El Mario

Also known as: Mario

Depth: 15–15 ft (5–5 m)
Access: Access not established
Type: Artificial reef
Confidence: Verified

El Mario is listed by NOAA as an artificial reef built of cement, sand and gravel, with a recorded water depth of about 15 feet. DRNA surveys classify the bottom at its mooring buoys as coral reef and colonized hard bottom, and those buoys are designated for diving. It lies within La Parguera Natural Reserve; check current DRNA rules.^[1]^[2]^[3]^[4]

Site characteristics

Artificial reef^[1]

Habitat & marine life

coral reef / colonized hard bottom^[2]
Arrecife de coral/fondo colonizado (DRNA 2005 classification)^[2]

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

Safety considerations

No site-specific hazards are recorded in our sources. That does not mean there are none.

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

Protected area

La Parguera Natural Reserve (Reserva Natural La Parguera)
Natural Reserve · Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources · Site position falls inside the official boundary^[4]
NOAA's MPA Inventory classifies this area's protection level as "Uniform Multiple Use"; fishing: no site restrictions. Anchoring: restricted.^[4]

Regulations change. Check with DRNA (Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales) before diving.

Depth reports by source

Reported	Source	Status
15–15 ft (5–5 m)	NOAA Office for Coastal Management (compiled from state/territory agency sources)^[1]	Current source

Depth (reported range): 15–15 ft (5–5 m)Single source (current tier 1–2)
Access: Access not established
Site type: Artificial reef
Location: Approximate area shown on the map (within about 1 km).Location evidence: Official GIS · mooring buoy^[2]We show general areas only, not exact positions. Ask a local dive operator for the exact spot and current conditions. Not for navigation.
Protected area: La Parguera Natural Reserve

…

Nearby dive sites

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

Enrique1.0 mi
Turrumote2.7 mi
Black Wall4.9 mi
Hole in the Wall4.9 mi
Chimney5.0 mi
Efra's Wall7.4 mi

Current ocean conditionsBuoy readings, NWS marine forecast, alerts and tides for the Guánica & La Parguera area.Suggest a correctionChanged access, wrong position, another name, a hazard? Submissions are reviewed before any change.

Sources & verification

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

1.Artificial Reefs (OceanReports/ArtificialReefs MapServer; Marine Cadastre national artificial reef locations) — NOAA Office for Coastal Management (compiled from state/territory agency sources) · Government dataset · Tier 1: Primary / authoritative · accessed 2026-09-25
2.Estudio de boyas de amarre localizadas en las Reservas Naturales de Guanica, Parguera y Caja de Muertos - Inventario, evaluacion ambiental y recomendaciones (main report, file E1) — Vicente & Associates, Inc. for DRNA (Coral Reef Initiative NA06NOS4190108, task CRI-13) (2008-05-07) · Government · Tier 1: Primary / authoritative · accessed 2026-09-25
3.Noreste Mooring Buoys3_WFL1 (layer pr_mooringbuoys2) - Boyas de Amarre — Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales (DRNA); published on ArcGIS Online by a DRNA Northeast Ecological Corridor reserve management officer (2021-06-10) · Government dataset · Tier 1: Primary / authoritative · accessed 2026-09-25
4.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

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

Overview