Reefwander
Palm trees line a white sand beach beside turquoise water on Isla Bolaños in the Gulf of Chiriquí.

Gulf of Chiriquí · Panama · Reef · Coral garden

Roosterfish Point

Garden corals on the outer rocks of Tres Marías

Area photo: Mónica Mora · CC BY-SA 2.0

Roosterfish Point is the top edge of the first rock of Tres Marías, northwest of the Islas Secas and 7.2 km from the resort dock (4.5 miles). High rock broken by a wide field of scree runs from 6 m down to 25 m, ending on a deep north side. The operator rates it advanced to expert, though the entry point is shallow enough for try-dives.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Roosterfish Point: typical dive 6–25 m (20–82 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit6 m25 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 40 m (130 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

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 run out is 7.2 km northwest (4.5 miles) to the first of the Tres Marías rocks, and you drop in on the top edge of it. The relief is high rock broken by a wide area of scree, so the ground under you changes character as you move rather than staying one continuous reef, and the shallow end of the profile sits at 6 m.

The route runs along the rocks from west to east. Garden corals grow across this stretch, and whitetip reef sharks, butterfly fish, surgeonfish and other reef fish work the structure while octopus and lobsters shelter among the rocks. Out on the sandy bottom off the rock, eagle rays are the ones to watch for.

The dive finishes on the deep north side, where the profile reaches 25 m and barracuda and roosterfish hold off the rock. The operator rates the site advanced to expert, but also runs Discover Scuba Diving at the entry point, so the shallow top of the rock is treated as a very different proposition from the deep end.

Marine life and season

  • Reef sharks
  • Eagle rays
  • Barracuda
  • Octopus & cuttlefish
  • Macro critters
Month-by-month season rating for Roosterfish Point
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
GoodGoodPrimePrimeGoodFairGoodGoodPrimePrimeFairGood

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.

Sources

  1. 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

18–35 madvanced

Seamount

A volcanic seamount that shows at low tide and drops to 35 m

5–35 madvanced

Pinnacle

A pinnacle divers descend on a weighted line, current permitting

6–24 mintermediate

Boulders and sand under a frigate bird colony

6–22 mintermediate

Similar dives elsewhere

Reef

Iglesia

Coiba · Panama

Calm 22 m reef with frogfish, sea snakes and passing mantas

to 22 mintermediate

Reef

Beacon Point

Similan Islands · Thailand

Longest reef in the Similans, over 300 coral species

10–25 mintermediate

Reef

Flynn Reef

Great Barrier Reef · Australia

Moorings from an 8 m coral garden to a 30 m wall

5–30 mintermediate

Reef

Koh Bida Nai

Phi Phi & the King Cruiser · Thailand

Swim-throughs behind walls of glassfish, and no current

10–25 mbeginner