Pata 'e Palo
Also known as: Pata Palo
Dive siteFrom Puerto Rico Dive Sites, the sourced field guide
Pata 'e Palo
| Region | West Coast |
|---|---|
| Municipality | Mayagüez |
| Access | Boat dive |
| Site type | Not established |
| Depth (reported range) | Unknown |
| Protected area | Arrecifes de Tourmaline Natural Reserve |
| Location | Pinned on location: a DRNA mooring buoy at the site.Location evidence: Official GIS[2] |
| Confidence | Verified |
| Last researched | 2026-10-17 |
Overview
Pata 'e Palo is a boat-dive site off Mayagüez that a local operator lists among its frequently visited sites, without a published depth or description. DRNA lists a named mooring buoy here, and NOAA habitat mapping (1999 imagery) shows coral reef and colonized pavement with sand channels on the shelf. It lies inside Arrecifes de Tourmaline Natural Reserve, which NOAA lists as having no-take zones and restricted commercial fishing; check current DRNA rules.[1][2][3][4]
Habitat & marine life
- coral reef / colonized pavement with sand channels on the bank/shelf[3]
Marine life is what sources report having seen or commonly seeing — not a guarantee.
Access
- Boat dive[1]
Recent diver reports
Dived here recently? Share a quick report
First-hand reports from divers, reviewed before they appear. Conditions change daily; a report describes one day.
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. Water safety guide.
Protected area
Arrecifes de Tourmaline Natural Reserve (Reserva Natural Arrecifes de Tourmaline)
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 "Zoned w/No Take Areas"; fishing: commercial fishing restricted. Anchoring: unrestricted.[4]
Regulations change. Check with DRNA (Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales) before diving.
See also
Straight-line distance only — not travel time, and not necessarily reached from the same departure point.
- Tourmaline Reef — 0.9 mi
- El Negro — 1.2 mi
- Isla de Ratones (Cabo Rojo) — 5.6 mi
- Playa Buyé — 8.7 mi
- Playa El Combate — 13 mi
- Tres Palmas (Steps) — 13 mi
Sources & verification
Last researched: 2026-10-17 · Last independently verified: not yet field-verified · Confidence: Verified
- 1.Puntos de Buceo / Dive Sites — The Dive Shop Puerto Rico (Mayagüez) (2011) · Dive operator · Tier 2: Specialist · accessed 2026-09-25
- 2.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 2026-10-17
- 3.Benthic Habitat Maps of Puerto Rico Prepared by Visual Interpretation from Remote Sensing Imagery Collected by NOAA, 1999 (Kendall et al. 2001) — NOAA NOS NCCOS (CCMA Biogeography) (2001-12-01) · 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.