Manta / La Plata Island
Ecuador · Eastern Pacific
Ecuador's Pacific gateway for giant oceanic manta rays, seasonal hammerhead aggregations, and whale watching, centred on La Plata Island — the 'poor man's Galapagos' — with year-round warm upwelling waters.
How this reef is doing
ⓘ How we measure thisReef state
Live science signals for this reef are still being gathered.
Coral cover
Fish life
Heat
Fishing
Open to fishing, and the water is busy.
Sources · Global Fishing Watch and reef gravity
What you will see
30 species across the dive sites here
Cortez Rainbow Wrasse
Seen 24 days ago
at La Plata North Wall
Least concern
King Angelfish
Seen 24 days ago
at La Plata North Wall
Least concern
Green Sea Turtle
Seen 25 days ago
at La Plata North Wall
Least concern
Humpback Whale
Seen 25 days ago
at Los Ahorcados
Least concern
Manta Ray
Seen 11 months ago
at La Plata South Pinnacle
Endangered
Oceanic Manta Ray
Seen 11 months ago
at La Plata North Wall
Endangered
Pacific Creole Fish
Seen Apr 2024
at Bajo Copé
Almaco Jack
Seen year round
at Bajo Copé
Least concern
Black Coral
Seen year round
at La Plata North Wall
Creole Fish
Seen year round
at Los Ahorcados
Creole Wrasse
Seen year round
at La Plata South Pinnacle
Least concern
Encrusting Sponge
Seen year round
at Los Ahorcados
Encrusting Sponges
Seen year round
at La Plata North Wall
Giant Grouper
Seen year round
at Bajo Copé
Moorish Idol
Seen year round
at La Plata South Pinnacle
Least concern
Orange Cup Coral
Seen year round
at Los Ahorcados
Reef Shark
Seen year round
at Los Ahorcados
Sea Fan
Seen year round
at La Plata South Pinnacle
Silky Shark
Seen year round
at Bajo Copé
Vulnerable
Surgeonfish
Seen year round
at Los Ahorcados
Yellowfin Tuna
Seen year round
at Bajo Copé
Least concern
Yellowtail Surgeonfish
Seen year round
at La Plata South Pinnacle
Least concern
Bigeye Tuna
Seasonal visitor
at Bajo Copé
Vulnerable
Galapagos Sea Lion
Seasonal visitor
at La Plata North Wall
Endangered
Galapagos Shark
Seasonal visitor
at La Plata South Pinnacle
Least concern
Hammerhead Shark
Seasonal visitor
at Bajo Copé
Critically endangered
Scalloped Hammerhead Shark
Seasonal visitor
at La Plata North Wall
Critically endangered
Spotted Eagle Ray
Seasonal visitor
at La Plata South Pinnacle
Endangered
Wahoo
Seasonal visitor
at Bajo Copé
Least concern
Whale Shark
Seasonal visitor
at La Plata North Wall
Endangered
Dive sites
La Plata North Wall
oceanic manta ray · whale shark · green sea turtle · galapagos sea lion
La Plata South Pinnacle
scalloped hammerhead shark · spotted eagle ray · moorish idol · creole wrasse
Bajo Copé
oceanic manta ray · silky shark · yellowfin tuna · pacific creole fish
Los Ahorcados
humpback whale · creole fish · surgeonfish · black coral