MAR DORADA - Morrocoy & Chichiriviche
Mar Dorada is our kind of wreck dive, shallow and full of character. This isn’t some broken-up pile of metal; you can still make out the superstructure, the deck, and even the cargo holds of this old motor vessel. The whole ship lies at just ten metres, which means plenty of bottom time to really explore, to duck your head into the darker corners and imagine the fire that ended its working life back in '89. We love that the light filters down, illuminating schools of tiny glassfish that shimmer over the decks. Look closely and you’ll find plenty of cleaner shrimp on the old bulkheads, and moray eels peeking out from pipes. It’s an easy dive, perfect for photographers who want to spend an hour framing shots of the ghostly silhouette against the blue. Our tip? Go on a sunny morning; the visibility really makes the most of the open areas.
- Location
- Morrocoy & Chichiriviche, Venezuela, South America
- Coordinates
- 10.475000, -67.991670
- Type
- wreck
- Maximum Depth
- 10m
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 - 3-15m (reef)
- Cayo Sombrero
- Cayo Sur
- Chichiriviche
- CLEVELAND - 30m (wreck)
- Gran Roque
- Isla Larga Puerto Cabello - 5-20m (reef)
- JANS - 10m (wreck)
Nearest Dive Centres to MAR DORADA
- 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