Puerto Rico Dive Sites

Ponce & South Coast · Ponce

Derrumbadero

Also known as: Derrumbadero Reef · Derumbadero

Depth
49–66 ft (15–20 m)
Access
Boat dive
Type
Spur & groove / canyons
Confidence
Moderate confidence

Overview

Derrumbadero is a submerged shelf-edge promontory southeast of Ponce Bay, reached by boat. Its reef top sits at about 49 feet, with spurs roughly 16 feet high bearing coral mounds, ledges and overhangs; boulder star coral dominates, and monitoring has been done at about 66 feet. The south and west margins drop down the insular slope, so watch your depth. A 1998 guide described a range of 50 to 140 feet.[1][2][3][4]

Site characteristics

  • Spur & groove / canyons[1]

Habitat & marine life

  • spurs ~5 m high with coral mounds, ledges and overhangs; boulder star coral dominant[1]
  • Spur & Groove (Outer-Shelf) at station 'Derrumbadero'[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.

Depth reports by source

ReportedSourceStatus
49–66 ft (15–20 m)García-Sais JR et al. (Reef Surveys) for DRNA/NOAA[1]Current source
50–140 ft (15–43 m)Colleen Ryan & Brian Savage / Complete Dive Guide Publications[4]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 “Derumbadero” · 50–140 ft (15–43 m) · 1998[4]

  • boat
  • large area of old coral formations; 3–4 major formations

Sources & verification

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

  1. 1.Monitoring of Coral Reef Communities at Isla Desecheo, Rincón, Mayagüez Bay, Guánica, Ponce and Isla Caja de Muertos, Puerto Rico, 2005 (Final Report) — García-Sais JR et al. (Reef Surveys) for DRNA/NOAA (2005-12) · Government dataset · Tier 1: Primary / authoritative · accessed 2026-09-25
  2. 2.Puerto Rico Long-Term Coral Reef Monitoring Program Database Compilation (DwC-A v1.9, GBIF dataset b3b7d5c4-f73a-475b-a203-c6a1ddd040cd, DOI 10.15468/heuugg) — DRNA Puerto Rico / NOAA CRCP (published via OBIS-USA IPT) (2022-02-13) · Government dataset · Tier 1: Primary / authoritative · accessed 2026-09-25
  3. 3.El paraíso submarino de Puerto Rico — NotiCel (2015-07-31) · Other · Tier 3: Corroborating · accessed 2026-09-25
  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.Monitoring of Coral Reef Communities from Natural Reserves in Puerto Rico: 2012-13 (Final Report, NOAA grant NA07NOS4260055) — García-Sais JR et al. for DRNA/NOAA (2014-06) · 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.