depth for most intermediate divers. What we really love here is the sheer density of life plastered onto the coral, especially the deeper sections. You’ll drift past big patches of smooth star coral, bright lavender rope sponges, and little nooks stuffed with lobster. Look for schoolmasters tucked into ledges, and we’ve often spotted spotted trunkfish methodically picking their way across the reef. Keep an eye out for the dark-spotted snake eel poking its head from sandy patches at the base of the wall – they’re surprisingly camouflaged. Our favorite time to dive it is late morning, when the sun angle really brings out the sponge colours.
- Location
- Fajardo & East Coast, Puerto Rico, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 18.350000, -65.570000
- Type
- wall
- Maximum Depth
- 10-25m
- Difficulty
- Intermediate
Marine Protected Area: Arrecifes de la Cordillera Natural Reserve
Best Time to Dive in Fajardo & East Coast
The warmest water temperatures in Fajardo & East Coast occur in January, averaging 27.1°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 27.1°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 27.1°C (air: 24.7°C)
- February: 27.1°C (air: 24.4°C)
- March: 27.1°C (air: 24.7°C)
- April: 27.1°C (air: 25.3°C)
- May: 27.1°C (air: 26.5°C)
- June: 27.1°C (air: 27.1°C)
- July: 27.1°C (air: 27.3°C)
- August: 27.1°C (air: 27.5°C)
- September: 27.1°C (air: 27.5°C)
- October: 27.1°C (air: 27.2°C)
- November: 27.1°C (air: 26.3°C)
- December: 27.1°C (air: 25.4°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Fajardo & East Coast
- Airplane - 16m (wreck)
- Bajo Amarillo - 20m
- Carlos Rosario Wall - 14m (wall)
- Cayo del Agua - 20m
- Cayo Diablo
- Cayo Diablo - 5-18m (reef)
- Cayo Lobo - 15m
- Culebra, Puerto Rico - 14m
- Culebrita South Reef - 5-20m (reef)
- Culebrita West
- Devon’s Drop - 15m (wall)
- El imperio
- Escambron
- INDEPENDENCE SERVICE - 20m (wreck)
- ISLA NENA - 12m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to Palomino Wall
- Black Beard Sports - ["PADI"]
- Culebra Divers
- GypSea Charters
- Scuba Dogs
- Sea Ventures Dive Center - ["PADI"]
Marine Life in Fajardo & East Coast
Home to 511 recorded species including 399 reef fish, 40 hard corals, 16 sharks & rays, 12 other, 10 whales & dolphins, 9 seagrass & algae.
Notable Species
- Gutong (Sparisoma aurofrenatum) - Reef Fish
- Mustard hill coral (Porites astreoides) - Hard Corals
- Parrotfish (Thalassoma bifasciatum) - Reef Fish
- Blue Doctor (Acanthurus coeruleus) - Reef Fish
- Barber (Acanthurus bahianus) - Reef Fish
- Sammy Johnson (Scarus taeniopterus) - Reef Fish
- Massive Starlet Coral (Siderastrea siderea) - Hard Corals
- Dark Green Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) - Reef Fish
- Gutong (Scarus iseri) - Reef Fish
- Bicolor Damselfish (Stegastes partitus) - Reef Fish
- Yellowhead Wrasse (Halichoeres garnoti) - Reef Fish
- Great star coral (Montastraea cavernosa) - Hard Corals
- Lettuce Coral (Agaricia agaricites) - Hard Corals
- Cola (Ocyurus chrysurus) - Reef Fish
- Finger Coral (Porites porites) - Hard Corals
- Butterfly (Chaetodon capistratus) - Reef Fish
- Doctorfish (Acanthurus chirurgus) - Reef Fish
- French grunt (Haemulon flavolineatum) - Reef Fish
- Longspine Squirrelfish (Holocentrus rufus) - Reef Fish
- Sharpnose Pufferfish (Canthigaster rostrata) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Palomino Wall
Based on average water temperature of 27.1°C.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 27°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