Gorgona Island · Colombia · Pinnacle · Reef
La Montañita
Open-sea rock heads with hammerheads, whitetips and barracuda
Area photo: LentedeBerilo · CC BY-SA 4.0
La Montañita is a group of rocks on the south-western side of Gorgona, in open sea, split into the Montañita 1 and Montañita 2 dive points. The rock heads sit at 4.5 or 7.5 m depending on the tide, and the dive drops to about 35 m in strong currents, with barracuda, whitetip sharks and small hammerhead schools.
Also known as Las Montañitas, La Montañita 2, La Montañita 1.
Where it is and how deep
2.9675° N, 78.1803° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The dive is on the south-western side of Gorgona, in open sea, which makes the two Montañita points more difficult than the sheltered sites. Coming from Gorgonilla towards Gorgona, Montañita 2 is met first: a large rock with stepped valleys and a ledge. Montañita 1 starts at 5 m and Montañita 2 at 8 m.
The heads of the rocks lie at 4.5 or 7.5 m (15 or 25 ft) depending on the tide, and the dive can go down to 30 or 35 m. Currents are strong. Barracuda, whitetip reef sharks, jacks, groupers, morays and rays are common, with small schools of hammerheads and diverse coral colonies.
Marine life and season
- Barracuda
- Reef sharks
- Trevally & jacks
- Groupers
- Hammerheads
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Gorgona Island: Jul–Oct is humpback season and the main reason to visit; Feb–Apr generally brings the clearest water in a very wet climate.
Know before you go
- Currents are strong at both Montañita 1 and Montañita 2 in open water.
Dive videos
Gorgona - La Montañita octubre 2008 · Subacuaticas on YouTube
Montañita II - Isla Gorgona - Tiburones, Pargos, Jureles, Chivos · Jorge Alberto Ramirez Zuluaga on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Does the tide change the dive at La Montañita?+
The rock heads lie at 4.5 or 7.5 m depending on the tide, and the rocks can be dived down to 30 or 35 m. Currents are strong at both points.
Sources
- La Montañita 1 y 2: buceo fascinante en Gorgona — Agenda del Mar
- Gorgona island diving packages — Pura Colombia
More dive sites in Gorgona Island
Reef
Calm waters and varied marine life at Gorgona
Reef
Hammerhead and reef sharks between 10 and 30 m
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