La Moneda
Gorgona Island · Colombia
La Moneda is a coin-shaped boulder formation encrusted with coral and sponges, forming a sheltered reef system where reef sharks and large moray eels are the resident predators. Whitetip reef sharks rest in numbers under ledges and in crevices throughout the day, making this site one of the most reliable locations in Gorgona for close encounters with sharks at rest. The intricate reef architecture also shelters enormous green moray eels, hawksbill turtles, and dense aggregations of grunt and snapper that fill every cavity.
Conditions
Depth
8 to 30 m
Open water and up
Current
Can be moderate
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
15 to 28 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
22 to 28°C
5mm wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 24 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 23 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 24 |
| Vis (m) | 10 | 10 | 12 | 12 | 10 | 12 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 12 | 10 |
| Current | Gentle | Gentle | Still | Still | Gentle | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Moderate | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Western Basilisk
Last confirmed Mar 14, 2026 · 17 records
Very likely
Most dives
Whitetip Reef Shark
Last confirmed Jul 14, 2025 · 2 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Green Moray Eel
Last confirmed Jul 15, 2025 · 3 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Painted Ghost Crab
Last confirmed Aug 23, 2025 · 5 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Ecuadorian Hermit Crab
Last confirmed Aug 23, 2025 · 6 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Hawksbill Sea Turtle
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Central American Boa
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Blue Anole
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Gear