What better way to celebrate World Ocean’s Day than by going scuba diving? In honor of the ocean, here is our list of top diving destinations in Costa Rica:

Scuba Diving On Cocos Island (Isla del Coco)

Cocos Island the top diving destination not only in Costa Rica, but it’s also among the best in the world. This is one of the greatest places on the planet for swimming with sharks. Don’t worry, they don’t bite (well, they don’t bite people,anyways). 

Cocos Island is home to at least 9 species of shark including:  white-tips, black-tips, silky, tiger, Galapagos, silver-tip, and whale sharks; but the island is most renowned for its hammerheads, which school here by the hundreds. 

The only way to get here is by traveling 36 hours on a live-aboard cruise ship. The Undersea Hunter Group offers 7-10 day liveaboard excursions to this remote underwater hotspot.

Bat Islands (Islas Murcielagos)

If you can’t afford to take the time or spend the money getting out to Cocos Island, the Bat Islands are the next best thing. People come here for the bull sharks that love to hang out at a dive site affectionately known as “The Big Scare.”

The best time to go is during rainy season; mostly from July to November. 
The waters can be quite rough getting out there, but the reward is worth it. On a good day you can find yourself swimming with bull sharks, mantas, zebra eels and massive schools of fish. This dive destination is located on the Pacific Coast, near the Nicaraguan border.

Scuba Diving at Playas del Coco

Not to be confused with Cocos Island, Playas del Coco also has some KILLER diving spots. Here you can find large pelagic marine creatures like sea turtles, white-tip reef sharks, eagle rays, manta rays and more. It’s a great jumping off point to head out to the Bat Islands. Micro life includes clown shrimp, starfish and sea horses.

Las Catalinas

When mantas are visiting Costa Rica (often around February), Las Catalinas is one of your best bets for encountering them. It’s also home to schools of eagle rays, sea turtles and whitetips (the wildlife here is fairly similar to what you’ll find at Playas del Coco). 

Las Catalinas are most easily reached taking off from Tamarindo (check out Agua Rica) or Flamingo (try Aquacenter).

Herradura

This diving spot is near Jaco, and ideal destination if you’re staying on the Central Pacific. The diving here is very similar to Playas del Coco and Las Catalinas.

Isla del Caño

This spot is a part of Costa Rica’s Osa Peninsula, and it’s downright GORGEOUS. Also great for snorkeling, here you can see nurse sharks, whitetip reef sharks and all kinds of species of fish in water with exceptional visibility. 

Isla del Caño can be reached via Drake Bay, or if you’re staying on the Central Pacific you can get there by boat from Dominical.

Photo credits: Genna Marie of Tamarindo Family Photos

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Andrew Makarik

to@welovecostarica.com

Andrew Makarik is the main editor of WeLoveCostaRica, a fan of this sunny country. He is also a loving husband and a has a lovely daughter. By being a devoted family man and the biggest Costa Rica fan, he wants to make more people feel at home there. WeLoveCostaRica unites people and helps them find new home or a new travel destination. This website is a friendly community where everyone can find not only information, but also new friends and travel pals. Andrew is also passionate about IT and programming, so he himself maintains a friendly atmosphere in this cozy environment of WeLoveCostaRica.com.