Scuba Diving the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica

Costa Rica is fast becoming one of the best locations for scuba diving in the world. There are abundant schools of fish, exotic species of marine life and the water temperature is perfect throughout the year for scuba diving. The Pacific Coast of Costa Rica has a number of locations for scuba diving, such as the Playas del Coco, Playa Hermosa and Playa Ocotal. You get to see a wide array of colorful marine creatures while scuba diving at these spots. The country boasts of natural rainforests, peculiar volcanoes and immaculate beaches.

Some of the best scuba diving locations on the Pacific Coast include the ones off the Drake Bay, such as Isla Del Cano, and Isla Del Coco. In these two places, you will get to see abundant varieties of marine life such as sharks, turtles and many more. The Isla Del Cano is known to have the greatest number of varieties of fish with around 18 types of coral, 3 varieties of dolphins and other humongous schools of exotic fish which make it the ideal scuba diving location. On the other hand, the Caribbean Coast has been left far behind Costa Rica as they have not developed their infrastructure to the same extent. The most recent addition to the scuba diving locations in the country is along the Pacific Coast of the province of Guanacaste. Instead of live coral and reefs, you will get to see a large number of soft corals, fish and invertebrates primarily resulting from the plankton that grows in abundance in these waters. Most of the divers utilize the area near the rocky islands that are located at quite a distance from the shore. Visibility problems may arise, particularly in the months from May to November, when the rivers and ocean meet.

Another exciting place for scuba diving along the Pacific Coast is the Catalina Islands located near the Nicoya peninsula. Another area called the Isla Murcielagos is located north of this. The fact that these islands are exposed to varieties of sea life not to be found anywhere else along the coast adds to the attraction for tourists. Surprisingly enough, these islands house even those fish that are rarely seen together which makes it even more curious for visitors.

The visibility in these islands is approximately 18 to 75 feet, and there are strong water currents sometimes. But you will be bewildered by the immense variety of sharks, spade fish, horse-eye jacks, eagle mantas, turtles and snappers waiting to be viewed. This species are much bigger in size than anywhere on the Caribbean coasts. The temperature is ideal for diving throughout the year and there are no rivers that fall into these waters and add mud and stones to make the water dirty and less visible. Between November and February, the Catalina Islands are preferred because of the strong winds that may affect your expedition on the other locations. The perfect time for the other islands are from May to November.