Mona Island Diving
Mona is an island 2-4 hours away from Puerto Rico main island. It belongs to the National Park Service. You rent a boat to take you over, you do a few boat dives but instead of returning at the end the boat drops you at the island, you take your camping equipment and spend the night. Next day you dive a few more times and then head back.
To make the trip even more enjoyable a chef comes with us fixing the menu we have preplanned.
We have never tried it and need to sort the cost out, we have heard $200 and is limited to 6 divers but there are quite a few of us that want to experience it so we should own the whole boat.
Mona is a 13,500-acre island about 45 miles off the west coast of Puerto Rico. Clear, blue waters allow visibility for divers as far as 150 feet. Brightly colored coral reefs, relatively unharmed by human contact, provide habitat for sea life, and dolphins and humpback whales frequent the area during winter. The island has no inhabitants other than a handful of researchers and a sporadically staffed Department of Natural Resources office. Among 700 animal species that live on the island is the 4-foot-long Mona iguana, a reptile found nowhere else.
A permit is required from the Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales (DNRA) at 787-999-2200 or visit its office in San Juan for a camping permit application. Only 100 visitors are allowed on the island per day, and camping is limited to three nights with a regular permit.
Prepare for your camping trip to Playa de Pájaros or Playa Sardinera campground. Mona Island has no potable water, so all drinking water must be carried in. The Sardinera campground has cold showers and flush toilets and is adjacent to the boat docks. Pajaros, with no facilities, is a short hike away.
Take your skill level into consideration. According to "Scuba Diving" magazine, rough seas with high swells are common on the western side of Puerto Rico, so diving from a boat can be challenging. The trip across the water traverses a deep ocean trench, making the ride occasionally rough. Experienced divers prefer the area around the seawall that surrounds the island, but the water is deep and currents are strong.
If you have any desire to join us please get involved since there are only 6 seats which means you can't join after the reservation because all of them will be taken.