Diving in Isla de La Plata

Diving in Isla de la Plata: General Details

Isla de La Plata has the largest coral reef on Ecuador’s coast. You can see giant oceanic manta rays and humpback whales from June to September, and the island is between an hour and an hour and a half from Puerto Lopez by boat.

• Highlights:

  1. Tres Rocas: A shallow wall that descends to 15 meters leads to the start of three large rock formations. They are home to giant moray eels, large schools of fish and passing mobula rays, and in high season there is a cleaning station for oceanic manta rays.
  2. El Pináculo: Three rocky pinnacles at depths of 6 to 18 meters. The current is usually moderate, and there is a lot of marine life around the pinnacles, including many turtles. It is described as one of the best places in the world to see manta rays from June to October.
  3. La Roca Honda: A pinnacle at a depth of 30 meters that works as an important cleaning station in the area, with very varied marine life.
  4. El Acuario: Described as the largest and best preserved coral reef on the Ecuadorian coast, with formations up to 3 meters high over more than a hectare. It is a good site if you like varied marine life and colors. More cleaning stations have appeared here than at other sites, and the area has a lot of marine life.

  Bonus Spectacle: Keep an eye out for breaching humpback whales on the way to Isla de La Plata between June and September.

• Duration: Full Day

• Price: $170 to $190 USD. Prices change, so check with the dive center.

• Agency/Guide: Mares Ecuador

• Included on the tour: Boat transportation, Diving equipment, National Park Fees, lunch on the boat, and an Experienced Divemaster.

For more information please consult the official Ecuador Tourism Board website.

Diving in Isla de la Plata: Technical Details

• Dive Type: Tres Rocas: Deep Dive or Open Water Dive (max 17 m), La Roca Honda: Deep Dive, El Pináculo: Current Dive, El Acuario: Shallow Dive (coral reef).
• Difficulty: Easy-Medium (Available also as an extra cost on an Open Water course).
• Start: Boat dive.
• Duration: Around 45 minutes.
• Nr. of dives: 2 dives.
• Full Tank: 3000 PSI / 200 Bar
• Currents: Tres Rocas (low-medium currents), La Roca Honda (sometimes strong currents), El Pináculo (strong currents).
• Max. Depth: Tres Rocas: 17-25m, La Roca Honda: max 30m, El Pináculo: 18m, El Acuario: 12m.
• Surface Interval: 1 hour (boat rest).
• Visibility: Jan-Jun: 10-25 meters (33-82 feet), Jun-Dec: 7-20 meters (23-75 feet)
• Water Temperature (ºC): Jan-Jun: 23-28, Jun-Dec: 20-25
• Air Temperature (ºC): Jan-Jun: 27-32, Jun-Dec: 21-27
• Water Temperature (ºF): Jan-Jun: 73-82, Jun-Dec: 68-77
• Air Temperature (ºF): Jan-Jun: 81-90, Jun-Dec: 70-81

Making the Most of Your Isla de La Plata Trip

These are listings from a booking partner of this site, not tours I took. Dive centers for Isla de La Plata are listed in the sections below.

Here are some tours to the island and Machalilla National Park:

Diving in Isla de la Plata: Curiosities

• Climate: The island’s climate is subtropical, with two distinct seasons, winter and summer. During winter, between December and May, the temperatures are warm, the sky is clear, and the sun shines brightly. In contrast, the summer season has constant cloud cover and cooler temperatures.
• Ocean Currents: Isla de La Plata experiences the influence of two major ocean currents. The Humboldt Current brings cool waters during the dry and foggy season from June to December. On the other hand, the “El Niño” current contributes warm waters to the Ecuadorian coast, leading to higher temperatures and increased rainfall from January to June
• Local Gem: Nicknamed the “Galápagos de los Pobres” or “Poor Man’s Galápagos”, Isla de La Plata covers roughly 6 km² inside Machalilla National Park. The nickname refers to the seabirds and other wildlife that you can also see in the Galápagos Islands.
• Trails: The island has five trails, leading to Punta Machete, Punta Escalera, Acantilados, Fragatas, and Patas Rojas. They pass the nesting grounds of seabirds such as blue-footed boobies and frigatebirds.
• Underwater: The Palo Santo and El Faro reefs allow surface diving and snorkeling, with tropical fish, sea turtles, sharks and manta rays.
• History: The island is called “Silver Island” (Isla de La Plata) after a legend about the treasure of Sir Francis Drake, and the name dates from 1579. Today it is a nature reserve with seabird colonies, notably the blue-footed booby.
• Drake’s treasure: Accounts differ on whether Drake hid any treasure on the island, and some historians doubt the legend.
• Another idea about the name: Some say the name comes from the white streaks of bird droppings on the rocks, which can look like silver.

How to dive in Isla de la Plata?

To dive in Isla de la Plata you need to get in touch with a diving school. My recommendation is Mares Ecuador, a PADI 5 Star dive resort in Puerto Lopez. I have dived with them twice at Isla de La Plata, in 2022 and 2023.

I am not sure whether you can arrange your dives through dive centers in other cities, but the boats seem to leave from Puerto Lopez. In Puerto Lopez, you can also look at other diving schools, such as Native Diving Center, Machalilla Tours, and Exploramar Diving.

What can i see while diving in Isla de la Plata?

Here’s a glimpse of what you can expect to see during your underwater exploration:

• Between June and September, the prime months, your chances of seeing Oceanic Manta Rays at all dive sites are higher. Above water, you also have a good chance of seeing breaching Humpback Whales.
• You can also expect a variety of fish species throughout the year. On my dives, we saw lobsters, pufferfish in various colors, a guitarfish, a smalleye giant stingray, flatfish, moray eels, devil scorpionfish, turtles, small stingrays, octopuses, and even a sea lion on the surface.

