Escambrón Marine Park protects 27 acres of elkhorn coral reef and submerged seagrass meadows beneath the shadow of El Morro's sixteenth-century ramparts. Designated a conservation zone in 2004, the park lies within the three-mile territorial boundary where Spanish colonial engineers once anchored defensive chains to block enemy fleets. Today the same sheltered cove sustains year-round populations of hawksbill and green sea turtles, which nest on nearby beaches between May and October, and West Indian manatees that migrate through San Juan Bay's brackish channels seeking refuge in the park's calm shallows. The reef's biodiversity stems from its unique position at the confluence of Atlantic currents and the sheltered leeward coast. Elkhorn coral formations—critically endangered across the Caribbean—thrive here in water rarely deeper than fifteen feet, creating feeding grounds for parrotfish, sergeant majors, and French angelfish. Visibility averages sixty feet during morning hours when sediment settles and plankton drifts offshore. The seagrass beds flanking the reef provide grazing habitat for juvenile green turtles, which feed exclusively on algae and turtle grass until maturity. Adult hawksbills patrol the coral ledges hunting sponges, their primary diet, while manatees surface every three to five minutes along the park's western boundary near the old seawall. Conservation efforts intensified after Hurricane Maria in 2017, when storm surge damaged thirty percent of the park's coral cover. The Escambrón Conservancy, established in 2019, coordinates reef monitoring and turtle rescue operations in partnership with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Volunteers log every turtle sighting—over 1,200 encounters were recorded in 2025—and track individual animals through photo identification of facial scale patterns. Manatee sightings remain sporadic but consistent, with sixteen documented visits between January and March 2026 during the species' winter migration from colder northern waters. Guided san juan manatee and turtle snorkeling tours operate under permit from the National Parks Service, which enforces strict no-touch protocols and maintains a mandatory ten-foot distance from all marine life. The park's accessibility—free entry, minimal surf, and proximity to Old San Juan's cruise terminals—draws 200,000 annual visitors, making it Puerto Rico's most trafficked snorkeling site and a critical testing ground for sustainable marine tourism in urban environments.