La Capilla Arch
Dive site
La Capilla — The Chapel — is a cathedral-like sea arch carved into basalt cliffs on Robinson Crusoe Island's northwestern shore, where filtered light penetrates the arch throat and illuminates walls dense with the orange and white encrusting sponges that characterise Juan Fernández Island's cold deep-water communities. The arch runs approximately 15 metres at its deepest point and opens into a sunlit bowl on its far side, creating a natural circuit that divers can complete in a single dive. Juan Fernández fur seals use the arch as a resting spot and play structure, and it is common to share the passage with five to fifteen individuals simultaneously resting on ledges or ghosting through the water column above.
Conditions
Depth
6 to 25 m
Open water and up
Current
Can be moderate
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
15 to 30 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
16 to 22°C
7mm wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 20 | 20 | 20 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 16 | 16 | 17 | 17 | 18 | 19 |
| Vis (m) | 20 | 20 | 20 | 20 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 20 | 20 | 20 |
| Current | calm | calm | calm | Gentle | Gentle | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Gentle | Gentle | calm | calm |
Field journal
No sightings recorded here yet.
Upload the first sightingDived here recently?
Your sighting helps us track reef health at this site in real time.
Submit a sightingPlanning to dive La Capilla Arch?
Your underwater photos help scientists track reef health here in real time.
What to photograph: fish and marine life, coral (especially anything pale or unusual), anything unexpected.
How to capture it: shoot JPEG, keep location on, note your depth and the date.
Dived La Capilla Arch recently?
Your photos help track reef health.
Up to 10 photos · JPEG or PNG · max 20 MB each
📷
Drag photos here, or tap to select
GPS in your photo will auto-detect the dive site
Gear