|
Santa Catalina Slope/Left and Right Channel
 Old Providence Island, Colombia
|
Max Depth: 61-70ft/19-21m
Average Viz: 91-100ft/28-30m
Entry Type: Boat
Bottom Composition: Sand
Aquatic Life: Plenty To See
|
Winter: 81-85°F/27-29°C
|
|
|
|
Santa Catalina Slope/Left and Right Channel is a boat accessible salt water dive site, located in Old Providence Island, Colombia. The maximum depth is 61-70ft/19-21m. The average visibility is 91-100ft/28-30m.
Santa Catalina Slope
A buoy marks the site of the immersion, above a terrace at 40 ft depth with a dense coral cover but interwoven with sandy patches and a channel which reflects light and gives a beautiful blue hue to the water. You descend to a second terrace at 60 ft which plunges by a slope, with cliff walls in some parts, towards a deep, sandy terrace, visible while you look at the slopes. A peaceful risk free dive to familiarize yourself with the surroundings, without currents, protected from winds due to its proximity to St. Catalina, in splendid light, with all the richness of coral communities.
RIght Channel
The name alludes to he channel for ships and vessels coming in and out of Old Providence’s dock with a sand bottom at 70 ft depth and flanked by masses of coral. To the right, towards the exit’s path, there’s an elongated promontory with dense coral coverage in plates and heads; the upper part is at 40 ft depth and descends in a convex slope to 70 ft. The immersion, simple and secure, consists in a trip by the border between the sandy channel and the coral hill where one observes abundant sea life. It’s to familiarize yourself with diving in Old Providence and exploring coralline formations dominated by stony corals such as Montastrea and soft corals (especially Plexaura), with innumerable fish and different types of hidden invertebrates in the interstices of the reef complex structure.
Left Channel
Coralline platform, northwest of Saint Catalina Island, on the left side of the access channel for ships and vessels into the island, where a steep slope begins at 25 ft and ends on a sand bottom between 45 – 60 ft. This displays excellent coral cover and a lot of fish life, including active swimmers like creole wrasse (Clepticus parrae) and blue chromis (Chromis cyanea); you’ll also occasionally encounter snappers, groupers and marine eagles. This site is monitored every year through Reef Check methodology by the island’s certified divers. On the bottom boulder star and brain corals and boulder star predominate and, if you look closely, it is possible to appreciate the beautiful mushroom corals, (Scolymia). The immersion could take place in shallow water for beginners or deeper for the experienced divers.