Monito are the last landfall before the Dominican Republic. Proximity to blue water invites gamefish and pelagics like dolphins, marlins and even humpback whales, which make the annual commute through the area from January to March. Mona boasts more than 270 species of fish, including 60 reef species. A reef skirts Desecheo, punctuated by pinnacles, tunnels and steep drop-offs to the north and gently sloping coral gardens to the south. Angels, coneys and butterflyfish orbit Desecheo's shallow reefs, while jacks, dolphins and sharks wander in from the cold depths.
Corals here are exceptionally healthy.
Yellow Reef off Desecheo's north side is one of Puerto Rico's most dramatic sites. On the south side of the island at Sponge Valley, tube sponges sprouting like candelabras and telephone booth-sized barrel sponges further warp your perception of size. Mona and Monito's sheer cliffs above water continue their downward slope below, at wall sites like Carabinero Rock and Playa del Sardinero, near the larger island's dock. Conditions - Rough seas aren't surprising, given the fact that the Mona Passage is the largest current gap between the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean. Long boat rides pay off with the best visibility in Puerto Rico, hands-down.