Bahia Cumberland

Best time to dive

October to March; April to October

What you might see

• DolphinPossible
• Sea turtlePossible

Sightings are seasonal probabilities, not promises - even in peak season nature does its own thing.

Certification & difficulty

Advanced Open Water - advanced conditions (currents/depth); dive within your training.

Snorkelling

Snorkel-friendly - Yes - snorkeling with Juan Fernandez fur seals is a well-documented activity in Cumberland Bay/around San Juan Bautista, offered alongside diving by local operators

Safety notes

Extreme remoteness - no hyperbaric chamber on the island, evacuation to mainland Chile requires a ~2.5hr flight or much longer boat transfer, and inter-island transport can be cancelled for days in bad weather (confirmed CONAF notice of a multi-day flight/service closure in July 2026); basic-only local medical care (one pharmacy, small rural hospital) so travelers are advised to bring their own medication; open-ocean/cold-water exposure

Permits & fees

Almost the entire archipelago (99% of the territory, per CONAF) is Parque Nacional Archipielago Juan Fernandez, a CONAF-managed national park and UNESCO Biosphere Reserve; a paid park entrance ticket is required (sold via the official pasesparques.cl portal with adult/youth/child/senior/disability tiers), but the exact current fee amount could not be confirmed from public pricing pages (price loads dynamically at booking); no separate dive-specific permit fee was documented beyond the general park entrance requirement

Permits and operators change - confirm before booking.

Location

Nearest hub: San Juan Bautista