Pucusana is a bay 50 km south of Lima whose dive sites lie a short boat ride from the pier. El Chuncho, the most famous dive site in Lima, hides a kelp forest; El Venado follows a wall into deeper water; and La Lobera puts divers in the water with sea lions. Most dives sit between 8 m and 25 m in water of 15 °C to 20 °C, and the kelp and sea lions are the reason to make the drive down from the city.
About diving in Pucusana
Diving here is by boat from the Pucusana pier, and a fun-dive outing is two guided boat dives. The rides are short: El Chuncho sits 5 minutes out of the harbour, La Lobera 10 minutes from the pier, and El Venado about 10 minutes beyond El Chuncho. Boats from Santa María reach El Chuncho in 20 minutes. El Chuncho lies in a bay protected enough that conditions there are almost always good, while the sea hits La Lobera directly, so divers there enter quickly and descend straight from the boat.
The signature habitat is kelp. At El Chuncho the forest grows in water averaging 10 m and shelters many species of fish, crabs and anemones, and the site combines it with a sand bottom and a rocky reef. El Venado adds a wall to the menu, and La Lobera is the northwest face of Galápagos Island, the island off Pucusana, on the side where sea lions and schools of fish live.
The bay suits divers based in Lima who want kelp and sea lions inside a day trip, and it suits new divers too: most of the region's divers learn at El Chuncho, which works for beginners and experienced divers alike. La Lobera is the step up and asks for an Advanced level, and the Advanced course here takes divers to 30 m. With water of 15 °C to 20 °C, dives are made in a 7 mm wetsuit, so the bay suits divers at ease in cool water.
Best time to dive Pucusana
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good | Good |
January to March has the mildest sea of the year, and December to February is the sunny Lima summer; from April the sea turns cool.
Dive types & marine life
Many sea lions and schools of fish live at La Lobera at different times of the year, and the sea lions off Lima are curious and interact with divers.
- Kelp forest
- Wall
- Seals & sea lions
Best dive sites in Pucusana
- 1
El Chuncho
The most famous site in Lima and its main training ground, from 8 m to 18 m.
- 2
El Venado
A bay with a rocky and a sandy bottom, and a wall from 8 m down to 25 m.
- 3
La Lobera
Sea lion colony on the island, shared with schools of fish; Advanced level only.
Site guides
Kelp forest
A kelp forest where most Lima divers make their first dives
Wall
A wall dropping from the bay's edge to a rock and sand floor
How to get to Pucusana
Flights land at Jorge Chávez International Airport (LIM) in Callao, northwest of central Lima. Pucusana lies 50 km south of the city, about an hour by car. The dive centres sit on the Pucusana waterfront, and one also has shops in Miraflores, Lima.
Photos from Pucusana
MINISTERIO DE LA PRODUCCIÓN - PRODUCE · Public domain
Dive videos
Buceo en Pucusana: Así se ve el fondo marino limeño | #VideosEC · EL COMERCIO on YouTube
Diving in Kelp forest of Pucusana, Peru · Mundo Azul International on YouTube
Questions divers ask
What certification is needed to dive Pucusana?+
El Chuncho, where most divers in the Lima region learn, suits beginners. La Lobera, the sea lion site, requires an Advanced level because the sea hits it directly and the descent from the boat has to be quick.
How do divers get to Pucusana from Lima?+
Pucusana is 50 km south of Lima, about an hour by car. Boats leave from the Pucusana pier, and El Chuncho is 5 minutes out of the harbour.
Where can divers see sea lions at Pucusana?+
At La Lobera, on the northwest face of Galápagos Island, 10 minutes from the pier. Sea lions and schools of fish live there at different times of the year, and the site requires an Advanced level.
When is the best time to dive Pucusana?+
January to March, when the sea feels mild. From April the sea feels cool, and the temperature varies between 15 °C and 20 °C by season, so dives are made in a 7 mm wetsuit.
Sources
- Naylamp Diving — Naylamp Diving
- Pacific Divers (Wayback) — Pacific Divers
- El Venado — Scubago / SSI
- El Chuncho — Scubago / SSI
- La Lobera — Scubago / SSI
- El Chuncho - Pucusana — PADI
- Pucusana average sea temperature — SeaTemperature.org
- Lima travel guide — Wikivoyage
Photo credits
- Painted wooden fishing boats crowd the Pucusana waterfront, with people on the pier and a brown rocky hill behind by MINISTERIO DE LA PRODUCCIÓN - PRODUCE, Public domain, via Openverse
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