Mar Chiquita - La Parguera
Mar Chiquita in La Parguera gives you a good look at the fringing reef, a fairly gentle wall dive that drops to around 18 meters. You’ll typically see schools of snapper and grunts hanging out, with the occasional eagle ray gliding past in the blue. It’s a solid choice for newer divers or those who prefer a relaxed drift along the reef.
- Location
- La Parguera, Puerto Rico, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 18.474007, -66.485250
Marine Protected Area: Hacienda La Esperanza Natural Reserve
Best Time to Dive in La Parguera
The warmest water temperatures in La Parguera occur in January, averaging 27.3°C. The coolest conditions are in December at 27.3°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 27.3°C (air: 24.4°C)
- February: 27.3°C (air: 24.4°C)
- March: 27.3°C (air: 24.6°C)
- April: 27.3°C (air: 25.5°C)
- May: 27.3°C (air: 27.0°C)
- June: 27.3°C (air: 27.6°C)
- July: 27.3°C (air: 27.6°C)
- August: 27.3°C (air: 27.5°C)
- September: 27.3°C (air: 27.5°C)
- October: 27.3°C (air: 27.1°C)
- November: 27.3°C (air: 25.6°C)
- December: 27.3°C (air: 24.5°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in La Parguera
- CATALINA S. - 1m (wreck)
- Cerro Gordo Beach - 11m
- Enrique Reef - 5-15m (reef)
- Los Tubos - 10m
- Parguera s Wall (wall)
- The Wall - 15-40m (wall)
- TRANSCARIBBEAN - 6m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to Mar Chiquita
- La Casa del Buzo - ["PADI"]
- Native Dive PR
- PR Dive - ["PADI"]
- Scuba Dogs - ["PADI"]
Marine Life in La Parguera
Home to 503 recorded species including 413 reef fish, 36 hard corals, 13 sharks & rays, 9 other, 8 whales & dolphins, 5 seagrass & algae.
Notable Species
- Gutong (Sparisoma aurofrenatum) - Reef Fish
- Parrotfish (Thalassoma bifasciatum) - Reef Fish
- Bicolor Damselfish (Stegastes partitus) - Reef Fish
- Sammy Johnson (Scarus taeniopterus) - Reef Fish
- Gutong (Scarus iseri) - Reef Fish
- Blue Doctor (Acanthurus coeruleus) - Reef Fish
- Dark Green Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) - Reef Fish
- Yellowhead Wrasse (Halichoeres garnoti) - Reef Fish
- Mustard hill coral (Porites astreoides) - Hard Corals
- Barber (Acanthurus bahianus) - Reef Fish
- Cola (Ocyurus chrysurus) - Reef Fish
- Great star coral (Montastraea cavernosa) - Hard Corals
- Massive Starlet Coral (Siderastrea siderea) - Hard Corals
- Butterfly (Chaetodon capistratus) - Reef Fish
- Coney (Cephalopholis fulva) - Reef Fish
- Lettuce Coral (Agaricia agaricites) - Hard Corals
- Graysby (Cephalopholis cruentata) - Reef Fish
- Slippery Dick (Halichoeres bivittatus) - Reef Fish
- Longspine Squirrelfish (Holocentrus rufus) - Reef Fish
- French grunt (Haemulon flavolineatum) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Mar Chiquita
Based on average water temperature of 27.3°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