This underwater park is the resting place of several shipwrecks, incuding the Hickory, a salvage ship that was scuttled in 1984, the year the park was founded. It's now visited as a popular dive site, depending on which dive operator you choose. If you’re interested in diving here, contact one of the dive shops in Boca Chica or any of the resorts in Juan Dolio.
In the past this was a park in name only; little was done to protect the 12-sq-km underwater area in front of the Aeropuerto Internacional Las Américas. As a result of lax controls and the damage from Hurricane Jean in 2004, the number of coral and fish species here is very low. Some will tell you they refuse to go there as the site has been over-dived and is destroyed, while others say it’s still full of marine life and there's an ongoing attempt at involving the community, especially local fishermen, in conservation efforts.
