Dive sites in Chile

SMS Dresden was a German light cruiser that played a significant role in World War I's naval campaign in the South Pacific. After the Battle of the Falkland Islands in December 1914, the Dresden evaded British pursuit for months before being cornered in Cumberland Bay at Robinson Crusoe Island in March 1915. Rather than surrender, the German crew scuttled the ship. The wreck now lies at various depths in Cumberland Bay.

Robinson Crusoe Island lies approximately 670 kilometres off the Chilean coast in the Juan Fernandez Archipelago. Access is by small aircraft from Santiago, with flights taking about two hours. The island has a tiny settlement of around 900 people at San Juan Bautista. Dive infrastructure is limited, and advance arrangements are essential. The remoteness is precisely what has preserved its extraordinary endemic marine life.

The Juan Fernandez Archipelago has one of the highest rates of marine endemism on the planet, with over 90 percent of some species groups found nowhere else. The Juan Fernandez fur seal was hunted to near extinction and was once thought to be extinct before a small colony was rediscovered. The Juan Fernandez lobster supports a small sustainable fishery and is found only in these waters.

The underwater Moai in Hanga Roa Bay is a replica, originally created as a prop for the 1994 film Rapa Nui. After filming, the statue was deliberately sunk at approximately 22 metres depth on a volcanic slope. Over the decades, it has become colonised by coral and marine growth, giving it an increasingly authentic ancient appearance. It is now one of Easter Island's most iconic dive attractions.

Easter Island has some of the best visibility in the world, regularly exceeding 60 metres and sometimes reaching 70 metres. This extraordinary clarity is due to the island's extreme isolation in the South Pacific, the volcanic soil that filters rainwater before it enters the ocean, and the absence of ports and river runoff. The crystal-clear water is one of the diving highlights.