Dive· Isla de Venados· Mexico
Venados–Lobos Cove Dive Site
23° 13.7′ N · 106° 27.7′ W · approximate
The small bay where the south end of Isla de Venados nearly meets Isla de Lobos. It's the classic shallow Mazatlán island dive, with rocky reef, nudibranchs, puffers, stingrays and longnose skates.
Practical
Boat dive from the Golden Zone operators or the El Cid docks. Divers report about 30 ft maximum, a thermocline near 30 ft (about 80°F above and 70°F below), and visibility of 5–20 ft that can drop to near zero once the wind blows. Plan for 10 am or earlier. A 3–5 mm wetsuit is adequate. A 2015 reviewer found the reef 'dull' and the visibility poor, so don't expect Caribbean conditions. Calm days with flat seas give the best results. The cove is open to the SE and the gap to Lobos is shallow and rocky, so don't take a keelboat through it. Coordinate is derived from the OpenStreetMap outlines of the two islands and the sand spit between them (ways 39988901, 245854506 and 1480962353), in the cove's mouth on the east side, and is not surveyed.
Best for
Easy shallow reef dive close to the marinas
Season
Best on calm mornings, Nov–May
Nearby
- Isla de Lobos (Mazatlán)0.2 NM away
- Isla de Venados Snorkel0.3 NM away
- Deer Island Beach (Isla de Venados)0.4 NM away
- Eagle's Head (Isla de Lobos) Dive Site0.5 NM away
- Isla de Venados Day Anchorage0.5 NM away
- North End Isla de Venados Dive Site0.7 NM away
- Aqua Sport Center (Mazatlán Dive Operator)1 NM away
- Joe's Oyster Bar (Mazatlán)1 NM away