Gulf of Chiriquí · Panama · Seamount · Pinnacle
La Bruja
A volcanic seamount that shows at low tide and drops to 35 m
Area photo: Mónica Mora · CC BY-SA 2.0
La Bruja is a volcanic seamount off the east side of Isla Cavada in the Islas Secas, five miles and about fifteen minutes from the resort dock. The top of it shows at low tide and the rock steps down through several levels to a deep point of 35 m. The operator that dives it restricts the site to advanced divers and rates it one of the most productive in the archipelago.
Where it is and how deep
7.9667° N, 82.0333° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The site is a seamount rather than an island fringe, and at low tide the top of it breaks the surface, which gives the boat something to line up on after the five-mile run from the dock. Below that the rock falls away in stages — several distinct levels of volcanic rock, each one worth working along before dropping to the next — with the shallow end at 5 m and the deepest point at 35 m.
What you see depends on which level you are on. The scree at the northern end of the rock is where the jewel eels sit; the rock and sand hold stingrays, green morays, scorpion fish and guitar fish, and octopus work the volcanic rock. Off the structure and up in the water column there are barracuda, bigeye jacks and pompano, with whitetip reef sharks of all sizes on the rock and eagle rays and mobulas passing through.
The stepped profile is what puts this dive in the advanced bracket: it is easy to overrun a plan working down through the levels to 35 m, and the operator restricts the site accordingly. Humpback whales are reported here too. No visibility or water temperature figures are published for the site itself, so the Gulf of Chiriquí ranges are the best guide you have.
Marine life and season
- Reef sharks
- Stingrays
- Eagle rays
- Mobula rays
- Barracuda
- Trevally & jacks
- Octopus & cuttlefish
- Whales
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Fair | Good |
Season follows Gulf of Chiriquí: Dec–Apr is the dry season with the calmest crossings; Sep–Oct is rainier but overlaps the southern humpback migration.
Dive videos
Fihsnet cleaning at la Bruja, Panama with #kroyayadiving · KRO YAYA DIVING on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is La Bruja?+
The seamount runs from 5 m at the top — it shows above the surface at low tide — down to a deep point of 35 m, across several levels of volcanic rock.
What certification do I need for La Bruja?+
The operator dives it with advanced divers only. With a 35 m deep point and a stepped profile that invites you to keep descending, that restriction is a sensible one.
Sources
- Diving in Panama - Islas Secas — Islas Secas Resort
More dive sites in Gulf of Chiriquí
Pinnacle
An 18–35 m rock in open sand, rated expert to technical
Pinnacle
A pinnacle divers descend on a weighted line, current permitting
Reef
Boulders and sand under a frigate bird colony
Garden corals on the outer rocks of Tres Marías
Similar dives elsewhere
Three pinnacles at 17 m over a mountain falling past 300 m
Utila's blue-water seamount, with whale sharks passing over
Current-swept seamount with hammerhead schools in Jan and Feb
A shoal topping out at 10 m with a 30 m drop and hard backlight