Jacques Cousteau, said that Coco Island, which is far offshore, offered the best diving in the World. Little discovered, and still uncrowded, SCUBA divers travel here from all parts of the world to see thousands of hammerhead sharks and enormous schools of innumerable fish in our tropical, plankton rich water.
Just as terrestrial Costa Rica is home to an incredibly wide diversity of animal and plant species, the waters offshore also teem with marine life. You can dive in calm transparent waters on the Caribbean coast or opt for the wilder and more spectacular Pacific side. Whatever option you choose you will encounter a lot more fish and a lot fewer divers than you are accustomed to in most Caribbean tourist destinations.
Most good diving is on the Pacific side of Costa Rica. The Caribbean reefs were decimated some years ago due to pesticide runoff from the banana plantations although the last two or three years have seen a definite return of life to the region. Dive operations are not very sophisticated but if you happen to be on that side of the country a day of diving can be fun. The best months are in September-November.
There are three main areas for diving on the Pacific Ocean side. The first area is Isla del Caño, located on the Osa Peninsula in southern Costa Rica. The other two lie in the northern province of Guanacaste.
The Caribbean coast offers a spectacular coral reef species with small animals like starfish, lobsters and shrimp. The Pacific is known for the abundance of marine life as a bigger giant manta rays, green sea turtles, angel fish, catfish, snapper, lora fish, sharks, dolphins and blue whales.
| The Best places for diving |
|
|
| Caribean Coast |
|
| Cahuita National Park |
|
| Punta Cocles |
|
| Punta Uva |
|
| Isla Murciélago |
|
| Isla Catalina |
|
| Isla del Caño |
|
| Playas del Coco |
|
|
