Coral Gardens
Cartagena / Rosario Islands · Colombia
Coral Gardens is the signature reef of the Rosario Islands Marine National Park, a sprawling shallow-to-mid-depth system where dense elkhorn and star coral formations shelter an extraordinary density of Caribbean reef fish. French angelfish and queen angelfish patrol the coral heads while schools of blue tang sweep the plateaus. Nurse sharks rest in sandy channels beneath overhanging coral, and spotted eagle rays cruise the outer slope on incoming tide. The park's protected status has allowed coral cover to recover measurably compared to the wider Colombian Caribbean.
Conditions
Depth
5 to 25 m
Open water and up
Current
Usually still
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
8 to 15 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
26 to 30°C
3mm wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 26 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 28 | 27 | 26 |
| Vis (m) | 15 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 12 | 15 |
| Current | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Still | Gentle | Gentle |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Blue Tang
Last confirmed Apr 22, 2026 · 13 records
Very likely
Most dives
Stoplight Parrotfish
Last confirmed May 3, 2025 · 12 records
Very likely
Most dives
French Angelfish
Last confirmed Jan 25, 2025 · 4 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Queen Angelfish
Last confirmed Nov 6, 2025 · 1 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Nurse Shark
Last confirmed Apr 23, 2026 · 1 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Atlantic Spiny Lobster
Last confirmed Oct 26, 2025 · 3 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Elkhorn Coral
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Star Coral
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Gear