Puerto Rico Dive Sites

Cayo Ratón

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Dive siteFrom Puerto Rico Dive Sites, the sourced field guide

Cayo Ratón

RegionCulebra
MunicipalityCulebra
IslandCulebra
AccessBoat dive
Site typeReef
Depth (reported range)35–65 ft (11–20 m)Historical source only (1998)
HazardsNavigation, Current
LocationApproximate area shown on the map (within about 300 m).Location evidence: Approximate area[6]
ConfidenceLow confidence
Last researched2026-10-17

Overview

Cayo Ratón is a reef dive off Culebra that a 2026 dive-agency blog calls a fishy site, good for new divers and for underwater photography. Older sources describe a semicircular reef that starts flat and then drops to about 60 feet (2008), with queen angelfish, butterflyfish, parrotfish, horse-eye jacks and peacock flounders, and visibility that can exceed 100 feet; a 1999 operator page mentioned a stronger current that draws larger fish. Sources differ on skill level: the 2008 magazine recommended intermediate divers and up. A 1998 guide gave 35 to 65 feet.[1][2][3][4]

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Heads up: Navigation · Current. See safety notes

Experience & conditions

  • PADI / Scuba Diving: “PADI blog calls it good for new divers”[1]

Attributed descriptions from sources, not our rating. Conditions vary; your training, experience and the day’s conditions decide.

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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

  • Navigation — the passage between Cayo Ratón and Cayo del Agua should be avoided; a low rock lies close to Ratón's south-east side[5]
  • Current — operator mentions stronger current attracting larger fish (older report)[3]

What to know

  • Hard to find or easy to lose your way. Carry a surface marker buoy so the boat can spot you. More →
  • Strong current possible. Don't fight it, stay with your buddy, use the ascent line and carry a surface marker buoy. More →

Ocean conditions change daily. Dive within your training, plan with current local information and consider a local professional guide. Water safety guide.

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Depth reports by source

ReportedSourceStatus
to 60 ft (18 m)PADI / Scuba Diving[2]Historical
to 55 ft (17 m)Culebra Divers[3]Historical
35–65 ft (11–20 m)Colleen Ryan & Brian Savage / Complete Dive Guide Publications[4]Historical (1998)

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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 “Cayo Ratón” · 35–65 ft (11–20 m) · 1998[4]

  • boat
  • current: checked before diving; strengthened during authors' dive
  • headland continues underwater; fairly steep slope to sand at ~60 ft
  • slope densely covered in gorgonians
  • sponge and mat zoanthids
  • flat area with tall encrusted coral heads

See also

Straight-line distance only — not travel time, and not necessarily reached from the same departure point.

Sources & verification

Last researched: 2026-10-17 · Last independently verified: not yet field-verified · Confidence: Low confidence

  1. 1.Best Dive Sites in Puerto Rico — PADI / Scuba Diving (2026-02-11) · Dive organization · Tier 3: Corroborating · accessed 2026-10-11
  2. 2.Ten Best Places to Go Scuba Diving in Puerto Rico — PADI / Scuba Diving (2008-11-23) · Dive publication · Tier 3: Corroborating · historical
  3. 3.Cayo Raton — Culebra Divers (1999-10-09) · Dive operator · Tier 2: Specialist · historical
  4. 4.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
  5. 5.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
  6. 6.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.