Cayo Sombrero - Morrocoy & Chichiriviche
Cayo Sombrero is one of our favourite spots in Morrocoy, and it’s a great example of a beginner-friendly site that still delivers. We love drifting along the shallower sections, watching the light play over the massive elkhorn coral formations. You’ll see plenty of parrotfish here, munching away, and if you’re patient, you might spot a rockfish tucked into a crevice or a lobster peeking out from under a ledge. The reef averages around 3-15m, making it super accessible. Even though it’s shallow, there’s still plenty to see. Look out for the donkey dung sea cucumbers and the bright lavender rope sponges, they really add pops of colour. We’d suggest an early morning dive if you can swing it; the visibility tends to be at its best before the day boats really get going, and the light is just beautiful. It’s a perfect chill dive after exploring some of the deeper wrecks nearby.
- Location
- Morrocoy & Chichiriviche, Venezuela, South America
- Coordinates
- 10.890000, -68.270000
- Type
- reef
- Maximum Depth
- 3-15m
- Difficulty
- Beginner
Marine Protected Area: Morrocoy
Nearby Dive Sites in Morrocoy & Chichiriviche
- Bajo de Canaveral
- Bajo de Chuao
- Caraballeda - Cayo Sal
- Carabelleda - Caribe Soy
- CAYO MEDIO (reef)
- CAYO NORTE (reef)
- Cayo Pescadores (drift)
- Cayo Sombrero
- Cayo Sur
- Chichiriviche
- CLEVELAND - 30m (wreck)
- Gran Roque
- Isla Larga Puerto Cabello - 5-20m (reef)
- JANS - 10m (wreck)
- Jurelito (wall)
Nearest Dive Centres to Cayo Sombrero
- Epsilon Dive Center
- Pilardive - ["PADI"]
- REFUGIO DE BUZOS
- Scubatec Dive Center C.A. - ["PADI"]
Marine Life in Morrocoy & Chichiriviche
Home to 272 recorded species including 208 reef fish, 26 hard corals, 6 seagrass & algae, 6 crabs & lobsters, 5 whales & dolphins, 4 sea urchins.
Notable Species
- Common lionfish (Pterois volitans) - Reef Fish
- turtlegrass (Thalassia testudinum) - Seagrass & Algae
- Sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca) - Seagrass & Algae
- Atlantic spotted dolphin (Stenella frontalis) - Whales & Dolphins
- French grunt (Haemulon flavolineatum) - Reef Fish
- Mustard hill coral (Porites astreoides) - Hard Corals
- Schoolmaster (Lutjanus apodus) - Reef Fish
- Supreme Limu (Asparagopsis taxiformis) - Seagrass & Algae
- Lesser Starlet Coral (Siderastrea radians) - Hard Corals
- Barber (Acanthurus bahianus) - Reef Fish
- Slippery Dick (Halichoeres bivittatus) - Reef Fish
- Bluestriped Grunt (Haemulon sciurus) - Reef Fish
- Gutong (Scarus iseri) - Reef Fish
- Lettuce Coral (Agaricia agaricites) - Hard Corals
- Green Sea Urchin (Lytechinus variegatus) - Sea Urchins
- Green Turtle (Chelonia mydas)
- Cowfish (Tursiops truncatus) - Whales & Dolphins
- Grey Snapper (Lutjanus griseus) - Reef Fish
- Butterfly (Chaetodon capistratus) - Reef Fish
- Finger Coral (Porites porites) - Hard Corals