What should I bring to the dive in Isla de la Plata?

This is a general gear list with partner links. These are suggestions, not products I have tested.

Diving Computer:

• Garmin Descent Mk2i or Apple Watch Ultra 2

Diving Gear:

• Wetsuit
• BCD, Regulator, Octo, Pressure Gauge Pack
• Fins
• Diving Mask
• Diving Flashlight
• Snorkel Tube

Clothing & Accessories:

• Tshirt: Breathable Tshirt (Tech or Merino), or a Lycra
• Jacket: Waterproof Jacket
• Shorts: Swimming Clothes
• Shoes: Flip Flops
• Hat: Cap
• Sunglasses
• Dry-fast Towel
• Earth Pak Waterproof Dry Bag
• Change of Clothes

Useful Extras:

• GoPro/Camera
• First-Aid Kit, plus extra seasickness medication if needed
• Sunscreen 50 SPF
• Food / Snacks
• Thermos or Water-filtering Bottle

Check out my complete guide on What’s in My Backpack. It covers photography gear and clothing for hiking, mountaineering, scuba diving, rainforest, and city-street photography.

My experience while diving in Isla de la Plata

This marked my final escapade in the past year. Following a six-month expedition in Ecuador, I had intended to undertake it sooner, even considering a Divemaster pursuit in Puerto Lopez. However, circumstances allowed for just one exhilarating dive before my return to Portugal, in September.

Fast forward to last June, I embarked on my second dive at Isla de La Plata. Drawing from my previous encounter, it’s safe to assert that remarkable discoveries invariably await beneath these waters.

During last year, I was fortunate to witness numerous Giant Oceanic Manta Rays, catch a glimpse of a humpback whale in the distance, come across guitarfish, and even encounter a colossal small-eyed oceanic stingray.

This year, the Manta Rays eluded me, but instead, we were graced by the presence of humpback whales, one of which came surprisingly close, affording me the chance to capture it on camera. The underwater realm also revealed lobsters, a variety of vibrantly colored pufferfish, diverse species of moray eels, as well as an abundance of scorpionfish, lobsters, and pipefish.

View this post on InstagramA post shared by João Petersen (@the.portuguese.traveler)

The Diving Experience (2022)

For my dive trip to Isla de La Plata, I chose to go with Mares Ecuador Diving Center. The day prior to our dive, I visited the center to determine the sizes I needed for the fins, wetsuit, and BCD. Then, on the following morning, I arrived promptly at 7-8 a.m., and we went to the pier. We boarded the charming Mares red boat and embarked on our roughly one-hour boat ride to Isla de La Plata.

Our guide, Lucas, provided us with a thorough diving briefing and organized us into teams. Our first dive was scheduled for Tres Rocas, where we hoped to catch a glimpse of some Oceanic Manta Rays.

Our dive at Tres Rocas began with less-than-ideal visibility. However, the situation took an exciting turn as enormous shadows began to emerge and draw closer to us. Before long, we were treated to the incredible sight of at least five magnificent giant oceanic manta rays gracefully gliding around us. It felt like a stroke of luck, considering it was already towards the end of their season. Despite the suboptimal visibility, we had the privilege of enjoying a private show.

We positioned ourselves on the sandy ocean floor and patiently waited for the manta rays to circle us. It was a mesmerizing experience, accompanied by the distant sounds of humpback whales. As we ascended, we were greeted by a delightful sight – a charming green turtle surfacing alongside us.

Our second dive took us to El Acuario, where we were treated to a vibrant and diverse display of marine life. We encountered various species, including pufferfish, angelfish, guitarfish, two curious octopuses, a triggerfish, a lobster, a devil scorpionfish, a pipefish, different types of grouper, moray eels, and even a flatfish. To top off the dive, we had the extraordinary fortune of spotting a super rare small-eyed giant stingray.

These two dives were an absolute thrill and will surely be etched in our memories as unforgettable experiences!

After our underwater explorations, we enjoyed a leisurely lunch before returning to Puerto Lopez where we shared some photos and videos of this experience between us.

Actually, It was only upon reviewing the GoPro videos with the guys from my group that I realized we had captured the sounds of whales underwater. Incredible!

The Diving Experience (2023)

This year’s diving experience took place in June and was an entirely different adventure. Instead of encountering numerous manta rays, we had the incredible opportunity to get up close to humpback whales.

At El Acuario, we encountered all the species we had seen during our previous dive, and even more.

This time, I was accompanied by my girlfriend, Jhos, who was there to complete her open water certification. After her training, we ventured to Isla de La Plata on the second day of our trip. We were greeted by a diverse marine population, including numerous pufferfish, approximately five devil scorpionfish, triggerfish, a flutefish, several small-sized fish, a small stingray, and one of the highlights for me was spotting a zebra moray eel.

Additionally, I had the pleasure of seeing the colorful underwater miniature “Christmas trees” that I had previously seen in Thailand. Most importantly, this trip held a special significance as it marked Jhos’s first diving experience.

After the dives, we had our lunch and went back to Puerto Lopez where I took off my drone for an amazing cloudless sunset session.

Have you had the opportunity to dive in Isla de La Plata? If yes, I would love to hear about your experience. Please share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.

Thanks for reading through and I hope you have fun on this dive. I will drop more of my favorite shots underneath, enjoy!

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