Los Organos, El Nuro and Punta Sal

Before Boarding

• Ask for the operator's certification, guide credentials, guest-to-guide ratio, safety briefing, life jackets, oxygen, communications and written site/evacuation plan.
• Confirm protected-sector permissions, departure point, minimum guest count and no-go criteria after an adverse swell warning or DICAPI port closure.
• Choose depth and site for the least-experienced qualified participant. Introductory scuba requires instructor supervision; it is not interchangeable with independent diving.

On the Water

• Keep clear of working fishing gear and vessel traffic, avoid unapproved pier entries and follow guide instructions on current, visibility and surf.
• Carry an appropriate surface marker where required. No solo breath-hold diving, no hyperventilation and no assumed apnea safety line.
• Give turtles space and do not touch, pursue or feed them. Do not approach whales for swimming. Official cetacean distances.

If Symptoms Develop After a Dive

Stop diving, activate local emergency services, provide emergency oxygen if trained and available, and obtain urgent hospital evaluation. Follow DAN medical guidance; do not drive directly to an unconfirmed chamber.

Medical resources and specialist diving care are not assured at the beach departure point. The UK FCDO warns that medical treatment can be more difficult to access outside Lima. No current operational hyperbaric chamber or dependable transfer arrangement for Los Organos was confirmed. For suspected DCS or arterial gas embolism, use local emergency services and nearest available medical evaluation, administer oxygen if trained, and contact DAN for dive-medical advice and referral. Ask the operator and insurer before booking exactly where initial treatment is provided and how a medically indicated transfer would be handled. FCDO health advice, DAN chamber policy.

The Mar Tropical de Grau National Reserve was established in 2024 with sectors including Cabo Blanco-El Nuro and Punta Sal reefs. It is managed for biodiversity and sustainable resource use, including local artisanal fishing, not as a freely accessible dive playground. The approved 2026-2031 plan explicitly lists recreational diving and tourism in the Punta Sal and Cabo Blanco-El Ñuro use zones. Site and operator arrangements still need to follow the applicable sector rules; it is not unrestricted access. At El Nuro, tourism-related turtle feeding and handling can alter wildlife behavior and welfare; MINCETUR's 2026 good-practice manual is official guidance, not a verified blanket permit. Whale-watching boats must respect PRODUCE legal distances, including at least 100 m for large whales and 300 m when feeding or socializing, with approach to mothers and calves prohibited. Keep plastics out of the water, avoid wildlife souvenirs and respect community-managed spaces. Reserve decree, turtle guidance.