Puerto Rico Dive Sites

Guánica & La Parguera · Lajas

Chimney

Also known as: Chimney Reef

Depth
40–70 ft (12–21 m)
Access
Boat dive
Type
Reef
Confidence
Verified

Heads up: Overhead environment. See safety notes

Overview

Chimney is a boat-dive reef off La Parguera in Lajas with large holes through its rocky substrate, at depths of about 40 to 70 feet. A small wall drops to about 55 feet and then 70 feet, and divers ascend through a hole back to around 55 feet; this swim-through is an overhead environment. Ocean triggerfish, French angelfish and creole wrasse are reported. The site lies within the La Parguera Natural Reserve; check current DRNA rules.[1][2][3]

Site characteristics

Habitat & marine life

  • ocean triggerfish, French angelfish, creole wrasse[1]

Marine life is what sources report having seen or commonly seeing — not a guarantee.

Safety considerations

  • Overhead environment — swim-through hole[2]

Ocean conditions change daily. Dive within your training, plan with current local information and consider a local professional guide. Full safety note.

Protected area

  • La Parguera Natural Reserve (Reserva Natural La Parguera)

    Natural Reserve · Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources · Site position falls inside the official boundary[3]

    NOAA's MPA Inventory classifies this area's protection level as "Uniform Multiple Use"; fishing: no site restrictions. Anchoring: restricted.[3]

Regulations change. Check with DRNA (Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales) before diving.

Depth reports by source

ReportedSourceStatus
40–70 ft (12–21 m)Paradise Scuba & Snorkeling Center[1]Current source
55–70 ft (17–21 m)Parguera Boat Trips (Lajas)[2]Current source
50–80 ft (15–24 m)Colleen Ryan & Brian Savage / Complete Dive Guide Publications[4]Historical (1998)

Historical record

What a historical source reported at the time. Not verified as current — access, moorings, reef condition and names may have changed.

Listed as “Chimney” · 50–80 ft (15–24 m) · 1998[4]

  • boat
  • swim-through 'fireplace' beneath a chimney-like stack

Sources & verification

Last researched: 2026-10-04 · Last independently verified: not yet field-verified · Confidence: Verified

  1. 1.Dive Sites In La Parguera — Paradise Scuba & Snorkeling Center · Dive operator · Tier 2: Specialist · accessed 2026-09-25
  2. 2.Dive Sites | Parguera Boat Trips — Parguera Boat Trips (Lajas) · Dive operator · Tier 2: Specialist · accessed 2026-09-25
  3. 3.NOAA Marine Protected Areas Inventory 2024 (feature service NOAA_MPA_Inventory_2023), State = PR — NOAA NOS Office of National Marine Sanctuaries - MPA Center (2024) · Government dataset · Tier 1: Primary / authoritative · accessed 2026-09-25
  4. 4.The Complete Diving Guide: The Caribbean, Volume 3 (Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, British Virgin Islands) — Colleen Ryan & Brian Savage / Complete Dive Guide Publications (1998) · Historical guide · Tier 3: Corroborating · historical
  5. 5.Noreste Mooring Buoys3_WFL1 (layer pr_mooringbuoys2) - Boyas de Amarre — Departamento de Recursos Naturales y Ambientales (DRNA); published on ArcGIS Online by a DRNA Northeast Ecological Corridor reserve management officer (2021-06-10) · Government dataset · Tier 1: Primary / authoritative · accessed 2026-09-25

Facts are summarised in our own words from the sources above; we do not reproduce operators’ or publishers’ descriptions. How confidence is assigned.