Scuba Diving The Gulf de Papagayo
Any dive vacation to Costa Rica isn’t complete without a visit to the Gulf de Papagayo. The Gulf de Papagayo has long been known for having some of the best fishing in the world. Not until the last 10 years or so has it been getting the attention it deserves a world class scuba diving destination. What sets it apart from other places is the vast amount of marine life which exists in its waters. The schools of fish here are unlike anywhere you will experience in the Caribbean in terms of biomass.
Diving Conditions Of The Gulf De Papagayo
The diving conditions are highly variable in the Gulf de Papagayo the same as they are along the rest of the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica. The temperature as well as the visibility can change overnight. It isn’t an exaggeration to say that one day you can be diving in 80 foot visibility at a temperature of 80 degrees and the next day it could be 10 feet and 65 degrees. For the most part, the higher fluctuations take place in the dry season which runs from mid-November until early May. During these seasons the water can be a fair bit cooler and the visibility on average is certainly less than during the rainy or green season. There are some differences you will experience in comparison to the Bat Islands as well as the Catalinas. During the dry season, there is certainly not as much current at most of the dive sites deep within the Gulf de Papagayo as you will experience in the Bat Islands or the Catalinas.
The Marine Life Within The Gulf de Papagayo
When scuba diving in the Gulf de Papagayo you are going to see lots of life. There is a huge assortment of Rays, fish, eels, white tip sharks, octopuss and a ton of macro life which includes the harlequin clown shrimp, sea horses, nudibranches, and much more. There is a chance you will see the odd Manta Ray, however, this isn’t common. The best place for mantas is the Catalinas and the Bat Islands. There is also next to no chance of seeing the bull shark. To have this opportunity you must go to the Bat Islands. If macro life such as mentioned above is your thing you will certainly want to include the Gulf de Papagayo and all of its dozens of dive sites in your dive plan!