Marker 19: 2 Dives

Marker 19 (also called San Cristobal) was actually the 19th marker on the shipping channel between Isla Colon and Isla San Cristobal. It is only a twenty-minute boat ride from BDC, and the marker itself is surrounded by fallen girders and a frame that houses anemones, shrimp, and a school of serjeant majors. The reef is circular and filled with snapper, several varieties of crab and an overabundance of invertebrates. Diverse lettuce, fire and other corals bloom in large clusters. During the rainy season in Bocas, this is a good place to dive because the waters are clear. This is the BDC Divemasters favourite spot to bring new divers! Twenty minutes from base, this site lies between Isla Colon and Isla San Cristobal, centred around marker #19 on the deep shipping channel. The sea floor crests towards the surface here, creating a circular reef with schools of snapper, many kinds of crab and other invertebrates living among large heads of lettuce coral ranging from 9 to 20m. Be mindful of the plentiful fire coral here, and try to safety-stop at the buoy its frame and the many fallen girders close by are home to anemones, shrimp, and a large school of sergeant majors. The water here is the last to cloud up during rainy season in Bocas, making it a viable option for most of the year.