Geography and context
The Iberá Wetlands cover roughly 13,000 km² in north-central Corrientes Province. The most developed access point for tourism is the Laguna Iberá Portal, in Colonia Carlos Pellegrini, about 120 km from the city of Mercedes. The whole system is protected as the Iberá Provincial Park and Reserve and, across most of its area, also as Iberá National Park.
Diving here means drift diving in fresh water: the current carries divers while a support boat tracks them on the surface.
What you’ll see
Divers let the current carry them while a support boat tracks them on the surface. Runs cross white sand banks that brighten the bottom and improve visual contrast.
Wildlife typically encountered includes schools of dorado, surubí catfish, freshwater rays and sábalo. The water column is comparatively warm and visibility — between 5 and 8 metres in good conditions — is good for a wetland.
Dive depths sit between 4 and 10 metres, which makes the site accessible to divers with basic certification. There is no dive centre in Carlos Pellegrini: logistics are coordinated from Mercedes (Corrientes), 120 km west, and operators travel with groups to the portal.
When to go
Conditions depend on rainfall and plankton cycles. Average water temperature is around 20 °C, with summer peaks higher. Visibility improves in autumn and late winter, when plankton drops. Trips need to be coordinated with operators, since they depend on water levels.
How to get there
Carlos Pellegrini lies about 360 km from Corrientes city and 120 km from Mercedes. From Mercedes the access is via Provincial Route 40, much of it gravel. Transfers are usually arranged by operators that put together the full trip from Buenos Aires.
The portal has more than 35 lodgings and tourism services coordinated by the Cámara de Turismo de los Esteros del Iberá.
Protected areas and regulations
All activity takes place inside the Iberá Provincial Park and Reserve. Navigation is regulated by Corrientes Province and operators must be authorised. Trips always include a support boat and a surface guide.
Technical tips
Typical visibility over the white sand banks is 5–8 metres in good conditions — good for a wetland; it can degrade in summer due to plankton blooms and rain runoff carrying sediment. Diving here is shallow exploration (4–8 m), with no fixed underwater infrastructure. The draw is not depth or clarity but wildlife: schools of dorado, surubí catfish and freshwater rays that approach divers during the drift. Visiting in the dry season (May–August) gives the best chance of improved visibility. Bring a surface marker buoy or signal torch for the support boat. Fresh water requires less weight than salt water; fine-tune ballasting with the operator before the first dive.
Sources
- Parque Iberá — Laguna Iberá Portal (access, services)
- Cámara de Turismo de los Esteros del Iberá (access, lodgings)
- Oceanica Buceo — Iberá Wetlands (drift technique, depth, visibility, wildlife)
- SIB — Salminus brasiliensis (dorado) (presence in Iberá)
- SIB — Potamotrygon motoro (freshwater ray) (presence in Iberá)