El Pelado
Conditions & tides
Scored by DiveConnect's site-physics model
Marine forecast via Copernicus Marine. Score is a rule-based guide from swell/wind vs. the site's exposure — always dive your own assessment.
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About this site
El Pelado is a reef dive site located off the mainland coast of Ecuador, known for its vivid coral formations and varied marine life that make it a popular spot for underwater photographers.
The best diving on Ecuador's mainland, which includes El Pelado, falls during the wet season from November to April, when warmer waters and calmer seas make conditions suitable for all diver levels.
Marine life here
Confirmed by our research team, reported by independent divers, or observed nearby via iNaturalist — each entry is labelled with its source.
Pyramid Sea StarPharia pyramidataReported here · unconfirmed
slate pencil urchinEucidaris thouarsiiReported here · unconfirmed
Blue Sea StarPhataria unifascialisReported here · unconfirmed- Muricea plantagineaReported here · unconfirmed
Muricea purpureaReported here · unconfirmed
brown gorgonianMuricea fruticosaReported here · unconfirmed
Durable tips from divers — access, hazards, marine life, facilities. For day-of conditions, use the report tool in the conditions card above.
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