Slip beneath the surface of one of the Pacific's most protected marine reserves and swim alongside hundreds of Juan Fernández fur seals — a species saved from near-extinction and found nowhere else on Earth. This is bucket-list wildlife immersion at its most raw and intimate.
What to expect
You launch by zodiac from Cumberland Bay and motor to the sea-lion colony rocks, where fur seals barrel past you in crystal-clear 18°C water. Underwater visibility regularly exceeds 20 metres, revealing black coral fans, endemic fish, and — if fortune smiles — a passing bottlenose dolphin. Your bilingual marine-biologist guide points out species found in no other ocean on the planet. Surface time between dives is spent floating in silence, surrounded by volcanic cliff faces draped in endemic ferns.
Good to know
Book directly by email at least 4 weeks ahead — the centre limits daily diver numbers to protect the reserve. Wetsuits provided; bring a towel and UV rashguard. All-aboard times on Day 2 are typically late afternoon, giving comfortable time for a morning dive and lunch ashore.