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Sunset on a beach in Providencia

Diving the Bajo de San Felipe, Providencia

The Bajo de San Felipe lies off Lazy Hill, in the San Felipe area, and is a shallow coral garden that a divers’ site profile describes as one of the easiest and most enjoyable dives in Providencia. It is often mentioned alongside Nose, a patch reef on the western side of the Old Providence and Santa Catalina marine protected area.

Depth: 11 to 12 m maximum

Get the details
Depth -- m 12 m 11 to 12 m maximum
Island
Providencia
Level
Beginner
Type of dive
Small drop-off and coral garden
Ideal for
Beginners, courses and macro

Site profile

Open Water limit · 18 m Advanced limit · 30 m

What the dive at the Bajo de San Felipe is like

A small drop-off leads to a coral shoal: a shallow coral garden of the kind Scuba Diving listed in 2010 among the island’s attractions. The maximum depth is around 11 to 12 m, and Nose stays a little under 11 m. It’s a calm dive, good for building confidence or doing a course.

What you’ll see

Lobsters often, lots of small fish and, every now and then, large snapper and groupers, according to a divers’ site profile. In 2016 another diver noted good-sized brain corals, a chain moray, a longsnout butterflyfish, a queen angelfish and several species of hamlet.

At Nose, star corals (Montastraea), mustard corals and brain corals dominate. It’s a good place to go slowly and practise macro photography.

Level, depth and conditions

It’s suitable for beginners and for courses. With average visibility of 25 to 27 m, according to that profile, the coral garden really shines. As everywhere in the archipelago, visibility drops with swell or after rain, and from January to May there are usually more days of calm sea.

Being shallow, it could also work for snorkelling when visibility is good, although that depends on the day and the state of the sea.

The Bajo de San Felipe on your trip

The rules of the Old Providence McBean Lagoon Park are a good guide for any dive on the island: don’t touch, remove or break coral, don’t buy shell or coral crafts and don’t leave rubbish. On Siete Azules trips each day’s sites are chosen according to the sea, the current and the group’s level; an easy shoal like this works well as a first dive, although we can’t guarantee it.

What you’ll see

  • Caribbean spiny lobster
  • Queen angelfish
  • Lobsters
  • Large snapper and groupers, at times
  • Chain moray
  • Longsnout butterflyfish
  • Queen angelfish
  • Several species of hamlet
  • Brain, star and mustard corals

AI-generated image, for illustration

More dive sites

Green hills and blue sea in Providencia Felipe’s Place A coral platform that ends in a wall, with a natural tunnel and a submerged statue of Christ at about 24 m that PADI describes as damaged.
Beach with palm trees and a swing in Providencia Tete’s Place A shallow reef of about 9 m that diving magazines describe as one of the fishiest sites in Providencia, with pillar coral and octocorals.
The Lovers’ Bridge between Providencia and Santa Catalina Manta’s City Patch reefs on sand at about 12 m, with stingrays, cushion sea stars and plenty of macro.
Sunset on a beach in Providencia Turtle Rock A large rock separated from the wall by a deep crevice, with black coral.
Green hills and blue sea in Providencia The Spiral A tunnel that spirals down between about 24 and 35 m and a network of passages that ends among coral pillars.
Beach with palm trees and a swing in Providencia Confusion A wall with a ledge jutting out over the blue and encounters with reef sharks.
The Lovers’ Bridge between Providencia and Santa Catalina El Planchón An upturned, almost intact hull covered in coral at the entrance to the harbour area.
Green hills and blue sea in Providencia Chromis Reef sharks over a forest of sea fans, near Manta’s City.
Colourful fish in the clear water at West View, San Andrés Blue Wall (La Pared Azul) The most famous dive in San Andrés: a wall on the east side of the island that starts a few metres down and disappears into the blue.
Wreck lying on the seabed off San Andrés Nirvana A simple reef full of life on the west coast, at around 14 m.
Turquoise water and coral on the west coast of San Andrés, the sea of seven colours Trampa Tortuga (Trampa de Tortugas) An east-coast reef known for very clear water.
Blue water by the rocks at West View, San Andrés La Pirámide (The Pyramids) A very shallow reef, around 4 m deep, at the northern tip of the island.
El Acuario, shallow crystal-clear water off San Andrés West View y la estatua de Poseidón A natural pool on the west coast with a statue of Poseidon at around 8 to 9 m.
Platform with diving helmets for underwater walks at West View Blue Diamond (naufragio) A cargo ship sunk off the west coast, now an artificial reef.
The stranded ship at Rocky Cay, San Andrés Bajo Bonito A reef with sandy patches at around 15 m, the kind that invites you to slow down.
Johnny Cay seen from the sea Reggae Nest A reef on the west side, down to around 20 m, with coral described as being in very good condition.
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Frequently asked questions

Is the Bajo de San Felipe good for beginners?

Yes. With a maximum depth of 11 to 12 m and few complications, a divers’ site profile considers it excellent for beginners.

What is Nose?

A patch reef on the western side of the Old Providence and Santa Catalina marine protected area, which some profiles group with the Bajo de San Felipe. It doesn’t reach 11 m and has lots of star, mustard and brain coral.

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