There is a corner of the Caribbean where the sea turns seventeen shades of blue before it reaches the shore. Where coral formations rise from the sandy bottom like cathedrals and tropical fish move through the water in living clouds of color. That place is Catalina Island — Isla Catalina — one of the most extraordinary marine destinations in the entire Dominican Republic.
What Is Catalina Island?
Catalina Island is a small, uninhabited island off the southern coast of La Romana in the Dominican Republic. Renowned worldwide for snorkeling and diving, Isla Catalina sits at the edge of the famous “Wall of Catalina” — where the ocean floor drops from shallow reef into the deep blue abyss. Even beginners can experience this underwater wonder from the surface with a snorkel mask.
The Wall of Catalina
The crown jewel of any Catalina Island tour is the Wall — a spectacular underwater coral drop-off beginning at just 5 meters and plunging to over 30. Even from the surface, you can peer into this blue cathedral and watch rays, turtles, and schools of tropical fish moving through the deep water below.
What to Expect on a Catalina Island Tour
- Hotel pickup from Punta Cana and surrounding areas
- Boat transfer to Isla Catalina
- Guided snorkeling at the reef and the Wall
- Free beach time on Catalina’s white sand shore
- Dominican lunch and open bar included
Marine Life at Isla Catalina
- 🐢 Hawksbill and green sea turtles
- 🐟 French angelfish, parrotfish, trumpetfish
- 🪸 Staghorn, brain, and pillar coral
- 🦈 Nurse sharks resting on the sandy bottom
- 🦑 Octopus and spotted eagle rays
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