Desecheo - Rincon & West Coast
Desecheo offers some of Puerto Rico's more exposed diving, located a few miles offshore. Expect healthy coral formations and consistent encounters with larger pelagics like jacks and barracuda, plus the occasional reef shark patrolling the deeper sections. This site is best for experienced divers comfortable with potential currents and a boat ride that can sometimes be bumpy. We think it's worth the trip for the clearer water and the chance of spotting something big.
- Location
- Rincon & West Coast, Puerto Rico, Caribbean
- Coordinates
- 18.376669, -67.483025
Marine Protected Area: Isla de Desecheo Marine Reserve
Best Time to Dive in Rincon & West Coast
The warmest water temperatures in Rincon & West Coast 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: 25.6°C)
- February: 27.3°C (air: 25.3°C)
- March: 27.3°C (air: 25.3°C)
- April: 27.3°C (air: 25.9°C)
- May: 27.3°C (air: 27.0°C)
- June: 27.3°C (air: 27.8°C)
- July: 27.3°C (air: 28.0°C)
- August: 27.3°C (air: 28.2°C)
- September: 27.3°C (air: 28.3°C)
- October: 27.3°C (air: 28.1°C)
- November: 27.3°C (air: 27.1°C)
- December: 27.3°C (air: 26.3°C)
Nearby Dive Sites in Rincon & West Coast
- Aguadilla - 14m
- AMBAR I - 54m (wreck)
- Ancones - 22m
- A.REGINA - 2m (wreck)
- B-29 Aircraft Wreck - 25m (wreck)
- Black Wall - 20-40m (wall)
- Crashboat Wall and Anchor - 13m (wall)
- CW-20 - 8m (wreck)
- Desecheo Island - 10-40m (wall)
- El natural - 5-20m (reef)
- La Cueva Submarina (cave)
- Monito
- Muelle de Azúcar - 19m
- MV Ambar (Wreck) - 25m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to Desecheo
Marine Life in Rincon & West Coast
Home to 514 recorded species including 430 reef fish, 36 hard corals, 13 sharks & rays, 7 whales & dolphins, 5 seagrass & algae, 4 other.
Notable Species
- Gutong (Sparisoma aurofrenatum) - Reef Fish
- Parrotfish (Thalassoma bifasciatum) - Reef Fish
- Bicolor Damselfish (Stegastes partitus) - Reef Fish
- Blue Doctor (Acanthurus coeruleus) - Reef Fish
- Sammy Johnson (Scarus taeniopterus) - Reef Fish
- Gutong (Scarus iseri) - Reef Fish
- Yellowhead Wrasse (Halichoeres garnoti) - Reef Fish
- Dark Green Parrotfish (Sparisoma viride) - Reef Fish
- Mustard hill coral (Porites astreoides) - Hard Corals
- Barber (Acanthurus bahianus) - Reef Fish
- Cola (Ocyurus chrysurus) - Reef Fish
- Coney (Cephalopholis fulva) - Reef Fish
- Great star coral (Montastraea cavernosa) - Hard Corals
- Massive Starlet Coral (Siderastrea siderea) - Hard Corals
- Butterfly (Chaetodon capistratus) - Reef Fish
- Lettuce Coral (Agaricia agaricites) - Hard Corals
- Graysby (Cephalopholis cruentata) - Reef Fish
- Slippery Dick (Halichoeres bivittatus) - Reef Fish
- Clown Wrasse (Halichoeres maculipinna) - Reef Fish
- French grunt (Haemulon flavolineatum) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for Desecheo
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