Puerto Rico Dive Sites

Isla Desecheo · Mayagüez · Isla Desecheo

Yellow Reef

Depth
to 90 ft (27 m)
Access
Boat dive
Type
Wall
Confidence
Moderate confidence

Heads up: Overhead environment. See safety notes

Overview

Yellow Reef is a boat dive off Isla Desecheo where a honeycomb of caves, deep ravines, steep walls and swim-throughs grades into a rocky, sandy slope that bottoms out at about 90 feet. Reported life includes barracuda, permit, southern stingrays, sea turtles, lobsters and octopus. Overhangs, crevices and swim-throughs create overhead environments. A 1998 guide described a range of 20 to 100 feet.[1][2][3]

Site characteristics

Habitat & marine life

  • honeycomb of caves and deep ravines grading to a rocky/sandy slope[1]
  • barracuda[1]
  • permit[1]
  • southern stingrays[1]
  • sea turtles[1]
  • lobsters[2]
  • octopus[2]

Marine life is what sources report having seen or commonly seeing — not a guarantee.

Safety considerations

  • Overhead environment — overhangs, crevices and swim-throughs[2]

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

Depth reports by source

ReportedSourceStatus
to 90 ft (27 m)Scuba Diving magazine[1]Current source
20–100 ft (6–30 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 “Yellow Reef” · 20–100 ft (6–30 m) · 1998[3]

  • boat
  • bright yellow/mustard sponges (name source)
  • pinnacle — massive; ~60 ft on west side, ~95 ft on east
  • caves at ~90–100 ft incl. bridge-like swim-through
  • large encrusted navy anchor (~10 x 5 ft)
  • exposure: prone to swell and current

Sources & verification

Last researched: 2026-10-04 · Last independently verified: not yet field-verified · Confidence: Moderate confidence

  1. 1.The Wild West Of Puerto Rico — Scuba Diving magazine · Dive publication · Tier 3: Corroborating · accessed 2026-09-25
  2. 2.Desecheo Island Diving: A Bucket-List Adventure with Aquatica PR — Aquatica Underwater Adventures (Aguadilla) · Dive operator · Tier 2: Specialist · accessed 2026-09-25
  3. 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

Facts are summarised in our own words from the sources above; we do not reproduce operators’ or publishers’ descriptions. How confidence is assigned.