Black Turtle Cove
Dive site
A sheltered mangrove inlet on the north coast of Santa Cruz where Pacific green sea turtles aggregate to mate. The water is calm and shallow enough to snorkel, but divers on the sandy channels beneath the mangrove roots encounter juvenile sharks, rays, and turtles resting on the bottom in extraordinary numbers. Entry is by panga only; no anchoring is permitted.
Conditions
Depth
2 to 10 m
Good for beginners
Current
Variable
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
6 to 14 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
18 to 27°C
7mm wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 22 | 22 | 23 | 23 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 18 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 |
| Vis (m) | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 |
| Current | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm | calm |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Pacific green sea turtle
Photo: MARC MARTIN SOLA · CC BY-NC
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
White-tipped reef shark
Photo: Craig Fujii · CC BY-NC-ND
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Diamond stingray
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Golden cownose ray
Photo: Jay Clue · © all rights reserved
Rare
Now and then
Field journal
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