Dive· Portobelo· Other Caribbean
Salmedina Reef (Bajo de la Salmedina)
9° 33.8′ N · 79° 41.7′ W
A reef shoal just west of Drake's Island on the approach to Portobelo, listed by Panama's tourism board as one of the recommended Portobelo dive points ('Sal Medina').
Practical
Position is the OpenStreetMap reef outline 'Bajo de la Salmedina' (natural=reef, way 671169231). Published sources name it as a dive point but give no depths or site details, so let the dive centre brief you; sites are confirmed on the morning of the dive according to weather, visibility and current (tourism board). As a 'bajo' (shoal) it is also a navigation hazard on the western approach to Portobelo: give it a wide berth when entering or leaving under sail and use your chart, especially in the northerly swell of the Christmas winds. Being exposed to the open sea, expect it to be dived only in calmer conditions (a 2011 diver noted that only sheltered sites were dived in rough months).
Best for
A reef dive off the Portobelo approach in settled weather
Season
Calmer months; Aug–Sep usually best
Nearby
- Drake's Island Dive Site (Isla de Draque, Portobelo)0.6 NM away
- Isla Buenaventura Dive Sites (Portobelo)1.6 NM away
- Portobelo Anchorage & Forts1.6 NM away
- Portobelo Dive Centres & Airplane Wreck Dive1.8 NM away
- Casa Congo Restaurant & Dinghy Dock (Portobelo)2.3 NM away
- Casa Vela Bar, Restaurant & Sail Loft (Portobelo)2.3 NM away
- Portobelo Fortifications (UNESCO World Heritage)2.4 NM away
- Captain Jack's Bar & Grill (Portobelo)2.5 NM away
Place data includes © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).