Dive-site story
San Rafaelito is a prominent rock islet marked by a working navigation lighthouse, positioned in the channel between Pichilingue Bay and Isla Espiritu Santo. Below the surface, scattered boulders give way to sandy slopes populated by garden eels and stingrays. A resident colony of California sea lions uses the rocky outcrop for resting, making playful underwater passes around divers exploring the reef perimeter.
Interactions with resident California sea lions circling the shallow rocky shelf
Expansive garden eel colonies swaying in the surrounding sand flats
Sheltered rocky reef habitat with morays, juvenile reef fish, and soft corals
Location
Use the map to plan with your operator and confirm the exact entry point on the day.
Seasonality
Late summer and autumn deliver the warmest water and clearest visibility, along with energetic sea lion pups born earlier in the summer.
Marine life
| Species | Likelihood | J | F | M | A | M | J | J | A | S | O | N | D |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California Sea LionZalophus californianus | Common | ||||||||||||
| Cortez Garden EelTaenioconger digueti | Common | ||||||||||||
| Panamic Green MorayGymnothorax castaneus | Common | ||||||||||||
| Cortez DamselfishStegastes rectifraenum | Common | ||||||||||||
| Round StingrayUrobatis halleri | Common |
Marine forecast
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