Many islands, reefs, caves, and rocks lie off the coast of Costa Rica, providing excellent spots for underwater exploration. Visibility varies with season and location. Generally, heavy rainfall tends to swell the rivers and muddy the waters, even well offshore. Banana plantations and their runoff have destroyed most of the Caribbean reefs, although there's still good diving at Isla Uvita, just off the coast of Limón, and in Manzanillo, down near the Panamanian border. Most divers choose Pacific dive spots such as Isla del Caño, Bat Island and the Catalina Islands, where you're likely to spot manta rays, moray eels, white-tipped sharks, and plenty of smaller fish and coral species. But the ultimate in Costa Rican dive experiences is 7 to 10 days on a chartered boat, diving off the coast of Isla del Coco.
Snorkeling is not incredibly common or rewarding in Costa Rica. The rain, runoff, and wave conditions that drive scuba divers well offshore tend to make coastal and shallow-water conditions less than optimal. If the weather is calm and the water is clear, you might just get lucky. Ask at your hotel or check the different beach listings in this book to find snorkeling options and operators up and down Costa Rica's coasts. The best snorkeling experience to be had in Costa Rica is on the reefs off Manzanillo Beach in the southern Caribbean coast, particularly in the calm months of September and October.
Diving Outfitters & Operators
Aggressor Fleet Limited (tel. 800/348-2628 in the U.S., or 2257-0191; www.aggressor.com) runs the 36m (118-ft.) Okeanos Aggressor on regular trips out to Isla del Coco.
Diving Mania (tel. 2291-2936; www.divingmania.net) is a San José-based outfit that offers equipment rental, certification classes, and tours.
Diving Safaris de Costa Rica (tel. 2672-1260; www.costaricadiving.net) is perhaps the largest, most professional, and best-established dive operation in the country. Based out of the Sol Playa Hermosa Hotel in Playa Hermosa, this outfitter is also a local pioneer in nitrox diving.
Undersea Hunter (tel. 800/203-2120 in the U.S., or 2228-6613; www.underseahunter.com) offers the Undersea Hunter and its sister ship, the Sea Hunter, two pioneers of the live-aboard diving excursions to Isla del Coco.
