Snorkeling Desecheo: A Forbidden Island off Rincón, Puerto Rico
The towering surf surges through the 12-mile pass between Rincón, Puerto Rico and an uninhabited island. Our dive boat rides the top of the waves time and time again, reaching the summit of the Indigo Hills with ease. We plan to dive off the coast of Desecheo Island, a National Wildlife Refuge that was once home to smugglers and pirates but is now home to a group of brown boobies, three species of lizard found nowhere else. place in the world and a healthy population of introduced species. rhesus monkeys.
Unfortunately, the island itself is off limits. During World War II, the United States used it as a firing range, and unexploded ordnance now poses a security threat to visitors.
As we close the gap, Desecheo emerges from the notoriously shifting tides and strong currents of the Mona Passage. When his rough shoulders suddenly come into view, we drop anchor at forty feet. I watch the shoreline where the white water funnels through the jagged rocks and crashes against the land. There is something tantalizing about the mystery of a secluded place. I want to investigate the wild hills. Don’t get me wrong, I’m excited to explore the bay, but even as I put on my gear and take a giant step off the dive platform, I’m focused on the small beach that’s just a short swim away.
The water closes over my head and for a moment I am suspended at fisheye level, suspended between heaven and earth in a world free of gravity. Visibility is over 80 feet and this is an overcast day. Queen triggerfish float near the boat, perhaps hoping to share our sandwiches. They wiggle their thin ends like little girls tossing their hair. After cleaning my snorkel, I dive facedown into the water, watch a tropical fish dance, and allow the warmth of the sun to seep into my body like Puerto Rican rum. Pink and blue parrotfish tango on the sand and striped sergeant major cha-cha on limestone ledges. A pair of butterfly fish jump in a cascading spiral to greet me.
That’s when I notice a barracuda staring at me. Barracuda tend to swim close to the surface and if you are too focused on the distant sea floor, you are likely to miss their menacing presence. Mr. Flashy Teeth is beyond arm’s reach. We stare at each other for a long moment and then it wags its tail and disappears into the blue.
I allow myself to drift towards the beach. Submerged rocks rise below me and the swell breaks over them, reducing visibility to a bubbly two or three feet. Even if it was safe to set foot on the island, reaching it would be treacherous. I was hoping to at least get close, but not today.
Resigned, I kicked against the current and returned to the safety of deeper water. Our guide is calling everyone back to the boat anyway. Maybe one day I’ll set foot on Desecheo Island. In the meantime, I must admit that the snorkeling off the coast is impressive. And I’m glad that in my longing to explore the reaches of something unattainable, I didn’t miss out on the wild encounter at hand.
Information please
CONVENIENCE
A passport is not required for US citizens.
Puerto Rico uses US dollars.
English is widely spoken, although Spanish is the traditional local language.
Puerto Rico phone numbers can be dialed without an international code from US phones.
Cell phone coverage in the US is pretty good, especially along the coast. We didn’t need to do anything extra to use our cell phone and since we have a nationwide plan, we weren’t even roaming!
GET THERE
Fly into the (BQN) Rafael Hernández Airport in Aguadilla, on the western side of Puerto Rico.
Desecheo is 13 miles offshore from Rincón, a small surf town on the western tip of the island, 20 minutes from the airport.
Taino Divers is the only officially licensed dive shop in the waters around Desecheo. You can snorkel, dive, or try a dive discovery class and dive with an instructor.
WHERE TO STAY
Rincón offers everything from luxurious resorts to budget hotels and private homes that you can rent.
WHERE TO EAT
You’ll find everything from a Spanish-style tapas bar to the famous Lazy Parrot Rum Shack, where there’s reggae night every Wednesday. We enjoyed having lunch and watching the surfers at Tamboo Seaside Grill
THINGS TO DO
Visit an art gallery.
Check out Rincón’s 8 miles of beaches, most of which are famous for surfing, especially in the winter months.
Take surf lessons.
Learn to navigate.
Go deep sea fishing. Marlin, sailfish, swordfish, tuna, dorado, wahoo and shark all wait to tangle with you in the blue waters off the Caribbean coast of Rincón.