SCUBA DIVING
Along the southwest coast, Caņo Island offers the regions best dive opportunities. Because the waters off CAŅO Island are protected, there are more fish in these very clear waters. Only minutes by boat from Drake Bay, these rocky volcanic formations can be enjoyed year round, as there is very little in the way of water runoff. Visibility ranges from 35 ft - 90 ft. The hotels along this coast are well connected with the best diving operators and will put you in the most experienced and safest hands. They know where the waters are good each day and the conditions to take into account.
You will be in the expert hands of PADI instructors who offer courses and tours. Please inquire with us at the Mango as to current instructors and the best outfit to go diving costa rica scuba diving, snorkeling, diving in costa ricawith. You may wish to go out for a day dive or you can even elect to take lessons and obtain your certification.
Costa Rica's Pacific Coast offers less expensive dives than many other alternatives. The volcanic rock formations and rock pinnacles provide an ideal refuge for the marine life which inhabits these local waters. With an average water temperature of 75-82 degrees, between Mid-April to Mid-January, divers can enjoy diving to perfect temperatures.
Year round, these dive spots are frequently visited by white-tip reef sharks, spotted eagle rays, turtles, gigantic stingrays, sea horses, starfish and many species of eels. You might get lucky and see whale sharks, spinner dolphins, humpback whales or Orcas. Although there is some soft and hard coral present, most of the dive sites do not exhibit large coral deposits, but rather volcanic formations.
The opportunity to photograph is excellent. These clear waters will lend to colorful images of clown shrimp, sea horses, frog fish, tube worms, eels, scorpion fish, crabs and star fish, all of which litter the ocean floo as well as gigantic schools of fish, including schooling horse-eyed jacks, barracuda and wahoo. Although hammerhead sharks have been seen here, they are not common. You will, however, have a terrific opportunity to encounter manta rays between the months of November and May.
BALLENA NATIONAL MARINE PARK Tour operators in Uvita can provide shorter tours to the Whales Tale or Ballena Tale to snorkel and dive closer to home. Ballena National Park is a system of reefs and island stretching for thirteen Kilometers and over 5000 hectars of protected marine area.
Three islands (Tres Hermanas) are part of these waters and provide some of the best diving and snorkeling in Costa Rica.
