Diving in Bayahibe

As we all know diving is a very personalized experience. Each diver is likely to enjoy a slightly different element of a dive and will often rate dives differently. Luckily while in Bayahibe I had the opportunity to go on many dives with a variety of elements from caverns, to reefs and shipwrecks. I enjoyed all of them but do find more joy in exploring the reefs and seeing all the animals that live amongst them. Most (if not all) of the dives done in Bayahibe are boat dives within 10-30 minutes of the harbor. In addition to the boat dives there are a few options for cavern dives that are also a great experience. 

Isla Catalina Wall 7/10

One of the first dives I did was The Wall. This was an 18m dive off the coast of Isla Catalina. This is a vertical reef that houses a variety of fish or corals. This dave was a unique experience as it allows you to explore the reef while also having the feeling of the open ocean. Although this was a cool experience, I did feel like there were better dives in the area that I would recommend.

The Aquarium, Isla Catalina 7/10

On the same day as The Wall, I went for my second dive to The Aquarium at 12m. This is also on the coast of Isla Catalina. This was a nice dive with a combination of sand and reefs. There were quite a few species to see in this area and it was a good dive to go on. Once again, I do feel like there are better dives in the area that I would recommend but if you are hoping to do a day trip to Isla Catalina, this dive would be part of the trip and worth seeing. 

Atlantic Princess 8/10

This was a dive included on my trip to Isla Soana. This dive is 18m or shallower and is great for snorkelers as well due to the shallow location. This was my first wreck dive and was full of marine life to enjoy as well as experience the wreck itself. I would highly recommend this dive if you are newer to diving and would like to see a wreck on your trip. If you are an Advanced Diver there is a larger wreck that I will recommend below. 

Tortuga 9/10

The second dive on my trip to Isla Soana. This dive is known for being the locationto see turtles and is a great reef as well. On this dive I did see 2 turtles, many species of fish and smaller species of stingrays. There are also soft and hard corals on this reef. This reef was only 12m so it was great for newer divers but also for the snorkelers that were with us. As the turtles frequently surface, you can get the experience underwater or above. 

St. George 10/10

The St. George is a deeper and larger wreck that I would highly recommend. For this dive you will go anywhere for 33-40m  to experience a majority for the wreck. T

here are lots of passageways that you can go through without having more advanced training which was a good experience.There are sponges, corals, and many schools of fish to see as well as moray eels and a giant Puffer Fish that has taken up residence here. If you are able to, I would highly recommend adding this wreck to your itinerary.

Guaraguao 1 9/10

This is another reef off the coast of Bayahibe that includes sponges, corals, and lots of marine animals as well. There are also the remnants of past ships here including a cannon, cannon balls and some old gun racks. This dive was about 16m on the deeper end and 12m on the shallower end. This was a great dive to experience a combination of manmade and natural elements and I would highly recommend it if you have time to include this in your trip. This trip can be grouped with the St. George as they are close together.

Cueva Padre 9/10

My final dive on this trip, and the last dive in my Advanced Water diving course was Cueva Padre. This is a cave dive or cavern dive depending on your training in the National park. For this dive, you will load up the equipment in the truck and drive about 20 minutes until you find the mouth of the cave. You will then go to a maximum of 10 m if you are doing the cavern dive. This dive is a bit colder than the ocean but is a great way to explore the stalagmites and stalactites of the cave. I personally will not be pursuing a cave diving course as it was not my cup of tea but I think it is something every diver should experience once. 

All in all my diving experience in Bayahibe was amazing. The instructors and crew on each trip were amazing and I feel confident moving forward with my diving career and cannot wait to dive in other parts of the world. 

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