La Caleta Underwater National Park
Located offshore from Boca Chica, you will find La Caleta Underwater National Park. This is a protected marine environment and a great dive site area.
Explore Santo Domingo
Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic offers a unique diving experience that combines rich history with natural beauty. Known for its protected bay and La Caleta National Underwater Park, it features dive sites suitable for all skill levels. The park is home to spectacular shipwrecks like the Hickory and Limon, alongside vibrant coral reefs teeming with marine life. Adventurous divers can explore an intriguing system of freshwater caves nearby, offering a thrilling experience for advanced and technical divers.
With calm currents and shallow, easy dives, Santo Domingo is perfect for beginners. However, those seeking more challenge can venture further south to areas with stronger currents ideal for drift dives. The variety of marine life is a major draw, with sightings of French angelfish, green moray eels, turtles, and even sharks and manatees. Most diving is done by speedboat, but there are also opportunities for shore diving, with liveaboards offering trips to the island’s top sites. Dive centers cater to all budgets, and the proximity to a major international airport makes Santo Domingo an accessible and exciting dive destination.
Top Regions to Explore
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Dive Activity
Diving in Santo Domingo
La Caleta National Park is a popular diving area, where wreck diving, cave diving and exceptional reef diving can be enjoyed by beginners and seasoned underwater explorers alike.
Advanced and tec divers will appreciate the natural caves and tunnels, like Tanía and Roca Cueva caves, as well as the many historical wrecks, including El Limon and El Hickory.
Deep diving is also possible, especially at some of Santo Domingo’s most famous sites, such as the wreck of the Capitán Alsina and Don Quico.
Top Wildlife Sightings in Santo Domingo
Photogenic flora and fauna all in varying rainbow hues are in abundance. Hard and soft corals, like sponges, gorgonians and many more decorate the reefs and wrecks. 35 species of coral and 12 types or gorgonians can be found in and around Santo Domingo, so there’s no lack of variation and color.
Plus, beautiful tropical fish swarm the reefs, from parrotfish and angelfish, to anemonefish and porcupine fish. In addition to barracuda, crabs, stingrays, eagle rays and moray eels, divers can even spot reef sharks and green sea turtles. If you’re lucky, you might encounter a manatee. Larger creatures to encounter include swordfish, bonitos, dorados and marlins.
Wildlife Sightings are Based on User Generated Content
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 200
Alamy-WaterFrame
Moray Eel
91 Sightings
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9
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5
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10
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4
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4
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8
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9
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1
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11
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9
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15
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6
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 27
iStock-Global_Pics
Barracuda
53 Sightings
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11
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5
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11
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4
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0
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6
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4
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0
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2
O
3
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0
D
7
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 12
iStock/cinoby
Lionfish
291 Sightings
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35
F
37
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31
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13
M
5
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27
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19
A
8
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16
O
17
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49
D
34
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 90
Shutterstock-Rich Carey
Angelfish
115 Sightings
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3
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19
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23
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1
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0
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21
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20
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0
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12
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7
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8
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1
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 100
iStock-burnsboxco
Parrotfish
99 Sightings
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6
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6
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16
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8
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0
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17
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12
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5
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11
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9
N
6
D
3
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 85
iStock-mirecca
Surgeonfish
86 Sightings
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4
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13
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7
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1
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0
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18
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18
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4
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11
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6
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3
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1
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 80
iStock/Extreme-Photographer
Stingrays
82 Sightings
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2
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7
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1
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5
M
3
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7
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8
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6
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4
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11
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13
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15
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 130
Shutterstock_Krzysztof Odziomek
Butterfly Fish
70 Sightings
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5
F
8
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11
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0
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0
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18
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16
A
0
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8
O
1
N
3
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0
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 130
AdobeStock-JirinaVFR
Pufferfish
70 Sightings
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3
F
3
M
6
A
1
M
2
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14
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16
A
1
S
7
O
9
N
4
D
4
The image shown is a representative illustration and does not depict every individual animal in this category.
Total number of species approx.: 250
Shutterstock-Henry_and_Laura_Whittaker
Grouper/Basslets
63 Sightings
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5
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7
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13
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0
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0
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16
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1
A
0
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9
O
3
N
7
D
2
The best Months to dive in Santo Domingo
The tropical Caribbean climate allows for excellent year-round diving, with water temperatures fluctuating between 24°C–28°C/75°F–82°F.
December to May is the dry season in Santo Domingo, promising ideal weather for diving and the calmest seas. What's more, from December to March, you might hear the songs of humpback whales while underwater. Book your trip early if you plan to stay during this time, as it's the tourist high season.
June to November is the rainy season, although showers normally last for a short period. Diving is still superb, with plentiful fish action and warmer summer ocean temperatures during this time. Be aware that this is also the Caribbean's hurricane season.
