Dive-site story
Situated off the shores of Isla de la Plata within Machalilla National Park, Roca Honda offers an underwater landscape of massive submerged boulders, rocky shelves, and black coral patches. Oceanic manta rays regularly visit the localized cleaning stations here to have parasites picked clean by reef fish. The Pacific swell and Humboldt-influenced currents bring in schooling pelagics alongside macro critters hiding among the crevices.
Cleaning stations frequented by oceanic manta rays during the dry season
Submerged boulder formations home to octopuses, moray eels, and resting whitetip reef sharks
Schools of jacks and barracudas passing in the blue
Location
Use the map to plan with your operator and confirm the exact entry point on the day.
Seasonality
These cooler months coincide with both the peak manta ray aggregation and the annual humpback whale migration along the coast.
Marine life
| Species | Likelihood | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Giant Oceanic Manta RayMobula birostris | Seasonal | ||||||||||||
| Whitetip Reef SharkTriaenodon obesus | Common | ||||||||||||
| Green Sea TurtleChelonia mydas | Common | ||||||||||||
| King AngelfishHolacanthus passer | Common | ||||||||||||
| Panamic Green MorayGymnothorax castaneus | Common |
Marine forecast
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