Barranco

Barranco (El Barranco) is an underwater cliff face located on the south-east side of Academy Bay, approximately 15–20 minutes by boat from Puerto Ayora. The site drops as a wall to a maximum depth of 18 m and is rated suitable for beginner divers, making it a common training ground for those completing or recently finishing an Open Water course, while still offering enough to interest more experienced divers.

The cliff face supports a variety of marine life, with sea turtles, large schools of Salema (small striped fish), rays, black-tip sharks, and white-tip sharks regularly encountered along the wall, along with various reef fishes. A small cavern is accessible at the site and commonly shelters lobster inside.

Conditions at Barranco are generally calm, with no significant current recorded, making it well suited to newer divers. There is no entry or exit detail beyond the boat approach, and the site carries a cavern as its primary hazard — divers should be aware of the overhead environment before entering.