JUAN BAUTISTA - Isla de la Plata
The Juan Bautista wreck isn't about deep dives or big pelagics, it’s about history you can touch and a shallow, vibrant ecosystem. We love that it’s essentially an accessible museum, right at the surface. This tanker, sunk after an engine room fire in '76, now lies broken but remarkably intact in parts, making it perfect for an extended snorkel or a very relaxed dive. What you get here is a close-up encounter with metal-turned-reef. Schools of iridescent cardinalfish dart through the skeletal superstructure, and the stern, especially, is a tangle of soft corals and anemones. Look closely in the shadowed crevices for moray eels and the occasional scorpionfish blending in perfectly. Our favourite part is spotting the octopus, often tucked right into the engine room, its camouflage near-flawless. Being so shallow, usually 4m, you can spend ages just soaking it all in. We’d suggest going early in the morning for the best light penetration and calmer conditions. It’s a gentle site, ideal for newer divers or anyone wanting to slow down and really observe the smaller inhabitants that have claimed this old ship.
- Location
- Isla de la Plata, Ecuador, South America
- Coordinates
- -2.212361, -80.911530
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 4m
Marine Protected Area: Puntilla de Santa Elena
Best Time to Dive in Isla de la Plata
The warmest water temperatures in Isla de la Plata occur in February, averaging 27.3°C. The coolest conditions are in August at 24.8°C.
Monthly Water Temperatures
- January: 26.4°C
- February: 27.3°C
- March: 27.2°C
- April: 26.4°C
- May: 26.7°C
- June: 26.4°C
- July: 25.3°C
- August: 24.8°C
- September: 24.8°C
- October: 25.3°C
- November: 25.1°C
- December: 25.3°C
Nearby Dive Sites in Isla de la Plata
- AZOREANA - 4m (wreck)
- BLACK SAND I - 11m (wreck)
- BON BINI - 10m (wreck)
- BP GUAZAR - 2m (wreck)
- DARWIN - 7m (wreck)
- Dive and Surf
- DON VICTOR - 3m (wreck)
- El Pelado
- El Pelado / Islote El Pelado
- Isla Salango
- Isla Salango
- Islas Los Ahorcados
- Islas Los Ahorcados
- JAMBELI - 9m (wreck)
- Llaviucu
Nearest Dive Centres to JUAN BAUTISTA
Marine Life in Isla de la Plata
Home to 148 recorded species including 124 reef fish, 8 whales & dolphins, 5 other, 5 sharks & rays, 2 hard corals, 1 sea cucumbers.
Notable Species
- Olive Ridley (Lepidochelys olivacea)
- Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
- Hawksbill Turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata)
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Mexican hogfish (Bodianus diplotaenia) - Reef Fish
- Brown Sea Cucumber (Isostichopus fuscus) - Sea Cucumbers
- Barberfish (Johnrandallia nigrirostris) - Reef Fish
- Chameleon wrasse (Halichoeres dispilus) - Reef Fish
- Sea Bass (Epinephelus labriformis) - Reef Fish
- Cortez Rainbow Wrasse (Thalassoma lucasanum) - Reef Fish
- Threeband Butterflyfish (Chaetodon humeralis) - Reef Fish
- Acapulco damselfish (Stegastes acapulcoensis) - Reef Fish
- Short-beaked Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis) - Whales & Dolphins
- Bumphead Parrotfish (Scarus perrico) - Reef Fish
- Spinster wrasse (Halichoeres nicholsi) - Reef Fish
- King Angelfish (Holacanthus passer) - Reef Fish
- Razor Surgeonfish (Prionurus laticlavius) - Reef Fish
- Large-banded Blenny (Ophioblennius steindachneri) - Reef Fish
- Black coral (Antipathes galapagensis) - Hard Corals
- Sabertooth Blenny (Plagiotremus azaleus) - Reef Fish
Recommended Packing List for JUAN BAUTISTA
Based on average water temperature of 25.9°C, currents 4 cm/s.
- Shorty or Rashguard - warm 26°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