Cayo Ballena
Also known as: Ballena
Dive siteFrom Puerto Rico Dive Sites, the sourced field guide
Cayo Ballena
| Region | Culebra |
|---|---|
| Municipality | Culebra |
| Island | Culebra |
| Access | Boat dive |
| Site type | Reef |
| Depth (reported range) | 30–80 ft (9–24 m)Single source (current tier 3) |
| Hazards | unexploded ordnance (Coast Pilot: Navy advises UXO in the immediate offshore vicinity of this cay; mariners to use extreme caution), Navigation |
| Protected area | Culebra National Wildlife Refuge |
| Location | Approximate area shown on the map (within about 300 m).Location evidence: Approximate area[7] |
| Confidence | Low confidence |
| Last researched | 2026-10-17 |
Overview
Cayo Ballena is a boat dive off Culebra. A current operator source lists it as a reef with depths of 30–80 ft. Older sources differ: a travel guide described a 120-ft wall dive with spectacular coral, and a 1998 guide gave depths of 30–120 ft.[1][2][3]
Heads up: unexploded ordnance (Coast Pilot: Navy advises UXO in the immediate offshore vicinity of this cay; mariners to use extreme caution) · Navigation. See safety notes
Site characteristics
- Reef[1]
Recent diver reports
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First-hand reports from divers, reviewed before they appear. Conditions change daily; a report describes one day.
Safety considerations
- unexploded ordnance (Coast Pilot: Navy advises UXO in the immediate offshore vicinity of this cay; mariners to use extreme caution)[4]
- Navigation — foul ground between Cayo Ballena and Cayo Tiburón[4]
What to know
- Follow the 3Rs. Recognize: treat anything that might be a munition as extremely dangerous. Retreat: don't touch or move it; leave calmly the way you came. Report: call 911 and say what you saw and where. More →
- Hard to find or easy to lose your way. Carry a surface marker buoy so the boat can spot you. More →
Ocean conditions change daily. Dive within your training, plan with current local information and consider a local professional guide. Water safety guide.
Protected area
Culebra National Wildlife Refuge (Refugio Nacional de Vida Silvestre de Culebra)
National Wildlife Refuge · U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service · Site position falls inside the official boundary[5]
NOAA's MPA Inventory classifies this area's protection level as "Uniform Multiple Use"; fishing: restrictions unknown.[5]
Regulations change. Check with DRNA (Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales) before diving.
Depth reports by source
| Reported | Source | Status |
|---|---|---|
| to 120 ft (37 m) | Moon Travel Guides[2] | Historical |
| 30–80 ft (9–24 m) | Aqua Adventure[1] | Current source |
| to 120 ft (37 m) | Culebra Divers[6] | Historical |
| 30–120 ft (9–37 m) | Colleen Ryan & Brian Savage / Complete Dive Guide Publications[3] | Historical (1998) |
Historical record
What a historical source reported at the time. Not verified as current — access, moorings, reef condition and names may have changed.
Listed as “Ballena” · 30–120 ft (9–37 m) · 1998[3]
- boat
- wall
- wall riddled with cracks and splits
- sponges and gorgonians hanging from wall
See also
Straight-line distance only — not travel time, and not necessarily reached from the same departure point.
- Geniquí Caves — 0.9 mi
- Isla Culebrita — 2.1 mi
- Playa Tortuga (Culebrita) — 2.2 mi
- Playa Zoni — 2.9 mi
- WIT Power — 4.4 mi
- Bajo Amarillo — 5.2 mi
Sources & verification
Last researched: 2026-10-17 · Last independently verified: not yet field-verified · Confidence: Low confidence
- 1.Scuba Diving in Culebra — Aqua Adventure · Dive operator · Tier 3: Corroborating · accessed 2026-09-25
- 2.Culebra's Beaches: Diving, Snorkeling, and Kayaking — Moon Travel Guides (2016) · Historical guide · Tier 3: Corroborating · historical
- 3.The Complete Diving Guide: The Caribbean, Volume 3 (Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands) — Colleen Ryan & Brian Savage / Complete Dive Guide Publications (1998) · Historical guide · Tier 3: Corroborating · historical
- 4.U.S. Coast Pilot 5, Chapter 13 — Puerto Rico (20 Sep 2026 edition) — NOAA Office of Coast Survey (2026-09-20) · Government · Tier 1: Primary / authoritative · accessed 2026-09-26
- 5.NOAA Marine Protected Areas Inventory 2024 (feature service NOAA_MPA_Inventory_2023), State = PR — NOAA NOS Office of National Marine Sanctuaries - MPA Center (2024) · Government dataset · Tier 1: Primary / authoritative · accessed 2026-09-25
- 6.Cayo Ballena — Culebra Divers (1999-10-08) · Dive operator · Tier 2: Specialist · historical
- 7.Geographic Names Information System (GNIS) — Domestic Names, Puerto Rico — U.S. Geological Survey (2026-08-28) · Government dataset · Tier 1: Primary / authoritative · accessed 2026-10-17
Facts are summarised in our own words from the sources above; we do not reproduce operators’ or publishers’ descriptions. How confidence is assigned.