Loreto Bay National Park · Mexico · Pinnacle
Piedra Blanca
Three pinnacles with horn sharks among black coral bushes at the base
Piedra Blanca is a set of three pinnacles near the shore of Isla del Carmen, dived from 5 m (15 ft) down to 24 m (80 ft). The deepest pinnacle holds schools of jacks and amberjacks with moray eels and nudibranchs, and the deep slope at its base carries black coral bushes and the chance of several horn sharks.
Where it is and how deep
25.8873° N, 111.2214° WApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.
The dive
The dive covers a set of three pinnacles near the shore, with the shallowest rock at around 5 m (15 ft). The deeper of the three is home to a plethora of life: schools of jacks and amberjacks circle it while moray eels and nudibranchs hide in the rock.
Below the deepest pinnacle a slope drops to about 24 m (80 ft). The slope carries a good number of black coral bushes, and this is where divers have the chance of finding several horn sharks. The dive then turns back up the pinnacles, where the reef life grows thicker and more colourful towards the top, finishing on the shallow rock at around 5 m (15 ft) before the ascent.
Marine life and season
- Trevally & jacks
- Nudibranchs
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair |
Season follows Loreto Bay National Park: Mobula schools peak May to August, and summer brings the warmest, clearest water; winter north winds can keep boats in harbour.
Questions divers ask
How deep is Piedra Blanca in Loreto?+
The pinnacles are dived from 5 m (15 ft) down to 24 m (80 ft) on the deep slope at the base of the deepest pinnacle.
Can divers see horn sharks at Piedra Blanca?+
The deep slope at the base of the deepest pinnacle has black coral bushes and the chance of finding several horn sharks.
Sources
- Loreto Bay National Park — Blue Nation Baja
- Loreto Bay National Park (Blue Nation Baja, archived, with island map pins) — Blue Nation Baja
More dive sites in Loreto Bay National Park
Seamount
A remote seamount flooded with creole fish near Isla Montserrat
A WWII minesweeper sunk for divers, with easy penetrations
Seamount
Hundreds of king angelfish among huge boulders on a deep seamount
Reef
An offshore reef with schools of surgeonfish and guitar rays
Sea lions from the local colony and black coral caverns at 30 m
Wall
Sheer drop-offs with yellow polyp black coral and schooling jacks
Similar dives elsewhere
A rock pinnacle circled in one easy lap, out to 20 m.
Granite pinnacle at 12 m (40 ft) with a vertical wall on its offshore face
Playful resident sea lions around a pinnacle at the tip of the peninsula
A large field of jagged pinnacle tops at around 6 m