Lagunilla Bay Sea Lion Colony
Dive site
A sheltered cove within the Paracas National Reserve where a permanent sea lion colony hauls out on a rock shelf just above the waterline. Below the surface, juveniles play endlessly — spinning, exhaling bubble clouds, and making mock charges at divers. The sandy bottom at 10 to 15 metres is dotted with resting adults, and the surrounding rocky walls are encrusted with Peruvian invertebrates typical of Humboldt upwelling ecosystems.
Conditions
Depth
5 to 18 m
Good for beginners
Current
Usually gentle
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
5 to 12 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
12 to 21°C
7mm wetsuit or drysuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 16 | 16 | 17 | 16 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| Vis (m) | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Current | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | calm | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | calm | calm | Gentle |
Your chances of seeing each animal
South American sea lion
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Peruvian pencil urchin
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Peruvian grunt
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Longnose hawkfish
Photo: Mark Rosenstein · CC BY-NC
Sometimes
About 1 in 3 dives
Field journal
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