Nekton's exciting Mona Island itinerary includes high energy diving around Mona Island which also includes Desecheo and Monita Islands. The diving around Mona Island is very rewarding but we recommend the intinerary for divers who are not brand new to the sport, and are confident and established with their diving skills.

These remote tropical islands 50 miles off the west coast of Puerto Rico are half way between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico and mark the boundary between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

The underwater world of these unique islands is closer in feel to eastern Pacific diving except the water is much warmer (usually 80ºF degrees or better) and you will see hard and soft corals, as well as incredible number of sponges, sea fans, sea whips, etc. presented in a way very different from typical Caribbean dive sites.

A number of the Mona Island mooring sites are near the island's shear cliffs and wave swept boulders calved from the cliffs. Because of the waves, currents and proximity to hard vertical surfaces these sites are not recommended for beginning divers. However, divers on these remote sites are rewarded with an awesome underwater topography, abundant sea life including sea turtles, sharks and fish life of every description. Humpback whale sightings are also possible as they make their way south for mating and calving on the Silver Banks..

While the itinerary varies from week to week due to diving and weather conditions, the outline below will give you a good feel for the exciting week of diving in store for you! This is a true diving adventure!

Saturday Your week begins by arriving in Mayaguez or at the modern San Juan International Airport which is serviced by several airlines with regular jet service. Since Puerto Rico and the Mona Islands are commonwealth territory of the United States, typical immigration and customs hassles are non-existent for US citizens. If you choose to fly to San Juan, there are several transfer options for the 2.5 hour ride to the west coast port of Mayaguez. One may rent a car, arrange for a private transfer, or ride in a shared van with other Nekton guests for $35 one way (please note that the shared shuttle may require a wait as other Nekton guests arrive.) Taxis are available from the Port of Mayaguez to the quaint shops and cafes of old Mayaguez. Boarding of the Nekton Rorqual is at 6:00 pm with a welcome aboard briefing and dinner at 7:00 pm. Later that night the vessel gets underway for the first destination of Isla Desecheo.

Sunday Isla Desecheo is a tall mountain-like island with steeply rising slopes and a low-lying shoreline including a couple of beautiful protected coves great for kayaking. The lee side or western shore diving includes shallow patch reefs with profiles to 10 feet. This will be your first introduction to the prolific basket sponges of this unique area. Everywhere you look, you will see basket sponges of all sizes in both individual stands and mass colonies. Your first morning dives will typically be on the choppier north side, weather permitting, at a very dramatic site called Hobbit House. Here you will enjoy many swim-throughs under island-born boulders morphed by centuries of reef building. The end result is an enchanting odyssey not soon forgotten. The morning will pass all too quickly as even two dives will not seem like enough to fully explore this area. The afternoon will usually see the vessel move to the Eastern sites with easy, shallow day and night dives as well as kayaking, and snorkeling.

Monday: The morning is usually spent on a deep mini-wall with the mooring on top at 80 feet and the mini-wall dropping to below 130'. Enjoy a majestic 45 degree face of hard and soft corals teeming with life. Finish up the day on OMC reef. Start conserving your dive energy for tonight the Nekton Rorqual gets underway for high energy diving on Mona Island and Isla Monito.

Tuesday Your day starts with a first look at Mona Island diving on the southwest side of the island. Here is your first introduction to the numerous turtles of the area including the endangered Hawksbill and Leatherback. Be sure to look for tags under their front flippers as the four island rangers, the Department of Natural Resources and the Puerto Rican Universities do a great job of researching the local populations. The afternoon brings the Nekton Rorqual to that "One Particular Harbor" with both great shallow diving and an opportunity to visit onshore and enjoy hikes on Mona Island, home to more than a hundred endangered species. Red-footed boobies, four-foot Mona Iguanas, beautiful vistas and the world's largest marine-originated cave system await the land-bound hikers. Park rangers are happy to answer questions and lead tours.

Wednesday The Nekton Rorqual repositions to the northeast side of Mona Island for a day of cliff diving - Isla Mona style! Enjoy expansive underwater caves, fallen boulders as big as a house, and intense fish populations. Feel the reverberation of the Atlantic swells unloading their energy on the cliffs above. Diving on this day is a little more advanced in that one prefers to swim to and from the wall in the calmer waters below the wave zone and avoid getting caught up in the washing machine working on full spin above.

Thursday Enjoy a morning drift dive off Isla Monita for some colorful and dramatic cliff diving. Isla Monita, the smallest and most vertical of the islands, is so steep and deep that mooring or anchoring is not possible. The crew of the Nekton Rorqual will provide well-organized and guided drift dives along these spectacular walls. There is the possibility of seeing just about anything here where the Atlantic meets the Caribbean Sea.

Friday Morning dive at "The Isthmus" (80') and afternoon dives at Boqueron Reef (50'-65') along the southwest coast of Puerto Rico. A beautiful sandy beach lined with palm trees and a quaint town have made Boqueron a favorite for locals and cruising yachtsmen alike. The bay is shallow, protected and accommodates scores of sailboats. Enjoy an evening ashore where you'll find many inexpensive restaurants and bars and a couple of more "civilized" options. This is a great spot to unwind from a week at sea. Enjoy some music and a "cheeseburger in paradise" or John's recommendation, "lobster sauce pasta" at Galloways.

Saturday Disembarkation begins at 8:00am. Catch the shuttle back to San Juan to enjoy the sights of this historic city or to catch a flight home. (Remember the 24 hour waiting period between repetitive diving & flying.)