El Aquario
Tayrona National Park · Colombia
El Aquario earns its name as Tayrona's natural fish tank: a sheltered bay ringed by granite boulders and coral heads where nurse sharks rest on sandy patches in 6 to 14 m of water within arm's reach of the shore. Spotted eagle rays sweep overhead in formation while dense schools of blue-striped grunt and French angelfish weave between pillar corals. The site's protection inside the national park means marine life here shows almost no fear of divers, producing some of the most intimate wildlife encounters on Colombia's Caribbean coast.
Conditions
Depth
4 to 14 m
Good for beginners
Current
Usually gentle
Can pick up on the edge
Visibility
12 to 22 m
Clearest in the calm season
Water
25 to 29°C
3mm wetsuit
Month by month
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Water (°C) | 25 | 25 | 25 | 26 | 26 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 25 |
| Vis (m) | 15 | 15 | 15 | 10 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 8 | 15 |
| Current | Gentle | Gentle | Gentle | Moderate | Moderate | Gentle | Gentle | Moderate | Moderate | Strong | Moderate | Gentle |
Your chances of seeing each animal
Gaige’S Rainbow Lizard
Last confirmed May 7, 2026 · 122 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Yellow-Headed Caracara
Last confirmed May 15, 2026 · 55 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Magdalena River Tegu
Last confirmed Jun 20, 2026 · 43 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Rufous-Tailed Jacamar
Last confirmed Jun 20, 2026 · 55 records
Almost always
Nearly every dive
Common Basilisk
Last confirmed May 16, 2026 · 39 records
Very likely
Most dives
French Angelfish
Last confirmed Apr 26, 2026 · 12 records
Very likely
Most dives
Nurse Shark
Last confirmed Apr 12, 2026 · 1 records
Likely
About 6 in 10 dives
Spotted Eagle Ray
Expected
Known here, not yet in recent logs
Gear