Scuba Diving in Costa Rica is share of our Prime Dive Sites of the World
It’s no surprise that with a hover in the Caribbean and one on the Pacific Ocean, scuba diving in Costa Rica is a few of the finest on this planet. Costa Rica is house to 1 of many enviornment’s most efficient destinations for diving with hammerhead sharks, Cocos Island.
Meaning the “Rich Float,” the waters off Costa Rica are rich with a massive number of marine existence. Whether or no longer you opt on to peruse pristine coral or manta rays, bull sharks, and hammerheads, there is something for every diver in the waters off Costa Rica.
It’s doubtless you’ll per chance be in a local to chase scuba diving in Costa Rica 300 and sixty five days-round. Though the calmest stipulations are between August-December when there is minute rain, stipulations are at their calmest. At the identical time, a total lot of the gargantuan stuff is missing in the midst of this time, a bunch of varied creatures replaces it, and the calmer stipulations originate it the finest time to chase to for rather inexperienced divers.
From Would possibly per chance per chance additionally just to November, you will be in a position to be in a local to get some rain, and gigantic nutrient-rich swells train the gargantuan pelagic to the waters off Costa Rica. Right thru this window, experienced divers who don’t mind the more anxious stipulations can experience bull sharks and assorted pelagics all over Costa Rica, at the side of hammerheads at Cocos island.
Predicament
Cano Island
Though it’s lesser known than the jewel in the crown of Costa Rican diving Cocos Island, Cano Island gives some world-class diving in its comprise handsome and is price at the side of to any scuba diving in Costa Rica itinerary.
The little island measuring round 740 acres lies a mere 10miles/16 km off the Osa Peninsula. The reefs at Cano Island are handsome and are house to a massive number of marine existence and gigantic pelagics. Sharks are noteworthy in the waters of Cano, and divers can frequently come across whale sharks, bull sharks, and even white tip reef sharks. Also, whales are chanced on in the waters of Cano, with Pilot, Sei, Humpback, and counterfeit killer whales had been frequently seen. If all that is just not any longer sufficient, there is more! Cano dive web sites are teeming with enormous colleges of fish, jacks, rays, and in the occasion you are lucky, diver the odd dolphin or two.
There are so a lot of programs to dive Cano Island and the entire dive web sites it aspects. While some day trips to dive the island, most divers opt to dive Cano Island by way of liveaboard. The season is rather short, lasting six months, from January to June. Right thru this time, the stipulations are hotter, dryer, and ideally marvelous for diving. Right thru the diving summer season, the water temperature is balmy, varying from 72F/22C to 82F/28°C.
Gandoca Manzanillo Flora and fauna Refuge
While a total lot of the finest diving in Costa Rican water lies off the pacific hover, scuba diving in Costa Rica wouldn’t be entire without diving on the Caribbean hover on the Gandoca Manzanillo Flora and fauna Refuge.
The flora and fauna refuge is set worthy better than diving and gives an distinctive experience with flora and fauna every above and below the water. The reefs on the reserve are in pristine stipulations and host a few of the finest coral reefs in Costa Rica. Diving the Gandoca Manzanillo reefs, there are hundreds shrimps, sponges, lobsters, and hundreds of reef fish that duvet the reefs. The mangroves in eh space present a residence for crocodiles and manatees, and in the occasion you are a extremely lucky diver, you will be in a position to respect the likelihood to peruse a manatee in the water.
On land, there is even more flora and fauna to peruse and experience. The animal and birdlife are extra special, with tapir, sloths, monkeys, pumas, and jaguars, as neatly as kingfishers, trogons, and keel-billed toucans. The reserve is house to a good number of birds with over 360 species. Within the occasion you are lucky, that you simply would possibly witness the severely endangered harpy eagle.
The seashores on the Gandoca Manzanillo refuge are also chubby of motion as they are an packed with life nesting space for leatherback turtles. From March to July every 300 and sixty five days, hundreds of these majestic creatures would possibly well even be seen rising from the ocean at evening to save their eggs on the beach. Within the occasion you opt on to respect the laying season, then the finest time to chase to is from April to Would possibly per chance per chance additionally just, when the leatherbacks are at their busiest. The hatchlings delivery rising in Would possibly per chance per chance additionally just every 300 and sixty five days.
Bat Island
Bat Island diving is renowned for gigantic sharks, particularly bull sharks; in the occasion it’s good to to peruse bulls when scuba diving in Costa Rica, then Bat Island is an absolute need to! Prerequisites at Bat island are hard, with sturdy currents bringing nutrient-rich waters with fish and gargantuan sharks in tow. This makes diving on Bat Island handiest doubtless for experienced divers.
On the entire, the finest time to chase to Bat Island is between Would possibly per chance per chance additionally just and November. Right thru this period, the air temperature is gorgeous and warm, frequently above 85F/29C. Visibility at Bat island would possibly well even be variable and differ from 30ft/9m to 100ft/30m. visibility tends to be diminished attributable to plankton in the water. This brings with it a original majestic visitor. With the exception of for bull sharks, Bat Island will be known for visits from Pacific Huge mantas, the marvelous species of manta on this planet. Seeing these unbelievable giants with a wingspan that reaches 29ft/8.8m all over is a if truth be told breathtaking experience.
Bat Island’s most notorious dive space is is referred to as “the gargantuan concern” for the stipulations and the gargantuan bulls that chase to. While some local legends are inclined to magnify the dimension of the bull sharks that will per chance even be encountered in the gap, they are alternatively chubby specimens. The bulls you will be in a position to hunt for at Bat island are inclined to be on the species’ better limits, making them a fear-intelligent look underwater.
Hammerhead Scuba Diving in Costa Rica: Cocos Island
Cocos Island and hammerheads are practically synonymous with scuba diving in Costa Rica. A transient search about scuba in Costa Rica and diverse the outcomes will point of curiosity on the Cocos islands, arguably one of many finest areas on this planet to dive with sharks, although one of many finest areas to come across training hammerheads on this planet.
The little island measures 5mi/8km by 2mi/3km and lies deep in the Pacific Ocean, roughly 342 mi/ 550km southwest of Costa Rica’s mainland. On the entire, diving depth ranges from 30ft/10m to 131ft/40m. visibility varies but most ceaselessly stays between 30ft/10m to 50ft/15m.
The celebs of the reward at Cocos Island are the chubby colleges of hammerhead sharks. A conventional dive at Cocos entails shedding down and discovering a rock to hide in the again of. At his point, divers are trying and obtain a hammerhead cleaning space to witness the sharks impending to be serviced. One ingredient to defend in mind is in the occasion you are attempting an plot the sharks, they’ll retreat abruptly. Basically the most efficient strategy for shut passes is to soar, regulate your breathing, and time your bubbles to no longer concern the hammerheads away. This strategy will in the fracture yield shut encounters and circulate bees.
While the coral at Cocos Island is just not any longer reasonably, the marine existence is out of the ordinary. With the exception of for the hammerheads, you will be in a position to be in a local to come across a differ of gargantuan fauna, at the side of dolphins, manta rays, tiger sharks, and even the odd killer whale. Pointless to claim, the water will be rich with jacks, tuna, wahoo, and turtles. Lucky divers would possibly well per chance additionally seek for whale sharks, that are known to circulate by.
Attributable to the stipulations and shuttle concerned, trips to Cocos Island are ideally handiest marvelous to experienced divers cosy in sturdy currents and blue water. A conventional day entails three dives making Nitrox your gas of different when scuba diving Cocos Island.
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